DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22006

Summary
A computer-aided education tool to model “SDET” to model structural dynamics is presented in this article. The authors provide an overview of similar tools, software description, and five predefined single-degree-of-freedom example templates for modelling water tank, single-story building, truss, spring-mass-damper. The purpose of the tool is to facilitate teaching/learning processes and help students to understand the concept of physical structure in parametric studies under realistic conditions.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The authors describe educational tool which is step-by-step present the idealization of actual structure to the model which can be used in simulations. The tool is mainly dedicated to simulate structural mechanics, i.e. behavior of the template structures when they are subjected to earthquake excitation. Solving such problems usually includes a part which requires mathematical/analytical modelling.
The students develop critical thinking and experimental skills by analyzing the template structures (truss, single story building, etc.) under different initial conditions. This toolbox enables to relate complex structure and its simplifications in the numerical models, evaluate the importance of various interactions between the system parameters.

Point of Strength
The strength of this article is presented computer-assisted educational tool with a set of examples. The importance of real time animations of numerical experiments should increase students’ understanding related to the differences between analytical and numerical model.