Communicating learning analytics: Stakeholder participation and early stage requirement analysis

This paper reflects on a user-centered design methodology for requirements elicitation at early stages of a design process for Learning Analytics tools. This methodology may be used as a domain specific instrument to elicit user perspectives about the communicational aspects of learning analytics dashboards. The focus of this work is identifying ways to communicate the data analysis findings in a way that is easily perceptible and facilitates actionable decision making. We present the structure as well as the logic behind the design of this instrument. As a case study, the paper describes an implementation of this methodology in the context of school-wide analytics communicating to stakeholders quality indicators through summarising and visualising data collected through student and parent surveys. We provide high-level and transferable recommendations derived from the analysis of the workshop with key stakeholders and identify future improvements in our methodology

Process integration of thermal energy storage systems – Evaluation methodology and case studies

As a key tool for decarbonization, thermal energy storage systems integrated into processes can address issues related to energy efficiency and process flexibility, improve utilization of renewable energy resources and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, integration of these systems is dominated by the variety of potential processes in which the storage technologies can be deployed as well as the various benefits they deliver. Therefore, the requirements for thermal energy storage systems vary greatly depending on the chosen application, just as the systems themselves have different capabilities depending on their technical principles. This paper addresses this issue by developing a systematic methodology that approaches the challenge of characterizing and evaluating thermal energy storage systems in different applications in three concrete steps. To begin, a set of guidelines for process analysis has been created to disclose process requirements for storage integration. The methodology continues by explicitly defining the system boundary of a thermal energy storage system, as well as addressing technical and economic parameters. Finally, the approach concludes by determining the benefit of an integrated thermal energy storage system to an application and examines how key performance indicators vary based on the perspectives of different stakeholders. Within this work, the methodology is then applied to two case studies of high-temperature storage in concentrating solar power and cogeneration plants. Also introduced are the concepts of retrofit and greenfield applications, which are used to clarify differences between integrated storage systems. The paper shows how such a systematic approach can be used to consistently analyse processes for storage integration, facilitate comparison between thermal energy storage systems integrated into processes across applications and finally grasp how different interests perceive the benefits of the integrated storage system. This type of systematic methodology for technology integration has not been previously developed and as such, is a novel and important contribution to the thermal energy storage community. In the long term, this work builds the basis for a discussion on benefits of thermal energy storage system integration with diverse stakeholders including storage system designers, process owners and policy makers.This work has been partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy in the framework of the TESIN project (03ESP011) and the THESAN project (03ET1297). This work has also been partially funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (ENE2015-64117-C5-1-R (MINECO/FEDER)). The authors at the University of Lleida would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to their research group (2017 SGR 1537). GREA is certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology developers from the Government of Catalonia. Jaume Gasia would like to thank the Departament d'Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya for his research fellowship (2018 FI_B2 00100). The authors are responsible for the content of this publication

Effective communication in requirements elicitation: A comparison of methodologies

The elicitation or communication of user requirements comprises an early and critical but highly error-prone stage in system development. Socially oriented methodologies provide more support for user involvement in design than the rigidity of more traditional methods, facilitating the degree of user-designer communication and the 'capture' of requirements. A more emergent and collaborative view of requirements elicitation and communication is required to encompass the user, contextual and organisational factors. From this accompanying literature in communication issues in requirements elicitation, a four-dimensional framework is outlined and used to appraise comparatively four different methodologies seeking to promote a closer working relationship between users and designers. The facilitation of communication between users and designers is subject to discussion of the ways in which communicative activities can be 'optimised' for successful requirements gathering, by making recommendations based on the four dimensions to provide fruitful considerations for system designers

Holistic analysis of the effectiveness of a software engineering teaching approach

To provide the best training in software engineering, several approaches and strategies are carried out. Some of them are more theoretical, learned through books and manuals, while others have a practical focus and often done in collaboration with companies. In this paper, we share an approach based on a balanced mix to foster the assimilation of knowledge, the approximation with what is done in software companies and student motivation. Two questionnaires were also carried out, one involving students, who had successfully completed the subject in past academic years (some had already graduated, and others are still students), and other questionnaire involving companies, in the field of software development, which employ students from our school. The analysis of the perspectives of the different stakeholders allows an overall and holistic) view, and a general understanding, of the effectiveness of the software engineering teaching approach. We analyse the results of the questionnaires and share some of the experiences and lessons learned.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-perspective requirements engineering for networked business systems: a framework for pattern composition

How business and software analysts explore, document, and negotiate requirements for enterprise systems is critical to the benefits their organizations will eventually derive. In this paper, we present a framework for analysis and redesign of networked business systems. It is based on libraries of patterns which are derived from existing Internet businesses. The framework includes three perspectives: Economic value, Business processes, and Application communication, each of which applies a goal-oriented method to compose patterns. By means of consistency relationships between perspectives, we demonstrate the usefulness of the patterns as a light-weight approach to exploration of business ideas

Rámec pro posouzení kvalitativních hledisek informačních systémů

Záměrem předložené disertační práce je porozumět tomu, jak investoři v konkrétním společenském kontextu vnímají význam kvality informačních systémů. Ze studia literatury zabývající se přístupy a rámci hodnocení kvality informačních systémů vyplývá, že tato kvalita je obecně hodnocena z hlediska striktního přístupu. V této práci je ukázáno, že kvalitu informačního systému lze smysluplně pochopit použitím interpretačního paradigmatu a že kvalita informačního systému je definována společensky a ovlivňována kontextem tohoto systému. Studie byla zahájena průzkumem dvaceti libyjských organizací. Podrobnější data byla získána z případové studie dvou vybraných libyjských organizací působících ve veřejném sektoru. Při empirické analýze nashromážděných dat bylo využito rámce mnohočetné perspektivy, který zahrnuje hlediska teorie strukturalizace, pojem mnohočetných perspektiv a metodologii měkkých systémů. V práci se dospělo ke zjištění, že: a) kvalita informačních systémů je pojata šíře, než je tomu u tradiční definice kvality, b) mnohočetné perspektivy kvality informačních systémů jsou ovlivněny opakovanou interakcí mezi investorem a institucionálními vlastnostmi kontextu informačního systému a že c) rozdílné hodnoty v kulturním prostředí a vnějším kontextu ovlivňují rozsah působnosti investora a interakce v kontextu informačního systému. Ze závěru práce vyplývá, že společenská skladba mnohočetných perspektiv kvality informačního systému je ovlivněna strukturalizačními procesy mezi investory a vlastnostmi v kontextu informačního systému.This thesis is concerned with understanding how stakeholders in a particular cultural context construct the multiple meanings of ‘Information Systems Quality’ (IS Quality). A review of literature on approaches and frameworks for IS quality shows that the IS quality is generally examined through a ‘hard approach’. This study demonstrates that IS quality can be meaningfully understood through an interpretive paradigm, and that IS quality is socially constructed and influenced by the IS context. The study began with an exploratory survey of twenty Libyan organizations. Data were gathered through a case study of two public sector organizations in Libya. A Multiple Perspective Framework (MPF) that incorporates ideas from structuration theory, multiple perspectives concept, and soft systems methodology (SSM) was used to analyze the empirical work. The findings revealed that: (a) IS quality is a broader conception than the traditional quality definition, (b) the multiple perspectives of IS quality are influenced by repeated interaction between the stakeholder and institutional properties in the IS context, and (c) mediation of different values in the culture system and in the external context influence the extent of stakeholder agency and interaction in the IS context. The study concluded that the social construction of multiple perspectives of IS quality is influenced by the structuration processes between stakeholders and properties in the IS context.

Escaping the frameworks: Arguments for CPD as a practice-led break-out from normative occupational standards in health and social care

The newly introduced CPD structures of post-registration training and learning requirements for registered social workers are already under review to examine whether they are ‘fit for purpose’. Quite what ‘fit’ might mean is no clearer than what the ‘purpose’ of CPD should be in the fast changing world of health and social care services. The theoretical arguments that I will advance in this paper set out to problematise some of the current conceptions of social work CPD. I will maintain that the continuing professional development and education of social workers requires a more fundamental analysis in order that ‘people and practices’ can be prioritised. This paper will draw upon social theory and psychological constructivist perspectives with arguments being illustrated through reference to policy documents in this field as well as a small empirical study of post-qualification CPD students carried out by the author