An investigation into the Empirical Modelling of physical devices, in an educational context, illustrated with the Enigma

This paper investigates the extent to which Empirical Modelling principles are appropriate for modelling physical devices, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so, illustrated with a ‘prototype’ model of the series of German encryption machines known as Enigma. The paper discusses how effectively such models of physical devices can be used in an educational environment, any considerations that may need to be taken into account when attempting such a task, and ultimately concludes that despite a few weaknesses, the potential for creating a useful model that aids learning is high.