Technology Enhanced Learning of Modeling Skills in the Field of Information Systems

DSV SU
Technology Enhanced Learning of
Modeling Skills in the Field of
Information Systems
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Ilia Bider, Martin Henkel, Stewart Kowalski and Erik Perjons
8th IADIS International
Conference on
Information Systems 2015

DSV SU
Using simulation in IS teaching
Based on the trial completed at the
• Department of the Computer and System Science (DSV) of
Stockholm University: Teaching (BS,MS, PhD) + Research, 5 700
students, 280 Staff members
In the Introductory Information Systems course
• Given to the first year bachelor students each autumn
• About 200-250 students
• Using case based teaching/learning
• Have a number of learning goals related to acquiring
modeling skills, e.g. conceptual, process modeling

DSV SU
Acquiring modeling skills
Conceptual modeling, business process modeling,
enterprise modeling, etc.
Two parts
1. Formal part: syntax & semantics of modeling languages,
rules of translation from one modeling notation into another, or
from the text in a natural language into formal model
2. Informal part: how to capture the reality to build a model,
through making field observations, interviewing people, and
analyzing diverse documents

DSV SU
Levels of difficulty
In acquiring modeling skills in the university settings:
1. Formal part: suit well the academic way of teaching
2. Informal part: is difficult to acquire in the university
settings considering that many students lack relevant
work experience

DSV SU
Difficult knowledge type
• Tacit knowledge
Polanyi, M.S. (1969). Knowing and Being.
Chicago, University of Chicago Press
• Ways of Thinking and
Practicing (WTP)
McCune, V. and Hounsell, D (2005). The
development of students' ways of thinking and
practising in three final-year biology courses.
Higher Education, Vol. 49(3), pp. 255-289
A “normal” way of
teaching/learning:
Apprenticeship when an
underling follows a master

DSV SU
Apprenticeship in the University?
Difficulties
• Where to get enough real life organizations
for all students
• Where to get enough masters
Possible solution
• Use computer simulation

DSV SU
Literature overview - Sources
• Google scholar - “teaching modeling skills”
• Request to the community of practice in IS
(AISWORLD)
• How it is done in other discipline – Medical
Profession

DSV SU
Literature overview - conclusion
• The importance of acquiring modeling skills is
well understood in IS and Computer Science
• The difference between the novice modelers,
and real experts well understood
• There is one example of using computers for
simulation in IS
• The area is more developed in Medical
Profession

DSV SU
Example from IS – only one found
“HyperCase: A Hypertext-Based Case for Training Systems Analysts.”
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/hypercase/hypercase2.9 (almost the same from 1990th)

DSV SU
Example from Medical profession
Bergin et al. “Interactive simulated patient:
experiences with collaborative e-learning in
medicine”, J Educ. Comput. Res. Vol. 29 (3),
pp.387–400.

DSV SU
Why only one example in IS?
Two possible types of simulation:
1. Simulating an object of investigation, e.g. an
enterprise, or a patient. A good approach, but can be
too expensive, needs justification (Hypercase)
2. Simulating a situation of apprenticeship with the help
of multi-media.
– Simulation of: interviews (recording), Web-sources (company site), internal
and external documents
This is what we have chosen for our trial
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DSV SU
Trial course project - before
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Type of
information
Example of text fragment
Company
background
information
“The company has a game development apartment with 14
game developers and a sales department with 20
salespersons. The sales department handles marketing, sales,
order processing and delivery…”
Facts on
products
“The AFFE game can be played by one user which can take
multiple roles in an enterprise governed in the game. The game
can also be played by several users who then take different
roles in the enterprise…”
Working
procedures
“Today, the development of the next game release is
completed in the following way: After the previous version of
the game has been released, the game developers are
gathered to determine what requirements must be met in the
next version…”
Textual presentation of business case

DSV SU
Assignments – building models
Example – build a business process model using BPMN
from the text description
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DSV SU
Trial course project - after
14
Multimedia presentation of business case
Media Presentation fragment
Video
recording
Interview with game development manager (simulated)
Interview with sales manager (simulated)
Interview with CEO (simulated)
Web-
based
sources
Website of the company (AFFE) (simulated)
Twitter feed containing customer opinions (simulated)
Financial info from http://www.proff.se/ (simulated)
IT systems in use – links to real system vendors websites
Document
-based
sources
Excel - sales leads template (simulated)
Excel - customer template (simulated)
Protocol of management meeting (simulated)

DSV SU
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Multimedia presentation: Interviews

DSV SU
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Multimedia presentation: Company’s website

DSV SU
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Multimedia presentation: Customers list template

DSV SU
Project site
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Integration of sources with assignments

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Evaluation of the trial
Simulation has been used in two course occasions and
was evaluated based on on-line questionnaires:
1. A project website evaluation by the students (2013)
2. An evaluation by the students based on comparison with
another course (2013)
3. A project site evaluation by the teachers (2013)
4. A comparative analysis of examination results (2013)
5. A project website evaluation by the students with the focus
on comparative investigation of different media types used in
the case presentation (2014)

DSV SU
All evaluations pointed towards some improvement in
learning environment and results.
Examples from evaluation 2 & 4 follows:
2. An evaluation by the students based on comparison with
another course (2013)
4. A comparative analysis of examination results (2013)

DSV SU
An evaluation by the students based on comparison with another
course:
A project site (similar to the one used for ITO course) would facilitate the completion
of the OOS project because it would provide a more comprehensive picture of the
business. 46 students answered with the average of 4.2

DSV SU
course
A project site (similar to the one used for ITO course) gave us better understanding of
how a professional consultant worked than just having a textual description of the
business. 46 students answered with the average of 4.2

DSV SU
course
A project site (similar to the one used for ITO course) is to be preferred for all courses
that include business/enterprise modeling. 46 students answered with the average of
4.2

DSV SU
A comparative analysis of examination results (2013)
Improvement in the tail: less talented students got better results
Year 2012 Year 2013

DSV SU
Methodology and future work
Action research, more or less follows the Kolb’s cycle of
experimental learning
We are now in the second circle
investigating a possibility of
reuse of project presentations
fragments

DSV SU
Q & A
Thank you for your patience
Questions and comments
Please
Contact: ilia@{dsv.su|ibissoft}.se
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Technology Enhanced Learning of Modeling Skills in the Field of Information Systems

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