The evaluation of a constructive modeling and simulation approach in teaching port management skills

A review of current literature has identified a gap in the use of constructive modeling and simulation (M&S) environments to teach port management skill sets. The fast pace of change in the maritime industry requires similar adaptation from teaching institutions. This paper refines previous work that explored requirements and options for teaching port management aided by a constructive GIS-based M&S environment at Old Dominion University (ODU). A sample case study based on a real world problem is presented to demonstrate the potential of a high fidelity M&S environment when applied to a higher education port management curriculum. A survey was developed and administered to evaluate how an M&S tool benefited students. The results indicate that the use of constructive M&S can aid port management students to develop domain relevant problem solving skills, stimulate creativity, and critical thinking. The results provided should be generally applicable to other domains that involve management of complex systems like warehouses, hospitals, and manufacturing plants.