Eliciting a Sensemaking Process from Verbal Protocols of Reverse Engineers

Abstract A process of sensemaking in reverse engineering was elicited from verbal protocols of reverse engineers as they investigated the assembly code of executable programs. Four participants were observed during task performance and verbal protocols were collected and analyzed from two of the participants to determine their problem-solving states and characterize likely transitions between those states. From this analysis, a highlevel process of sensemaking is described which represents hypothesis generation and information-seeking behaviors in reverse engineering within a framework of goal-directed planning. Future work in validation and application of the process is discussed

Understanding How Reverse Engineers Make Sense of Programs from Assembly Language Representations

This dissertation develops a theory of the conceptual and procedural aspects involved with how reverse engineers make sense of executable programs. Software reverse engineering is a complex set of tasks which require a person to understand the structure and functionality of a program from its assembly language representation, typically without having access to the program\u27s source code. This dissertation describes the reverse engineering process as a type of sensemaking, in which a person combines reasoning and information foraging behaviors to develop a mental model of the program. The structure of knowledge elements used in making sense of executable programs are elicited from a case study, interviews with subject matter experts, and observational studies with software reverse engineers. The results from this research can be used to improve reverse engineering tools, to develop training requirements for reverse engineers, and to develop robust computational models of human comprehension in complex tasks where sensemaking is required

Development and analysis of assessments that promote sensemaking in physics

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of PhysicsJames LavertyAssessments are an integral part of academic environments and can present opportunities for students to make sense of novel contexts using their existing ideas. Assessments also provide insights on students’ learning and the efficacy of the pedagogical practices. Consequently, physics education research shares a storied history of developing research-based assessments (RBAs) that support students' sensemaking. However, contemporary studies have noted several shortcomings of the existing RBAs such as: (i) lack of clarity for instructors in interpreting students’ scores to make modifications to their instruction, (ii) misalignment between the content of the assessments and the local learning goals of the instructors, (iii) scarcity of standardized assessments for undergraduate physics, and (iv) the need to shift the focus of RBAs from ``knowing" to ``doing" physics. Researchers have also called for probing the contextual factors that influence students' sensemaking in physics. In light of these observations, I present methodological and theoretical approaches to developing and analyzing next-generation RBAs. I introduce the development process of a novel RBA -- the Thermal and Statistical Physics Assessment (TaSPA) -- which focuses on assessing the ``doing" aspect of physics along with providing actionable feedback for instructors to modify their courses. Additionally, this assessment allows instructors to choose what they wish to assess, thereby bridging the gap between assessment objectives and the local learning goals of the instructors. I elucidate the leveraging of existing theoretical and design frameworks in the development of TaSPA and how the interplay of these frameworks addresses some of the shortcomings of the contemporary assessments. This diagnostic represents a paradigm shift in how assessments are envisioned and designed by the discipline-based education research community. I also complement the contemporary literature by theoretically exploring assessment task features that increase the likelihood of students sensemaking in physics. I identify the task features by first noting the salient characteristics of the sensemaking process as described in the science education literature. Existing theoretical ideas from cognitive psychology, education, and philosophy of science are then leveraged in unpacking the task features which elicit the characteristics of sensemaking. Furthermore, I leverage Conjecture Mapping -- a framework from design-based research -- to articulate how the proposed task features elicit the desired outcome of sensemaking. I argue that to promote sensemaking, tasks should cue students to unpack the underlying mechanism of a real-world phenomenon by coordinating multiple representations and by physically interpreting mathematical expressions. The proof of concept of this idea is then presented through analysis of students' reasoning about the tasks embodying the proposed features. The analysis is then extended to provide an explicit account of the intertwining between modeling and sensemaking processes. The analyses reveal that particular aspects of modeling and sensemaking processes co-occur. For instance, the priming on the ``given'' information from the problem statement constituted the students' engagement with their mental models, and their attempts to resolve inconsistencies in understanding involved the use of external representations. I find that barriers experienced in modeling can inhibit students' sustained sensemaking. Major contributions of this work include: (i) elucidating a methodological approach in developing an RBA that promotes the ``doing'' aspect of physics; (ii) demonstrating an agent-based perspective in exploring assessment task features; (iii) operationalizing conjecture mapping in the context of task design in physics; (iv) introducing a methodology extendable to unpack task features which can elicit other valued epistemic practices; and (v) an explicit framework-based unpacking of the association between modeling and sensemaking. This dissertation opens up avenues for future explorations such as extending the proposed methodology in developing RBAs for other upper-division physics courses such as quantum mechanics. The presented theoretical and methodological approaches can also be extended in exploring features of the assessment tasks that promote additional epistemic practices such as argumentation and modeling. Researchers can also explore expanding the proposed list of task features, and the accompanying constraints (if any)

Examining the group-level effects of corporate identity cues on organisational identification and role behaviours

Corporate identity cues – the information that amongst other things reflects the central, enduring and distinctive attributes of the organisation that comprise its corporate identity – help influence the psychological bond of identification that employees have with their organisations. Organisational identification in turn affects the job-specific in-role and additional voluntary extra-role behaviours that employees practice within and towards their organisations that can influence its success. Corporate identity research has mostly addressed corporate identity cues as manifestations of the communications, behaviour and symbolism of the organisation. Despite being part of the many pieces of information that employees store in memory about their organisations which provide insights into their interpretations of and responses to the corporate identity (i.e., their member organisational associations), considerably less attention has been directed towards examining these cues from this perspective. Consequently, it is unclear which of these manifestations, or types, of corporate identity cues affect organisational identification and its subsequent influence on role behaviours, or whether these effects are constant across the organisation and under different conditions. This study contributes to building understanding of the manifestations and effects of corporate identity cues on organisational identification and its influence on role behaviours, by examining empirically this relationship at the aggregate and subgroup level. Its underlying premise is that to evaluate sufficiently the effects of corporate identity cues, these cues must also be considered from the member organisational associations perspective. The findings of this mixed methods study show a significant relationship between corporate identity cues derived from member organisational associations, organisational identification and role behaviours, and that the cues that influence organisational identification vary according to organisational levels and conditions. This points to the strategic importance and value of examining periodically corporate identity cues drawn from member organisational associations

Minds Online: The Interface between Web Science, Cognitive Science, and the Philosophy of Mind

Alongside existing research into the social, political and economic impacts of the Web, there is a need to study the Web from a cognitive and epistemic perspective. This is particularly so as new and emerging technologies alter the nature of our interactive engagements with the Web, transforming the extent to which our thoughts and actions are shaped by the online environment. Situated and ecological approaches to cognition are relevant to understanding the cognitive significance of the Web because of the emphasis they place on forces and factors that reside at the level of agent–world interactions. In particular, by adopting a situated or ecological approach to cognition, we are able to assess the significance of the Web from the perspective of research into embodied, extended, embedded, social and collective cognition. The results of this analysis help to reshape the interdisciplinary configuration of Web Science, expanding its theoretical and empirical remit to include the disciplines of both cognitive science and the philosophy of mind

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2012

This report summarizes the research activities of the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. It describes research interests and faculty expertise; lists student theses/dissertations; identifies research sponsors and contributions; and outlines the procedures for contacting the school. Included in the report are: faculty publications, conference presentations, consultations, and funded research projects. Research was conducted in the areas of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electro-Optics, Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Systems and Engineering Management, Operational Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics and Engineering Physics

Retaining Knowledge Through Organizational Action

The main goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of knowledge retention in organisations. Knowledge retention relates to the storage of knowledge within organisations. The word \u27storage\u27, however, gives an erroneous impression of the active and dynamic way in which knowledge is manifested and retained within the organisation. Knowledge may be retained via documents, databases or within the culture and structure of the organisation. Knowledge can be held in one individual head, or be synthesised by groups. This book gives an account of research that investigated development of knowledge retention structures, the communication of knowledge and the protection and management of knowledge in three different sites in one organisation.https://research.acer.edu.au/saier/1010/thumbnail.jp