Should I attend a workshop? It costs a lot of money: the registration fee, the travel, the lodging, the meals, and the time. I can't be doing other productive work. Will it be worthwhile?
These questions are always tough for us at TMODEL to answer, because we don't know what you know about modeling, how much you have already used TMODEL, or what your next project will require.
What we can do, however, is describe to you what happens during a standard four-day workshop and the reactions of those who have attended.
We generally hold the workshops at our offices in Vashon, Washington, in a suburb of Seattle, or some other centralized location in the East or Midwest. We prefer to hold them at "our place" rather than yours so that you will not be interrupted with calls or some one hour task that just "has to get done." Your undivided attention is required. The atmosphere and the apparel are very casual. We are there to roll up our sleeves and get a lot done. We expect that you are already proficient at using a PC in the DOS environment. The classes are typically quite small, 10 to 20 participants, depending on the facility. The students work in pairs at each computer and we change partners every day to build networks of fellow modelers. The classes are team-led by Bob Shull and Dave Larrabee, the authors of the software. Together they have been writing, supporting, teaching, improving, and using this software for almost 25 man-years. You are getting your information "straight from the horse's mouth." The method is a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice. Bob and Dave are both in the class to present, discuss, answer questions and provide "tips" which only the developers of the software could.
The workshop covers theory of simulation modeling, use of the TMODEL program to build models, and advise on working with others (prime or subcontractors, consultants, government staff persons, data sources, etc.) to set, monitor, and accomplish the goals of the model.
The teaching is interlaced with and supported by years of experience developing models and working with, teaching, and supporting people whose primary task is modeling. Bob and Dave have taught this workshop more than 25 times, and course evaluations average about 3.7 on a scale of 4.0.
Because it typically takes a year or two of modeling to becoming proficient, the course cannot cover everything in detail. It tries to present everything at a basic level so you will be aware of what TMODEL can do, and it covers the major issues in depth.
While learning the theory and practice of modeling, you will use TMODEL to build a model in class. You will run that model, discuss and use the calibration techniques, and learn to setup and run future alternative scenarios. When you return home, you will be able to set up and run a model. Even more important, you will learn how to recognize blind alleys, how to control the task, and how to approach modeling in an efficient and intelligent way.
Most modelers must spend more time on their projects or two than was allocated for the task. This workshop will probably not alter that fact, but it should significantly reduce the amount of overtime.
Based on reactions of students past, few, if any, have ever felt that they wasted their time or money taking this workshop, and many of them have said it was "invaluable" in developing their models.
After all, just meeting Bob and Dave in the flesh may be worth the price!