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Informal Ways to Educate About Formal Modeling and Simulation with Petri Nets

Authors:
Lara Zakfeld
Stefan Haag
Carlo Simon

Keywords: Modeling; Simulation; Interactive Education; Digital Twins; Petri Nets

Abstract:
Linking current research and advanced teaching is one pillar of higher education. Students need to be prepared for finding novel solutions for challenges that arise from the digitalization of products, services, and production. To address these challenges, planing and forecasting play essential roles. These tasks can be handled by modeling to understand a real- world system, and simulating these models to gain insight into possible consequences of change. Formal modeling and simula- tion are highly complex activities that require experience and fitting tools. When lecturers integrate such exciting and cutting- edge topics, classical head-on teaching is not enough. Instead, they need inspirational approaches and reliable tools to provide learners with an easy-to-grasp, direct, and engaging introduction into modeling and simulation. This paper presents different approaches to engage students in this task. Case studies illustrate theoretical and practical business knowledge. The firing rule of Petri nets can be explained with mazes. Learners experience the implications of digitalization in production with real models of as- sembly lines controlled by Petri nets. Students are enabled to act as consultants who develop simulation models that incorporate planing and forecasting. Such extensive user interaction requires elaborated tool support but offers the possibility to intertwine teaching, theoretical learning, practical application, and current research.

Pages: 38 to 43

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2022

Publication date: October 16, 2022

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4537

ISBN: 978-1-68558-001-8

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Dates: from October 16, 2022 to October 20, 2022