Transformation/Role
Teach Process Mining with Real Event Data
Year
NaN
Location
Global
Company Size
Any size
Disclaimer
The use cases in this library are practical guides based on typical process-improvement engagements. Figures and outcomes are typical expectations, not a specific customer's verified results, nor a promise of future results.
Process Mining Education: A Semester-Ready Course Outline
Give students hands-on experience analyzing how work happens through event-log data. Teach process discovery, BPMN modeling, and simulation in a structured course that takes students from a teaching dataset through analysis and redesign to an evidence-based recommendation. ProcessMind gives you a browser-based environment, class-ready exercises, and a free academic licence through the Academic Alliance.
What can students learn in a process mining course?
Students can work through the core process improvement cycle: discover a process from event data, model how it works, and use simulation to assess a proposed change. They learn to compare process variants, identify bottlenecks, and examine differences between a documented process and the event-log data.
A practical course asks students to show their work. They can submit an event-log analysis, a BPMN model, simulation results, and a brief explanation of the evidence behind their recommendation.
How can you structure the course across a semester?
Use this outline as a starting point, then adjust the pace and depth to fit your course.
| Week | Topic | In-class exercise | Student hand-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Process mining and event logs | Review the event-log fields and discuss which questions the data can answer. | A brief process description and one question to investigate. |
| 2 | Process discovery | Explore the process flow and identify common variants. | A process discovery summary with one observed variant. |
| 3 | Bottlenecks and performance | Examine where cases take longer or wait. | A brief analysis identifying a bottleneck and supporting evidence. |
| 4 | BPMN fundamentals | Model a simple process using BPMN. | A BPMN model with assumptions noted. |
| 5 | Compare models and event data | Compare the documented process with the event-log data. | A brief conformance analysis describing key differences. |
| 6 | Process redesign | Propose a change based on the analysis. | A revised BPMN model and rationale. |
| 7 | Simulation | Test the proposed redesign and compare results. | Simulation results and an explanation of the comparison. |
| 8 | Present findings | Present the analysis, model, and proposed change. | A final recommendation supported by the work completed. |
Which teaching dataset should you use?
Start with an anonymized event log that includes the fields students need to follow cases through activities over time. Choose data that is clear enough for students to explore and rich enough to reveal different paths and performance patterns.
If you are preparing your own data, use the event-log guide to check what information an event log needs. Ask students to state what the data can and cannot show before drawing conclusions.
What exercises work well for students?
Build assignments around questions students can answer with evidence:
- Discover: What paths do cases take, and which variants appear in the data?
- Analyze: Where do delays occur, and what patterns can students observe?
- Compare: How does event-log behavior differ from the documented process?
- Model: How can students represent the current process in BPMN?
- Redesign: What change do they propose, and what evidence supports it?
- Simulate: How do the proposed process and its results compare with the original?
For team projects, students can split the analysis, modeling, and presentation work. Read-only share links make submissions easier to review.
How can you teach BPMN and simulation alongside process mining?
Introduce BPMN after students explore the event log. They can use their findings to model the current process, then create a proposed version and document their assumptions.
Simulation lets students test a proposed redesign and compare cycle times, waiting times, and capacity. Ask them to explain their model’s assumptions and interpret the results, rather than treating a simulation as proof that a change will work in practice.
What do students hand in?
A consistent set of deliverables makes it easier to assess progress throughout the course:
- An event-log question and a description of the data used.
- A process discovery and performance analysis.
- A BPMN model of the current process.
- A comparison of the model with event-log behavior.
- A proposed redesign with stated assumptions.
- Simulation results and an evidence-based recommendation.
Use the same structure for individual assignments or team projects.
How does the academic licence work?
The Academic Alliance offers a free licence for eligible academic use, subject to verification. Review the Academic Alliance terms and apply for the licence there.
How do you get started?
Start with one teaching dataset and the course outline above. Choose an event-log question, add a BPMN exercise, and finish with a simulation assignment. As students build confidence, expand the course with team projects and deeper analysis.
Set up a process mining course
Explore ProcessMind for your teaching workflow. For academic access, apply through the Academic Alliance.
Related Use Cases
Process Mining for Auditors
Business Process Improvement Consulting with ProcessMind
Enterprise Architecture for Process Teams
Finance and Shared Services Process Improvement
Design better processes. Build a connected architecture. Stay in control.
Get instant access with no credit card and no waiting. Turn the way your organization works into clear, connected process designs.
Build your process architecture, define ownership and controls, and align roles and responsibilities across every level.
Start your free trial and create one reliable foundation for governing, managing, and continuously improving your processes.