The problem-project-oriented STEM education plays a significant role in training students' ability of innovation. Although the conceive-design-implement-operate (CDIO) approach and the computational thinking (CT) are hot topics in recent decade, there are still two deficiencies: the CDIO approach and CT are discussed separately and a general framework of coping with complex STEM problems in system modeling and simulation is missing. In this paper, a collaborative strategy based on the CDIO and CT is proposed for solving complex STEM problems in system modeling and simulation with a general framework, in which the CDIO is about ``how to do", CT is about ``how to think", and the project means ``what to do". As an illustration, the problem of solving the period of mathematical pendulum (MP) is discussed in detail. The most challenging task involved in the problem is to compute the complete elliptic integral of the first kind (CEI-1). In the philosophy of STEM education, all problems have more than one solutions. For computing the CEI-1, four methods are discussed with a top-down strategy, which includes the infinite series method, arithmetic-geometric mean (AGM) method, Gauss-Chebyshev method and Gauss-Legendre method. The algorithms involved can be utilized for R & D projects of interest and be reused according to the requirements encountered. The general framework for solving complex STEM problem in system modeling and simulation is worth recommending to the college students and instructors.

翻译：问题与项目导向的STEM教育在培养学生创新能力方面发挥着重要作用。尽管构思-设计-实现-运作（CDIO）方法与计算思维（CT）是近十年来的研究热点，但仍存在两点不足：CDIO方法与CT常被孤立讨论，且缺乏应对系统建模与仿真中复杂STEM问题的通用框架。本文提出一种基于CDIO与CT的协同策略，通过构建通用框架来解决系统建模与仿真中的复杂STEM问题。在该框架中，CDIO关注“如何实施”，CT关注“如何思考”，而项目则明确“实施内容”。作为示例，本文详细探讨了求解数学摆周期的问题。该问题最具挑战性的任务在于计算第一类完全椭圆积分（CEI-1）。根据STEM教育理念，所有问题皆存在多种解法。针对CEI-1的计算，本文采用自顶向下策略讨论了四种方法：无穷级数法、算术几何平均法、高斯-切比雪夫法以及高斯-勒让德法。所涉及的算法既可用于相关研发项目，也可根据实际需求进行复用。这一解决系统建模与仿真中复杂STEM问题的通用框架值得向高校师生推广。