New approach to teaching discrete event system simulation

Abstract

The paper presents a different way of teaching discrete event system simulation. A completely new language, ISDS, based on GPSS concepts but with an interactive user interface and Pascal-like syntax with many other new features was developed as the teaching tool. The main purpose of this simulation system is to enable a cheap and easy learning and practising environment, particularly suited for students of engineering. In addition to the language definition, it's implementation and the user interface description, we also present a comparison of ISDS to GPSS and PASSIM and performance comparison between ISDS and GPSSIFON in teaching simulation. Finally, our experience in teaching simulation using ISDS is illustrated with an example of students' exercise that compares favourably with a previously published work.