This article deals with the problem of applying observability techniques to structural system identification, understanding as such the problem of identifying which is the subset of characteristics of the structure, such as Young's modulus, area, inertia, and/or product of them (flexural or axial stiffnesses) that can be uniquely defined when an adequate subset of deflections, forces, and/or moments in the nodes is provided. Compared with other standard observability problems, two issues arise here. First, nonlinear unknown variables (products or quotients of elemental variables) appear and second, the mechanical and geometrical properties of the structure are "coupled" with the deflections and/or rotations at the nodes. To solve these problems, an algebraic method that adapts the standard observability problem to deal with structural system identification is proposed in this article. The results obtained show, for the very first time, how observability techniques can be efficiently used for the identification of structural systems. Some examples are given to illustrate the proposed methodology and to demonstrate its power. C 2013 Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering.

r s i o n o f a w o r k t h a t w a s a c c e p t e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n i n J o u r n a l o f S o u n d and Vibration. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was

Simulation-based education (SE) refers to the use of simulation software, tools, and serious games to enrich the teaching and learning processes. Advances in both computer hardware and software allow for employing innovative methodologies that make use of SE tools to enhance the learning experience. Moreover, thanks to the globalisation of e-learning practices, these educational experiences can be made available to students from different geographical regions and universities, which promotes the development of international and inter-university cooperation in education. This paper provides a review of recent works in the SE subject, with a focus on the areas of engineering, science, and management. It also discusses some experiences in SE involving different European universities and learning models. Finally, it also points out open challenges as well as noticeable trends.

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