From Method Fragments to Method Services

In Method Engineering (ME) science, the key issue is the consideration of information system development methods as fragments. Numerous ME approaches have produced several definitions of method parts. Different in nature, these fragments have nevertheless some common disadvantages: lack of implementation tools, insufficient standardization effort, and so on. On the whole, the observed drawbacks are related to the shortage of usage orientation. We have proceeded to an in-depth analysis of existing method fragments within a comparison framework in order to identify their drawbacks. We suggest overcoming them by an improvement of the ?method service? concept. In this paper, the method service is defined through the service paradigm applied to a specific method fragment ? chunk. A discussion on the possibility to develop a unique representation of method fragment completes our contribution

Method Families Concept: Application to Decision-Making Methods

International audienceThe role of variability in Software engineering grows increasingly as it allows developing solutions that can be easily adapted to a specific context and reusing existing knowledge. In order to deal with variability in the method engineering (ME) domain, we suggest applying the notion of method families. Method components are organized as a method family, which is configured in the given situation into a method line. In this paper, we motivate the concept of method families by comparing the existing approaches of ME. We detail then the concept of method families and illustrate it with a family of decision-making (DM) methods that we call MADISE

Using Knowledge Management Technology to Aid Knowledge Transfer

This paper describes a practical system designed to create, maintain and manage teaching materials using knowledge management techniques. This system uses ISO Topic Maps to represent and store knowledge, which subsequently are accessed online or converted into multiple forms suitable for use as lecture materials. The benets of such a generic semantic knowledge store that represents information in a shallow and concise fashion include the ease of selecting pertinent material and of any subsequent transformation into presentations and lecture materials. Separating content lters and presentation rendering from the actual knowledge also allows for very ecient long-term maintenance of the knowledge. This environment has evolved over the last six years and become a major factor in reducing the eorts necessary to keep course materials up to date where the subjects cover fast-changing, emerging technologies and therefore require frequent revision. Our knowledge management approach to maintaining teaching materials also suggested itself as a novel assessment format: in advanced subjects we have had quite positive experiences with tasking students with research exercises where the deliverable is such a topic map instead of the more common essay format. This paper gives an overview of our integrated environment and outlines the benets and positive results we have experienced with its use for teaching purposes

Annual Report of the University, 2000-2001, Volumes 1-4

Message from the President Thank you for joining me in this look back over the past year at the University of New Mexico. It was a year filled with activity, accomplishment and challenge, and this is our opportunity to reflect back on that year. In 2000-2001 we engaged in a University-wide strategic planning process that called on the energies and talents of hundreds of individuals- faculty, staff, students and members of our broader community. The plan, which will be completed in Fall 2001, will serve as our roadmap for the future and will guide our efforts to capitalize on the opportunities and to meet the challenges of the next several years. This process has encouraged us to examine closely our mission and our values, who we are and what we aspire to become. It has given us reason to be proud of our past and cause to think seriously about how we must change in the future. While this was a year for looking ahead, it was also a year of significant accomplishment. For example, we launched a comprehensive set of programs designed to enrich the academic and social experiences of our undergraduate students. We began the implementation of Freshman Learning Communities where small cohorts of students study and learn together in a common set of courses under the guidance of a senior faculty scholar. We reorganized our advisement systems, we undertook the construction or renovation of student-centered facilities on campus, and we created new support systems to enhance student academic success. It was a year in which our support of faculty, staff and students was our highest priority. Through the support of the New Mexico Legislature, faculty and staff received significant salary increases. A new health benefits plan for graduate assistants was implemented. Our Staff as Students program enabled more than 40 staff members to obtain UNM degrees. And, a Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning was established to assist faculty in their efforts to develop more effective teaching skills. Finally, this was a year in which UNM dramatically expanded its role in the local community and throughout the state. Never before has the University been as active or as visible in meeting its public responsibility as it was in 2000-2001. From its active participation in economic development initiatives, to its involvement in K-12 educational improvement efforts, to its significant leadership role in health care delivery, UNM demonstrated its ability to help the state meet its most pressing social challenges. And, as UNM took on a more visible role in supporting the state\\u27s citizens, the support for UNM was returned in kind. This year, annual giving to the University rose to a record 35.3 million dollars, a 40% increase over just two years ago. All told, it has been a gratifying and successful year. However, we cannot allow our past accomplishments to mask the continued challenges facing this University. Neither will we allow these challenges to dominate our thinking and diminish out pride in what the University has achieved. So we will savor our successes and continue to move forward. As always, we thank you for sharing our dreams and for supporting the University of New Mexico. Sincerely, William C. Gordon, Presiden