Applying Eye Movement Modeling Examples to Guide Novices' Attention in the Comprehension of Process Models.

Michael Winter,Rüdiger Pryss,Manfred Reichert,Thomas Probst

doi:10.3390/brainsci11010072

Abstract

Process models are crucial artifacts in many domains, and hence, their proper comprehension is of importance. Process models mediate a plethora of aspects that are needed to be comprehended correctly. Novices especially face difficulties in the comprehension of process models, since the correct comprehension of such models requires process modeling expertise and visual observation capabilities to interpret these models correctly. Research from other domains demonstrated that the visual observation capabilities of experts can be conveyed to novices. In order to evaluate the latter in the context of process model comprehension, this paper presents the results from ongoing research, in which gaze data from experts are used as Eye Movement Modeling Examples (EMMEs) to convey visual observation capabilities to novices. Compared to prior results, the application of EMMEs improves process model comprehension significantly for novices. Novices achieved in some cases similar performances in process model comprehension to experts. The study’s insights highlight the positive effect of EMMEs on fostering the comprehension of process models.

Highlights

Flow charts are visual representations delineating algorithms, systems, or processes [1,2,3]
In research questions (RQ) 1, we evaluated whether novices supported by Eye Movement Modeling Examples (EMMEs) show better performance measures than novices not supported by EMMEs and whether this depends on the level of complexity of the process models
We found that novices supported by EMMEs had significantly better performance measures than novices not supported by EMMEs

Summary

Introduction

Flow charts are visual representations delineating algorithms, systems, or processes [1,2,3] They are widely used in different domains (e.g., healthcare, computer science, and business) for the following purposes: documentation, instant communication, effective analyses, and problem solving [2,4,5]. A process model depicts all activities, decisions, and involved stakeholders as well as resources in a process [9]. Many unresolved issues concerning the factors thwarting the comprehension of process models exist, and the identification of these factors is decisive. For this reason, a prerequisite for an overall comprehension of processes is to ensure that all stakeholders can read and comprehend corresponding process models in an efficient and effective manner [11].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion