Studio SE – Online course development Case Study

Studio SE helps organizations adopt and master model-based systems engineering (MBSE). Through expert-led training, hands-on coaching, and strategic consulting, they equip teams with the skills to model complex systems, improve collaboration, and make better engineering decisions.
In their training they teach not only the general concepts of systems engineering, but also the specifics of SysML modeling language.

Studio SE offered only live training, with its most popular program being a six-day expert-led program. To meet growing demand and reduce reliance on a single expert, Studio SE decided to split the training into two parts: a self-paced online course covering the 50-hour foundational content and an advanced module still delivered by the expert.

That’s the challenge Blue Carrot was brought in to solve: to create an e-learning course for system engineers and product architects—across industries from telecommunications and medicine to aerospace and defense—with little to no SysML knowledge, and guide them through complex concepts in a way that enables them to build advanced system models and apply their skills in real-world scenarios by the end of the training.

Despite the typical challenges of moving a live program online—such as adapting teaching methods and restructuring content—the most significant hurdle was the loss of real-time interaction and hands-on practice.

The key question was: How do you teach a complex skill without a live mentor to demonstrate, guide, and provide immediate, personalized feedback? How do you replicate the trainer’s role—and everything it entails—in a fully self-paced course? After all, you can ask learners to build a system model, but how can you ensure it’s correct, or that they truly understand what they’re doing?

During the development of the course we performed the following activities:

1. Learning Strategy:
   Defined the overall approach to course delivery.
2. Curriculum Mapping:
   Mapped and identified dependencies across ~20 subtopics.
3. Explanatory Videos:
   Created a series of instructional videos to explain key concepts. 
4. Interactive Activities:
   Designed engaging exercises using Articulate Storyline.
5. Web-based custom-built Software Simulator:
   Developed the simulator and designed a series of practical exercises for learners.

• Successful transformation of a 50-hour live program into a fully self-paced online course
• Increased learner autonomy and confidence through a built-in software simulator that allowed learners to practice and validate SysML modeling skills in a realistic setting
• Improved scalability of Studio SE’s training offering—allowing multiple learners to onboard simultaneously and asynchronously without scheduling limitations.