A gestão de regras de negócio em soluções desenvolvidas sobre business process management systems

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão de Sistemas de InformaçãoAs organizações, atualmente, operam num ambiente de grande competitividade, que faz com que estas necessitem de formas rápidas e eficazes de desenvolver e atualizar os seus Sistemas de Informação. As organizações competem cada vez mais em função da sua agilidade para responderem atempadamente às pressões e oportunidades do mercado. Os Sistemas de Informação, que suportam a operação e gestão das organizações, contribuem de forma decisiva para a sua capacidade competitiva. Nesse sentido, as organizações passaram a focar-se nos seus processos de negócio de forma a manterem elevados índices de competitividade. Mas os processos de negócio podem ser complexos, e de difícil gestão. Como tal, implementando uma gestão de regras de negócio, existe um maior controlo, maior flexibilidade e maior capacidade de alinhar os processos de negócio com a estratégia da organização. Com a separação da gestão das regras de negócio, da gestão dos processos de negócio, os gestores da organização podem gerir as variáveis de negócio independentemente da equipa de Tecnologias de Informação, atenuando assim a lacuna entre o nível de negócios e o nível dos Sistemas de Informação. No âmbito deste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma solução de integração entre a camada de processos de negócio, presente num Business Process Management System, e a camada de regras de negócio, presente num Business Rules Managament System. O desenvolvimento desta solução contribuiu para facilitar a gestão de regras de negócio por parte de quem é mais competente para o fazer - os gestores de negócio.Nowadays, organisations all around the world work in a highly competitive environment, consequently they need quick and efficient ways to develop and evolve their Information Systems. These organisations are increasingly competing based on their agility to respond in a timely manner to the pressures and opportunities of the market. Information systems, which support the operation and management of these organizations, are a decisive factor when it comes to their competitive character. In this sense, organisations began to focus on their business processes in order to maintain high levels of competitiveness. However, business processes can be complex and difficult to manage. As such, by implementing management rules, there is greater control, flexibility and ability to align business processes with organization's strategy. By separating the management of these business rules from the management of the business processes, those organisation can manage business variables autonomously from the Information Technology team, thus diminishing the gap between the fields of business and Information Systems. Under the scope of this project, a solution integrate the business process layer and the business rules layer was developed. This solution has eased the management of business rules by the ones who are most qualified to do it – business managers

Using information technology techniques to investigate and develop computing teaching in higher education system (HE) in Libya

This study investigated the development of the use of technology and pedagogy in computing education in the Libyan Higher Education System (LHES). A number of objectives guided this research: first, it explored teacher perceptions and understanding of using technology and pedagogy in the teaching process. Secondly, a new technological-pedagogical framework (Five-arrows framework) was developed. Further, the study investigated the effect of using different forms of information (visual - active information) in constructing the learning style instruments on the accuracy of measuring preferred learning styles. This study also developed the first Arabic Learning Style Instrument (ALSI). The instrument was used to develop an adaptive education system, which was used as an assisting system to support teachers in considering learner differences among students. The system was tested on three different courses. In this research, 319 students, teachers and experts were involved, and mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative) was used. Learning style instruments, questionnaires, open-ended questions, documentary review and semi-structured interview methods were used to collect research data. Statistical data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson's Correlation, Chi-square and Paired T-Test were conducted to explore the association, dependency and difference of variables. In addition, Cronbach's Alpha, Content Validity Index (CVI), Classical Item Analysis (CIA) Test-Retest Reliability and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to test the reliability and validity of instruments. The statistical analysis revealed that the ALSI seems to be a suitable psychometric instrument to detect the learning style of Arab learners and cultures. The findings also revealed that the instrument content type has a significant effect on the accuracy of measuring preferred learning styles. No significant differences were found between males and females in terms of preferred learning styles. There was a significant positive correlation between the visual style and years of computer use. The results also showed that the dominant learning style of computer students in Libya is active/visual. The results also show that the performance of students who learnt using the adaptive system is significantly better than the achievement of other students who learnt the same educational content but without using the system. Thus, the study includes developing a new pedagogical framework (the Five-arrows framework), a learning style model and the first valid and reliable ALSI. The study recommends conducting professional training sessions about use of technology and pedagogy in a teaching process in order to improve teacher understanding and attitudes towards using technology. There is also a need to consider the individual differences among the students and improve student awareness about their preferred learning style