Collaborative Modeling Approach Research Articles

Near real-time collaborative modeling for view-based Web information systems engineering

Conceptual modeling is a creative, social process driven by the views of stakeholders. In modern, agile development – especially for continuously evolving Web applications – contributions from a wide variety of geographically distributed stakeholders, their involvement in negotiation and impact analysis from different perspectives and the rapid prototype generation from specifications gain much importance. Moreover, people have come to expect easy near real-time system support with few restrictions. While conceptual modeling or CSCW environments exist for each of these individual aspects, their interplay has barely been studied. This paper presents a collaborative conceptual modeling approach called SyncMeta that aims to close this gap by supporting view-based modeling in the Web browser in a near real-time shared editing environment11This paper is an extension of Nicolaescu et al. [1], “View-based Near Real-Time Collaborative Modeling for Information Systems Engineering”, in CAiSE 2016 (best paper award).. In addition to domain-specific graphical modeling languages, viewpoints can be collaboratively defined on the meta-modeling layer and instantiated as views within a model editor instance. Besides this formal structure, we also discuss the choice of algorithms for locking-free shared model editing and of highly scalable team size. In addition to this kind of technical evaluation, the paper also presents several medium-scale user studies that have accompanied the iterative SyncMeta development. These studies investigated both the requirements (quality advantages and user acceptance of the view-based approach, near real-time support) and important design options such as centralized vs. peer-to-peer viewpoint resolution. A fully functional SyncMeta software framework which incorporates most of these results, is available in the GitHub open source repository. We expect this line of work to pave the way for methodologies and tools for socially engineered Web information systems.

Collaborative Modelling for Informed Decision Making and Inclusive Water Development

Ensuring availability and adequate management of water and sanitation for all is one of the key priorities for sustainable development. Integrated Water Resources Management is widely considered to be the best management process for securing water for all. However, implementing it remains a challenge for many decision makers and practitioners. In this article, we demonstrate an application of collaborative modelling to enhance and inform decisions and ensure an inclusive process. This collaborative modelling approach was applied to a river basin master plan for Pemali Comal River Basin Territory in Indonesia. Based on surveys of its development and the stakeholders and decision makers, collaborative modelling and traditional planning approaches for river basin planning were compared. The results of the evaluation demonstrate the benefits of collaborative modelling for structuring stakeholder participation in modelling processes, managing conflicts among competing water users and social learning.

Collaborative modelling or participatory modelling? A framework for water resources management

Decision Support Systems, and, more recently, participatory and collaborative modelling have emerged as a response to increased focus on stakeholder participation in modelling activities for certain fields like water resources management. Researchers and practitioners frequently use ‘buzzwords’ such as ‘participatory modelling’ and ‘collaborative modelling’. In some cases, both terms are used interchangeably, largely due to unclear distinction between them in literature. This article draws the line between participatory and collaborative modelling by using levels of participation and cooperation as conditioning dimensions. Based on this methodology, a new generic framework is presented. This framework can help identify determinant features of both modelling approaches currently used in water resources management. It permits analysis of these approaches in terms of context, specific use, information handling, stakeholder involvement, modelling team and means. The article concludes with an application of the framework to a collaborative modelling approach carried out for a groundwater study in the Netherlands.

Abstract WP410: From the Ground to Target Stroke Elite Plus

Background: Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center (GWV), in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, serves a population of approximately 320,000 people throughout Luzerne. In 2013, the stroke program was launched in GWV secondary to community need. In less than three years we achieved the highest quality metric from the American Heart and American Stroke Association. Here we describe highlights of our intuitive strategies and achievements. Methods: The following strategies were employed to achieve this goal. The Stroke Program Coordinator was an emergency medical service provider and emergency department nurse manager. A stroke bay was added directly outside of the ED Computer Tomography(CT) suite, patients were immediately triaged and taken directly to CT. A nurse navigator was implemented for daily rounding to provide stroke education to patients and families and collect real-time data. The real-time data abstraction and feedback system allowed opportunity for immediate action and timely targeted education. Weekly in-services were held with the inpatient nursing staff where issues were further reviewed and education provided on an ongoing basis. Staff education has been the main priority and nursing management was closely involved. A systematic approach has been implemented for patients requiring weekend stroke education. A stroke topic was included in our monthly nursing newsletter. Results: In less than three years we were able to achieve Target Stroke Elite Plus, the highest recognition from the American Heart and American Stroke Association. Sixty-seven percent (95% CI: 63.5-80.5%) of our acute stroke patients had a door-to-needle time below 45 minutes. Compliance with all our core measures more than 95% (95% CI: 93.4- 96.6%), and rehabilitation, in hospital antithrombotic treatment, discharge antithrombotic more than 99% of the time. Conclusion: A collaborative model and multidisciplinary approach is associated with improved guideline adherence. In conclusion, this model and our strategies can be successfully applied in other community hospitals.

A collaborative, ontological and information visualization model approach in a centralized rock art heritage platform

The Rock-Art Database is a rock art heritage project based in the Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU), School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia that began in 2012. The project aims to bring members of the global rock art community together in one centralized online platform to share and discuss rock art information in order to make rock art data more accessible and more visible. The platform offers a tool to a wide range of users to collect, manage and disseminate rock art data through specialized functionalities in digital formats that explore new ways to look at rock art through a collaborative, ontological and information visualization approach. The Rock-Art Database was first released in 2014 and can be accessed on the Web at http://www.rockartdatabase.com. This paper presents results of the deployed Rock-Art Database model and discusses its potential for future rock art data explorations.

178 Evaluating the Benefits and Harms of Colorectal Cancer Screening Strategies: A Collaborative Modeling Approach to Inform the US Preventive Services Task Force

178 Evaluating the Benefits and Harms of Colorectal Cancer Screening Strategies: A Collaborative Modeling Approach to Inform the US Preventive Services Task Force

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH APPROACHES TO COPE WITH UNCERTAINTY OF WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN TIDAL AREAS

ABSTRACTThroughout the world, tidal areas are being developed. The initial development is generally for agriculture, often in combination with flood protection. The development focus in tidal areas is, however, gradually moving to ports, harbours, transportation routes, industries, and aquaculture, housing and recreation facilities. Models are often used to develop strategies for sustainable land and water practices. These models normally require long‐time data sets that are often not available in emerging countries, thus new ways have to be found to address the traditionally validated simulation models. This paper presents case studies in Surinam, India and Vietnam in which the traditional validation process was replaced by joint plausibility discussions and shared vision building in order to improve the understanding of cause–effect relationships and proposals for water management measures. The aim was to match the tacit knowledge of the local stakeholders with explicit scientific knowledge in order to create a mutual basis for an integrated approach as opposed to single‐issue measures, and a mutual agreement on follow‐up steps needed to sustain both the livelihood of the people as well as natural resource functions. The collaborative modelling approach proved to be a useful tool to obtain a consensus of opinion among the stakeholders. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sociotechnical Framework for Participatory Flood Risk Management via Collaborative Modeling

This article introduces a sociotechnical framework for conceptualization, design and development of participatory Flood Risk Management (FRM) processes. The framework enables a collaborative modeling approach, in which FRM activities are jointly carried out by authorities responsible for FRM, key stakeholders and the potentially affected citizens. Given the technical and social complexity of FRM, the article argues for adoption of the proposed framework as a means for realizing individual and social learning among all involved actors, which leads to shared understanding of the identified flood risks and potentially to commonly agreed FRM alternatives and strategies. Implementation of the framework critically depends on a web-based collaborative platform – a tool that supports all collaborative modeling activities. The framework is presented from within European context of FRM, but its relevance is broader and it can potentially be adopted in other social and geographical areas.

Collaborative business modelling for systemic and sustainability innovations

Sustainability innovations are characterised by a systemic nature and require that multiple organisations act in an orchestrated fashion. To jointly identify opportunities and plan sustainability innovations, new methods and approaches are needed. In this article, we describe a case study where eight firms have collaborated to envision and create new business models in the energy industry. After describing this collaborative business modelling (CBM) approach, we discuss its strengths and limitations and compare it to two alternative methods of strategy and innovation planning: scenario technique and roadmapping. We find that CBM creates a powerful platform for: 1) jointly identifying economic and societal value; 2) defining value creation/value capture systems; 3) planning of complex and uncertain future markets.

Using virtual worlds for collaborative business process modeling

PurposeProcess modeling is a complex organizational task that requires many iterations and communication between the business analysts and the domain specialists. The challenge of process modeling is exacerbated, when the process of modeling has to be performed in a cross‐organizational, distributed environment. This paper aims to suggest a three‐dimensional (3D) environment for collaborative process modeling, using virtual world technology.Design/methodology/approachThe paper suggests a new collaborative process modeling approach based on virtual world technology. It describes the design of an innovative prototype collaborative process modeling approach, implemented as a 3D Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) modeling environment in Second Life. We use a case study to evaluate the suggested approach.FindingsBased on a case study application, the paper shows that our approach increases user empowerment and adds significantly to the collaboration and consensual development of process models even when the relevant stakeholders are geographically dispersed.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents design work and a case study. More research is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the presented approach in a variety of real‐life process modeling settings.Practical implicationsThe research outcomes as design artifacts are directly available and applicable by business process management professionals and can be used by business, system and process analysts in real‐world practice.Originality/valueThis research is the first reported attempt to develop a process modeling approach on the basis of virtual world technology. It describes a novel and innovative 3D BPMN modeling environment in Second Life.

Towards collaborative component-based modelling

Collaborative modelling enables dispersed users to develop component-based system models in group settings. A realization of such an approach requires coordinating and maintaining the causality of the users’ activities. We propose the Collaborative DEVS Modelling (CDM) approach and its realization based on the Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) and the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) concepts and technologies. The CSCW concepts are introduced into the DEVS modelling framework in order to support model development in virtual team settings. A set of modelling rules and tasks enabling collaborative, visual, and persistent model construction and synthesis is developed. To support separate groups of modellers to independently develop models, the realization of CDM supports independent modelling sessions. An illustrative example is developed to demonstrate collaborative and incremental model development. The design of the CDM realization and future research are briefly described.

Knowledge in Action

A collaborative research study on the effectiveness of the water management systems was conducted in two polder areas in the Red River Delta in Vietnam. The project adopted the participatory learning and action approach. The main objective of the study was to match the tacit knowledge of the various local stakeholders (groups) with the explicit scientific knowledge of the researchers in order to: (1) overcome the shortcomings of traditionally validated simulation models; (2) improve the mutual understanding of the complexity of the existing irrigation and drainage system; and (3) reach agreement on the outlines for an integrated action plan. The study started with a series of workshops in which (representatives of ) farmers, communes, local government, unions, NGOs and scientists assessed the problems they face and identified and prioritised their preferences. The workshops were followed up by a participatory pre-investigation to identify and quantify the constraints in the functioning of the water management systems. Next, the drainage system was modelled and computer simulations were used to develop conceptual designs to improve the functioning of these systems. In concluding workshops with the stakeholders recommendations to improve the institutional capacity of the drainage system management were formulated and prioritised. In addition to technical innovations, recommendations to reform the complex institutional setting were formulated. The collaborative modelling approach proved to be a useful tool for tackling the hydrological and social complexity, overcoming the lack of long-term data records and getting a consensus among the stakeholders on the outline of an integrated approach.