IME 420 - Systems Simulation

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID: IME 420
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in an Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering course for graduate students by Prof. Kurt Colvin at California State University, San Luis Obispo. 

IME 420, 4 units
Brief Description of course highlights:  

Queueing systems. Design and analysis of production and service systems using the simulation technique. System modeling. Random number and function generators, programming, and characteristics of simulation languages. Design projects using real world problems. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Prerequisite: IME 305; IME 326 or IME 327; or graduate standing.

Student population:  100 graduate students per year, 

Learning or student outcomes:  

Having the easy-to-read open textbook has allowed me to turn over some statistics review and problem solving to the students to work on their own. This has allowed me more time to spend on other, more advanced topics related to simulation modeling.

Key Challenges faced and how resolved:  Once I learned about open textbook resources and this particular book - Collaborative Statistics, it has been a very easy transition. 

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: 

Brief Description: Collaborative Statistics/Simulation using Pro Model

Cost Savings:  I have received numerous comments in my course evaluation about the low cost and effective textbook selection for this course. $35 and three useful textbooks seems like a pretty affordable solution.

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. "I made the transition from one expensive textbook to three inexpensive/free textbooks mostly for the content contained in the 3 books. The combination of the books better fit my learning objectives for the course. Identification of the Collaborative Statistics made the decision to move forward with the change much easier."

Sharing Best Practices: "The open statistics textbook has given the students a much broader reference for applied statistics that carries far beyond just this particular course. I have encouraged them to keep the textbook as a permanent part of their own reference library. 

Kurt Colvin 
California State University, San Luis Obispo

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering