Interactive Computing for Accelerated Learning in Computation and Data Science

This article describes the motivation and design for introductory coursework in computation aimed at midcareer professionals who desire to work in data science and analytics but who have little or no background in programming. In particular, we describe how we use modern interactive computing platforms to accelerate the learning of our students both in and out of the classroom. We emphasize the importance of organizing the interaction with course material so that students learn not only to “think computationally” but also to “do computationally.” We provide details of existing courses in computation offered at the Naval Postgraduate School, and we describe their ongoing evolution in response to increased demand from members of the civilian and military workforce.

Lagrangian Drifter to Identify Ocean Eddy Characteristics

Deterministic–stochastic empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is used to obtain low-frequency (non-diffusive; i.e., background velocity) and high-frequency (diffusive; i.e., eddies) components from a Lagrangian drifter‘s trajectory. Eddy characteristics are determined from the time series of eddy trajectories from individual Lagrangian drifters such as eddy radius, eddy velocity, eddy Rossby number, and the eddy–current kinetic energy ratio. A long-term dataset of the Sound Fixing and Ranging (RAFOS) float time series obtained near the California coast by the Naval Postgraduate School from 1992 to 2004 at depth between 150 and 600 m is used as an example to demonstrate the capability of the deterministic–stochastic EMD.

Lagrangian Drifter to Identify Ocean Eddy Characteristics

Deterministic-stochastic empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is used to obtain low-frequency (non-diffusive, i.e., background velocity) and high-frequency (diffusive, i.e., eddies) components from a Lagrangian drifter‘s trajectory. Eddy characteristics are determined from the time series of eddy trajectories from individual Lagrangian drifter such as the eddy radial scale, eddy velocity scale, eddy Rossby number, and eddy-background kinetic energy ratio. A long-term dataset of the SOund Fixing And Ranging float time series obtained near the California coast by the Naval Postgraduate School from 1992 to 2004 at depth between 150 and 600 m (http://www.oc.nps.edu/npsRAFOS/) is used as an example to demonstrate the capability of the deterministic-stochastic EMD.

The Naval Postgraduate School’s Department of Systems Engineering Approach to Mission Engineering Education through Capstone Projects

This article presents an educational approach to applied capstone research projects using a mission engineering focus. It reviews recent advances in mission engineering within the Department of Defense and integrates that work into an approach for research within the Systems Engineering Department at the Naval Postgraduate School. A generalized sequence of System Definition, System Modeling, and System Analysis is presented as an executable sequence of activities to support analysis of operational missions within a student research project at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). That approach is detailed and demonstrated through analysis of the integration of a long-range strike capability on a MH-60S helicopter. The article serves as a demonstration of an approach for producing operationally applicable results from student projects in the context of mission engineering. Specifically, it demonstrates that students can execute a systems engineering project that conducts system-level design with direct consideration of mission impacts at the system of systems level. Discussion of the benefits and limitations of this approach are discussed and suggestions for integrating mission engineering into capstone courses are provided.

Upgrades to and Current Research Efforts Involving the Tow Tank Facility at the Naval Postgraduate School

The Naval Postgraduate School has added wave making capability to the existing small tow tank that resides on campus. A new collaborative research effort between the Systems Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Departments is underway that utilizes this new capability. The aim of this new effort is to understand and predict the unsteady hydrodynamic loads experienced by a submerged vehicle operating near the surface. The tow tank was originally built around 1970 but only had the capability of testing models at slow speed in calm water. Even with this limited capability, a number of interesting studies were conducted in the facility including measuring the drag on a towed hydropower turbine and examining the forces due to collisions between floating ice equivalent objects and a composite plate. The new wave making capability in the tow tank is provided by a vertical plunging wedge that was modeled off of the sediment tank wavemaker at the United States Naval Academy. The wedge rides on a pair of vertical rails with the oscillation amplitude and frequency controlled by a linear actuator and electric motor. A variable angle wave absorbing beach is planned for the opposite end of the tank. An additional component of this modernization effort is the creation of a numeric tow tank, using ANSYS CFX, which can simulate the wave dynamics in the tank. This allows complementary numerical and experimental components of future research efforts. The current experimental effort involves characterizing the performance of the wavemaker and quantifying the wave environment throughout the tank. The wedge to wave amplitude transfer function has been determined over the relevant amplitude and frequency space. The uniformity of a wave crest has also been examined. For the numeric tow tank work, the wedge motion has been duplicated and the simulated wave elevation and propagation down the tank are being compared to experimentally measured results.

Self-Efficacy Analysis of Student Learning in Systems Engineering

Systems engineering (SE) competencies are defined based on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary for a systems engineer to perform tasks related to the discipline. Proficient systems engineers are expected to be able to integrate, apply, and be assessed on these KSAs as they develop competencies through their education and training, professional development, and on-the-job experience. The research conducted by the Naval Postgraduate School assessed where SE graduate students stood as far as developing the necessary competency levels they need to be successful systems engineers. A survey methodology was used to achieve this objective. Systems engineering students enrolled in SE courses at the Naval Postgraduate School represented the population surveyed. Survey items were written with the intent to capture self-efficacy for knowledge and skill sets as a subset of the overall set of competencies required for systems engineering, namely within the SE competencies of Critical Thinking, Systems Engineering, Teamwork and Project Management. A total of four surveys were administered to two SE cohorts. Results show that self-efficacy in systems engineering can be reasonably assumed to be positively affected by a graduate level educational program. The implications of the research can be used to develop structured curriculum content, assessment, and continuous process improvement techniques related to the development of SE learning, and to develop more valid and reliable instruments for assessing what systems engineers need to learn, need to know, and need to do.