DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY AS A PEDAGOGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR HIERARCHICAL MODELING OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Digital Twin (DT) technology - the real-time virtual replication of a physical system - is rapidly emerging as one of the most pedagogically consequential innovations in engineering education. This paper examines the theoretical foundations and practical frameworks for deploying Digital Twin environments as instruments for hierarchical, multi-level instruction in technical systems. The study argues that DT architecture inherently mirrors the four-level pedagogical hierarchy (component, device, subsystem, full system) proposed by Mesarovic’s multilevel systems theory, making it a uniquely suitable medium for developing systems thinking competencies in engineering students.