MODSIM World Program Tracks

Health & Medicine (SCHEDULE)

Natural and man-made biological threats, public health emergencies, and uncontrollable costs threaten to overwhelm today’s educational and healthcare delivery systems, and society. In response to these challenges, subject matter experts, administrators, and simulation developers must collaborate to develop cost-effective, serious games and simulations allowing for better analysis of complex systems for improved incident action plans, decision making, and training. The Health and Medicine Track provides a forum for experts and stakeholders from a variety of disciplines to share advances, identify and solve problems, and foster future research opportunities that expand the role of modeling and simulation to dramatically improve patient outcomes and overall disaster response.

Transportation & Logistics (SCHEDULE)

In today's rapidly changing business environment, an advanced decision support system offers decision-makers flexibility for problem solving and credibility in resulting solutions. Modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and visualization technologies enable improved designs and operations for land, air and sea transportation systems. Analytical tools support predictions of complex transportation system performance. When combined with advanced information displays, and decision support tools, these M&S technologies can be used to test and improve the safety of transportation and logistics systems operations and provide aid to decision makers in business development, local and state planning activities, and emergency management and homeland defense. For example, Traffic congestion is one of the worst problems in many countries. Traffic congestion wastes a huge portion of the national income for fuel and traffic-related environmental and socioeconomic problems. Computer simulation is a powerful tool for analyzing complex and dynamic scenarios. It provides an appealing approach to analyze repetitive processes. Simulation helps decision makers identify different possible options by analyzing enormous amounts of data. Hence, computer simulation can be used effectively to analyze traffic flow patterns, evacuation routes etc. These simulations greatly reduce the cost and risk of testing and, because they enable a large number of scenarios to be evaluated, increase the reliability and safety of the final system design. Transportation and logistics systems models may also be coupled to enable the security and cost of multimodal transportation operations to be assessed. In addition, derivative simulations may be used for other applications including training and decision support for business development, local and state planning for ports, roads, and airports, and emergency response.

Defense & Homeland Security (SCHEDULE)

Homeland security is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur.

This quote from the US National Strategy for Homeland Security summarily sets the scene for the Homeland Security (HLS) and Homeland Defense (HLD) track of MODSIM World 2008. However, there is a growing understanding that HLS/HLD is really a multinational endevour and this track will treat it as such. During this track there will be multiple sessions regarding M&S aspects of the following areas:

emergency operations and centers
emergency site management
public facilities and business continuity
protection of critical infrastructure
critical infrastructure resiliency and disaster recovery
hazardous materials identifiction and handling
communications and media
risk assessment
emergency and disaster contingency planning
public awareness and education
evacuation policy and planning
medical and trauma planning
discussion of strategies for managing incidents
pandemic and disease planning
community recovery
exercise and training programs
emergency management training for first responders managers and senior decision-makers

The 21st Century global environment demands that military decision makers take into account the political, military, economic, social, infrastructure, and information (PMESII) environments when weighing the pros and cons of a particular course of action. Simulations can help inform leaders at all levels of the impact that a particular course of action may have upon this complex set of interrelated elements. This MODSIM track will address the impact that modeling and simulation has in helping decision makers understand and plan in their operational environment.

Education & Training (SCHEDULE)

This track focuses on the development and preparation of modeling and simulation professionals and specialists, and issues related to the development and enhancement of the 21st Century modeling and simulation workforce. This includes high school, community college, undergraduate, and graduate level education; modeling and simulation as content and methodology; professional development; and continuing education. Education and training are broadly defined to include instruction, instructional-related issues and techniques, curricula, standards, certification, accreditation, and resources. The education and training track serves as a forum for (1) the exchange of knowledge; (2) interchange among individuals and parties; and (3) for the presentation, discussion, and resolution of issues pertaining to pedagogy and modeling and simulation.

Engineering & Technology (SCHEDULE)

This track offers a forum for information exchange and for individuals and groups concerned with the development and application of modeling and simulation theory, tools, and techniques to engineering, technology, and systems development. Topics of interest to the engineering and technology track include system dynamics and development; creating modeling and simulation tools and methods for predicting and assessing capabilities and limitations; developing principles that identify the role of modeling and simulation in the use, operation, maintenance, and control of systems; and applying the principles of modeling and simulation to systems testing and inte-gration. The engineering and technology track is also concerned with the (1) inclusion of modeling and simulation in science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) education at the pre-college, community college, and college levels; (2) professional and standards development; (3) certification; and (4) continuing education.

Cross-Cutting Track - Game-Based Learning (Serious Games) (SCHEDULE)

In addition to the core areas of concentration, MODSIM will explore some of the conceptual and technological threads that run between these various disciplines. Our cross cutting secessions will focus on the exciting world of Game-Based Learning (serious games) as it applies to each of the focal tracks. By exploring these topics we will begin opening the door to revolutionary new solutions. This track embraces the full spectrum of thought from theory and practice, research and experimentation, development, to test and evaluation of game-based learning (GBL) and its application across a variety of disciplines and communities of practice. Topics of interest include learning theory; comparative research in human and synthetic learning; the application of GBL to the “teaching and learning” of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at all levels; and the technical, social, and logistical challenges associated with implementing GBL. This track is also a forum for fostering research, information exchange, and for individuals and groups interested in curriculum and professional development, tools and user applications, infrastructure and integration, and assessment and evaluation.