Conceptual Modeling Education as a “Design Problem”

Robert Andrei Buchmann,Ana-Maria Ghiran,Dimitris Karagiannis,Victoria Döller

doi:10.7250/csimq.2019-21.02

Robert Andrei Buchmann, Ana-Maria Ghiran + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7250/csimq.2019-21.02

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Abstract

This article frames Conceptual Modeling education as a design problem, in the sense of the Design Science research framework, motivated by student preconceptions and oversimplifications causing a gap between how the discipline is perceived at the bachelor level and the holistic understanding of model value that is required for research work. The treatment to this design problem must comprise teaching approaches and artifacts capable of positioning Conceptual Modeling as a standalone discipline having a value proposition for any application domain, rather than a technique subordinated to other disciplines. The underpinning thesis is that modeling languages should be primarily understood as purposeful knowledge schemas that can be subjected to agile adaptations in support of model-driven systems or knowledge processes, by analogy to how a database schema is evolved in response to changing requirements of a data-driven system or data analytics needs. This thesis is supported by enablers provided by the Open Models Laboratory and the Agile Modeling Method Engineering framework – resources that support the development of treatments to the design problem framed by the article.

Highlights

This article extends the ideas and content presented as a position paper in [1], discussing the oversimplified perception of bachelor students on Conceptual Modeling topics and proposing position statements supported by teaching approaches aimed to shift this perception
This is what we consider to be the “design problem of Conceptual Modeling education” – tackled here with a number of position statements mapped on requirements, some examples of treatments of the problem and a value proposition that relies on community involvement
We provide the list of dilemmas collected from students debuting with junior research work and/or dissertation theses on topics related to Conceptual Modeling: My thesis is on Marketing – Service Design and Service-Dominant Logic – how can Conceptual Modeling help me, since I know it as being a Software Engineering technique? Why are there so many modeling languages? Why not use PowerPoint, since I have many more graphical shapes available in a single tool? Isn't it possible to model everything with a single language/standard? How can I combine parts of different modeling languages in an integrated way? How could I represent “this” with my preferred standard?

Summary

Introduction

This article extends the ideas and content presented as a position paper in [1], discussing the oversimplified perception of bachelor students on Conceptual Modeling topics and proposing position statements supported by teaching approaches aimed to shift this perception. One direct consequence of this state of affairs is that students graduate bachelor programs with the perception that Conceptual Modeling is a chapter/technique of Software Engineering and has no relevance outside the goals associates with that discipline; Business Process Management is gaining some attraction in this respect (less than a quarter of the surveyed education-focused papers according to [7]), it's still not sufficient to establish a general notion of “model value” that can inspire junior research work taking on Conceptual Modeling as a standalone discipline that uses or creates conceptualizations for any domains This is what we consider to be the “design problem of Conceptual Modeling education” – tackled here with a number of position statements mapped on requirements, some examples of treatments of the problem and a value proposition that relies on community involvement.

The Problem Context and Stakeholders

Problem Refinement and Position Statements

Requirements and Treatments

The Value Proposition of OMiLAB for Conceptual Modeling

Conclusions