Improving Feedback from Automated Reviews of Student Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are one of the most widely used tools for end users. As a result, spreadsheets such as Excel are now included in many curricula. However, digital solutions for assessing spreadsheet assignments are still scarce in the teaching context. Therefore, we have developed an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) to review students' Excel submissions and provide individualized feedback automatically. Although the lecturer only needs to provide one reference solution, the students' submissions are analyzed automatically in several ways: value matching, detailed analysis of the formulas, and quality assessment of the solution. To take the students' learning level into account, we have developed feedback levels for an ITS that provide gradually more information about the error by using one of the different analyses. Feedback at a higher level has been shown to lead to a higher percentage of correct submissions and was also perceived as well understandable and helpful by the students

Deutsch

Bei komplexen Verwaltungsprozessen ist die Vielfalt möglicher Prozessabläufe oft nicht vorhersehbar oder eine vollständige Modellierung nicht wirtschaftlich. Wissensarbeiter benötigen Möglichkeiten, um auf Abweichungen vom definierten Prozessablauf reagieren zu können. Oft werden daher neben dem Workflow Management System separate Applikationen zur Stammdatenverwaltung sowie zur Durchführung der nicht modellierten Prozessabläufe erstellt. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht, ob die Flexibilität für Wissensarbeiter durch Integration einer Prozess-Engine (Produkt Camunda) in eine generisch konfigurierbare NoSQL-Neo4J-basierte Stammdatenapplikation erhöht werden kann. Dabei wird die Prozess-Engine auf die pure Kontrolle des Workflows reduziert. Sie delegiert die Bearbeitung der im Prozess angefallenen Daten als Benutzer Aufgabe an die Stammdatenapplikation und schränkt dabei den Aktionsraum des Wissensarbeiters durch Rechte ein. Die Integration bietet Wissensarbeitern einerseits die Unterstützung durch BPMN-definierte Workflows und andererseits die Flexibilität einer manuell bedienbaren Stammdatenapplikation. Durch das vorliegende Verfahren kann etwa ein nicht modellierter Change-Prozess von einem Wissensarbeiter manuell ausgeführt werden.In complex administrative processes, the variety of possible process flows is often unpredictable or complete modeling is not economical. Knowledge workers need ways to react to deviations from the defined process flow. Therefore, in addition to the workflow management system, separate applications are often created for master data management as well as for the execution of the non-modeled process flows. This thesis investigates whether flexibility for knowledge workers can be increased by integrating a process engine (product Camunda) into a generically configurable NoSQL-Neo4J-based master data application. Thereby, the process engine is reduced to the pure control of the workflow. It delegates the processing of the data accumulated in the process as a user task to the master data application and thereby restricts the scope of action of the knowledge worker through rights. The integration offers knowledge workers the support of BPMN-defined workflows on the one hand and the flexibility of a manually operated master data application on the other. For example, a knowledge worker can manually execute a change process that has not been modeled

Improving emergency management by formal dynamic process-modelling

In the past years, as natural disasters are increasing all over the world efforts in disaster prevention measures and disaster and emergency management systems (DEMS) are expanded in research and practice. In Germany especially the emergency management in case of flood or high water situations plays an important role because of serious flood incidents in 1997 and 2002. Advanced emergency management systems provide a bundled, structured information access for emergency management actors using databases, GIS and internet technology. Nevertheless, the activities, tasks and also decision processes which occur in the emergency management situation are mainly neglected or less supported by these emergency management systems. In this paper, a process-oriented approach to emergency management using ICT is presented. A meta model for the process modelling of emergency management activities is presented and an existing formal process model which allows dynamic changes of pre-modelled processes is explained. A simplified scenario in the context of operational flood management finally points out the applicability of this approach

Process Driven Emergency Management Platform for Flood Response Integrating web GIS Technologies

Even in highly developed western regions, huge riveraine floods are a great challenge for flood response management. The cooperation of different response authorities and organizations under time critical conditions in a highly dynamic environment require support with modern IT methods and systems. Present Flood Information Systems still do not sufficiently focus on supporting the workflow of planning and carrying out flood response actions. This paper introduces a new process centric approach, which improves the coordination and information workflows of Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) and involved services. Formal process models as core of a process driven emergency management platform provide the responsible agent with appropriate data and analyses along defined emergency processes. The platform guides the EOC officers and involved parties through the organizational steps of flood response actions. Coordinated information flow and automatic multi-channel notifications are ensured throughout the process. The developed approach is successfully validated using flood scenarios with real-world data. The results show that the approach improves information flow in the EOC and to external organizations and enhances coordinated work-sharing of EOC team members during flood response