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Technology Enhanced Learning of Modeling Skills in the Field of

Information Systems

Ilia Bider, Martin Henkel, Stewart Kowalski and Erik Perjons

8th IADIS International Conference onInformation Systems 2015

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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

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Acquiring modeling skillsConceptual 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 1990 th)

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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.

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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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Trial course project - before

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

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Assignments – building modelsExample – build a business process model using BPMN from the text description

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Trial course project - afterMultimedia presentation of business caseMedia Presentation fragment

Videorecording

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)

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Trial course project - afterMultimedia presentation: Interviews

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Trial course project - afterMultimedia presentation: Company’s website

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Trial course project - afterMultimedia presentation: Customers list template

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Project siteIntegration of sources with assignments

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Evaluation of the trialSimulation 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)

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Evaluation of the trialAll 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)

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Evaluation of the trialAn 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

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Evaluation of the trialAn evaluation by the students based on comparison with another 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

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Evaluation of the trialAn evaluation by the students based on comparison with another 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

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Evaluation of the trialA comparative analysis of examination results (2013)

Improvement in the tail: less talented students got better results

Year 2012 Year 2013

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Methodology and future workAction 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

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Q & A

Thank you for your patience

Questions and comments

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Contact: ilia@{dsv.su|ibissoft}.se