Using SysML to teach Systems Engineering skills

There are several challenges in teaching Systems Engineering to students. The discipline requires projects that are large and complex in order to be able to apply it successfully and for students to see the added value of the methodology. Furthermore, it can be rather process-oriented and the process description can vary, depending on the literature that is being used. However, looking more closely to Systems Engineering, two core skills can be identified that are independent of the project and context; students are trained in:1) black box/white box thinking, 2) using different aspects of a system to develop a complete description of a system. At the Mechatronics education of The Hague University of Applied Sciences, SysML has been chosen as a means to train these skills. It is taught in courses, which students are asked to apply in projects they work on.