Using Cognitive Maps of Mental Models to Evaluate Learning Challenges: A Case Study

Mental models are organized knowledge structures that individuals form to make sense of the world around them. Cognitive maps are the externalized portrayals of mental models in graphical format. Mental models and cognitive maps have been used as an instructional design method, an assessment tool, and a learning strategy in college education. In this paper, we propose a novel use of mental models and cognitive maps as a device to elicit students’ challenges in learning course materials. Our case study in an Information Systems class illustrates how cognitive maps are constructed from students’ mental models, how learning challenges are identified from cognitive maps, and how learning challenges can be coped with in teaching. Our proposed use of cognitive maps and mental models can provide educators with insights into the learning challenges from students’ perspectives, and help design instructional strategies for more effective teaching

Constructive Use of Errors in Teaching the UML Class Diagram in an IS Engineering Course

A class diagram is one of the most important diagrams of Unified Modeling Language (UML) and can be used for modeling the static structure of a software system. Learning from errors is a teaching approach based on the assumption that errors can promote learning. We applied a constructive approach of using errors in designing a UML class diagram in order to (a) categorize the students’ errors when they design a class diagram from a text scenario that describes a specific organization and (b) determine whether the learning-from-errors approach enables students to produce more accurate and correct diagrams. The research was conducted with college students (N = 45) studying for their bachelor’s degree in engineering. The approach is presented, and the learning-from-errors activity is illustrated. We present the students’ errors in designing the class diagram before and after the activity, together with the students’ opinions about applying the new approach in their course. Twenty errors in fundamental components of the class diagram design were observed. The students erred less after the activity of learning from errors. The displayed results show the relevance and potential of embedding our approach in teaching. Furthermore, the students viewed the learning-from-errors activity favorably. Thus, one of the benefits of our developed activity is increased student motivation. In light of the improved performance of the task, and the students’ responses to the learning-from-errors approach, we recommend that information systems teachers use similar activities in different fields and on various topics

Integrating Lightweight Systems Analysis into the United Process by Using Service Responsibility Tables

This paper is a step toward establishing direct, but non-automatic links between lightweight (semi-formal) analysis methods for business professionals and heavyweight analysis methods for IT professionals. After noting the importance of user involvement in obtaining accurate and meaningful user requirements, the paper summarizes the Unified Process, a software development methodology that employs Unified Modeling Language (UML). Another section in the paper summarizes previous extensions of the work system method that produced a lightweight analysis tool called Service Responsibility Tables (SRTs). This paper uses a straightforward example to demonstrate a set of heuristics for translating between service responsibility tables produced by business professionals and UML diagrams that IT professionals can use as a partial basis for programming. This type of guideline-based link between lightweight and heavyweight methods could lead to more effective user involvement in requirements determination and reduce failure rate in IT projects

Automated Problem Domain Cognition Process in Information Systems Design

An automated cognitive approach for the design of Information Systems is presented. It is supposed to be used at the very beginning of the design process, between the stages of requirements determination and analysis, including the stage of analysis. In the context of the approach used either UML or ERD notations may be used for model representation. The approach provides the opportunity of using natural language text documents as a source of knowledge for automated problem domain model generation. It also simplifies the process of modelling by assisting the human user during the whole period of working upon the model (using UML or ERD notations)

Empirical study on the difficulties of software modeling through class diagrams

Software design is one of the stages of the software life cycle characterized as an activity of a creative nature, where software components and their relationships are identified, hence it is extremely important for constructing software efficiently. This research aims to explore the problems students at the undergraduate level face in their first attempts at modeling software. In this article we report the results of an empirical case study that analyzes class diagrams expressed in the Unified Modeling Language (UML) by students enrolled in lectures related to computer science at the undergraduate level. Additionally, we conducted a quantitative analysis that makes evident the most frequent problems the students faced while designing software. The results reveal that students show difficulties understanding multiplicity, assigning appropriate behavior to classes, distinguishing attributes from classes, and conceiving the problem from a holistic perspective

A Work System Front End for Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

This paper proposes that basic ideas from the work system theory (WST) and the work system method (WSM) might serve as a front end to object-oriented analysis and design (OOAD), thereby providing a path from business-oriented descriptions to formal, technical specifications. After describing the background motivation and summarizing work system concepts, the paper uses a hiring system example to show how two tools from WSM can be used as a front end for OOAD, in effect, a step before creating use case diagrams and other types of Unified Modeling Language (UML) artifacts. Potential benefits of this approach stem from a business-oriented question, how can we improve this work system\u27s performance, rather than an IT-oriented question, how can we create a technical artifact that will be used

Ontology-driven conceptual modeling: A'systematic literature mapping and review

All rights reserved. Ontology-driven conceptual modeling (ODCM) is still a relatively new research domain in the field of information systems and there is still much discussion on how the research in ODCM should be performed and what the focus of this research should be. Therefore, this article aims to critically survey the existing literature in order to assess the kind of research that has been performed over the years, analyze the nature of the research contributions and establish its current state of the art by positioning, evaluating and interpreting relevant research to date that is related to ODCM. To understand and identify any gaps and research opportunities, our literature study is composed of both a systematic mapping study and a systematic review study. The mapping study aims at structuring and classifying the area that is being investigated in order to give a general overview of the research that has been performed in the field. A review study on the other hand is a more thorough and rigorous inquiry and provides recommendations based on the strength of the found evidence. Our results indicate that there are several research gaps that should be addressed and we further composed several research opportunities that are possible areas for future research

From Rich User Requirements to System Requirements

In recent years the usage of information systems has changed dramatically. Today many information systems are developed for non-organizational users. These wide-area end-users are often socially, as well as geographically very widely dispersed, which makes it for organizations that develop information systems extremely difficult to know who their users are, or what they expect. Previous research has claimed that rich user requirements information is necessary, in order to understand how to serve this audience right. However, at the same time current requirements engineering methods, capable of providing this rich information, do not serve the needs of designers and developers, who actually implement the services and who need precise knowledge of system requirements. It appears that there is a severe gap in the communication of requirements between end-user, analyst, and designer. We have the design science research agenda to develop a method for extending one advanced requirements engineering method, WARE, to provide support for the full spectrum of communication. Our study presents results of ongoing research program, studying the innovation possibilities of Mobile Presence technology. Our method enables analysts to make the transition from rich user requirements to system requirements, which designers and developers can use in their implementation work