This paper is my PhD proposal in which I discuss and scope the problem, discuss a research question and propose a solution based on literature to start understanding the problem.
In this research proposal, I will discuss the relevance of my research proposal and why it is worth a full doctoral position.
Within the process modelling community and especially the EE / DEMO community, there is a knowledge gap in how we get people to read process models accurately and, more specifically, how to teach them to accurately read process models in the least amount of time. A more in depth review of this knowledge gap is described in the section literature. The people we want to get to read and understand process models are not trained to work, make or read process models on a daily basis, but nonetheless can encounter process models in their line of work. This can happen for diferent reasons, i.e. they encounter it in an assignment; they work with someone who uses them; a costumer presents with a process model. There can be diferent reasons for encountering them, nonetheless, in all instances it is preferable if they understand what is shown. Because of the irregular interval in which they encounter process models, they do not have the motivation to study process models in depth (more of a guess, search literature). Nonetheless, the process models they encounter holds valuable information for their business and it is important for their business that they understand what is communicated within the process model. Time constraints are a regular occurrences in businesses, therefore it is in the best interest for the maker of the process model and for the person reading the process models that a process model is quick and accurately to read.
The advantage of reading a process model accurately is that the right information can be found. To get people to read process models accurately, we will focus on improving people’s skills (visual literacy) to read process models. Visual literacy is potentially related to the reading of process models; therefore, this is a suitable measurement. There are diferent alternative to visual literacy However, we choose visual literacy based on diferent researches where visual literacy has proven important within process models or most suitable in visualisations. In addition, we want to look at the diference in speed of learning and the diference in abstraction levels people have when reading process models in relation to their visual literacy. The saying goes, time is money, therefore, the faster we can accurately teach people to read process models, the more money is made. Process models are an abstract visualisation and can therefore be measured with visual literacy. By researching this in two diferent age groups, i.e. 12 to 14 years and 25 to 65 years, we can help current, and future generations improve. We have chosen these age groups for a few reasons. The age group 25 to 65 years old is the working population. This is the group that will encounter process models the most compared to the other ages. Within this group a diferentiation could be made between junior, medior or senior employees, should there be a significant diference between them. The group 12 to 14 years old is specifically selected because of a new subject being taught in some school in the Netherlands. This subject is, for now, only being taught to 12 to 14 years old, but has an initiative to broaden to older children as well. The subject is called ‘digitiale geletterdheid’, digital literacy, and teaches the children diferent aspects of the digital world and how to use it. For now there is no set curriculum yet. We think this is a good opportunity to start teaching how to read process models to young children and hopefully get this added to the curriculum within digital literacy should this prove to be efective. This way we hope to do justice to the following Dutch saying: learned young, done old.
What is the fastest method to influence and teach a specific group how to read process models?
The first thing we need to look at is the time. What is fast? In this research we will be working with the process models of DEMO. A course to learn the base of DEMO is three days Therefore, to be fast than a full course, we need to at least define fast as maximum a day in this instance. Preferably even half a day? However, we also have to find out in this research if that is possible, and if it is not, than what is? Define a method. In the end we have to measure if what we taught will be efective. We will either have to find a measure suitable for this, or create a measure suitable based on what we want them to be able to do. We can also think about long-term. If we test them again in one month, six months, or a year, will they still be able to read the process models?
To answer our research question, we want to do a three-part study to find an answer. First, to ifgure out what is the fastest way to learn to read process models, we have to study how people read process models. With the help of eye-tracking software, we can study where people’s focus and attention first go to in process models and other kinds of visuals. With this information, we can discern the focus and attention points of people. Consequently, this will helps us decide what visual aid or method of teaching might be of the most influence to help people to read process models.
Second, the people themselves are a factor in understanding process models. However, people do not always know what truly helps them. Therefore, what people think helps them read process models and what actually helps them might difer. However, this might prove a valuable insight into how people think they perceive visual information from process models. By conducting interviews with people at diferent employment levels, we can learn what people think they need and how this might difer depending on their position.
Third and last, based on the information collected from parts one and two, we can start to form an education program in which we will influence and teach people to improve their skills to read process models accurately. This improvement can be set up in diferent formats, e.g. lessons, legends, and additional textual support. By testing these diferent formats, we can discern the fastest and best method to influence and teach a specific group to read process models.
This way, we can help the modelling community get their message across and support the commercial community to run their business efectively.
To our knowledge, there is no answer in the current literature as to what method works the fastest to influence and teach a specific group how to read process models.
We have found literature that is interesting but needs further analysis.
• Research into more straightforward and transparent approaches, but without formal
evaluation [
• Visualising data with insights from cognitive psychology and visualisation science [
Organisations use information systems to improve efectiveness and eficiency [
Hevner et al. argue that the behavioural science paradigm seeks to find “what is true”, in contrast to the design science paradigm, who seek to create “what is efective”’. Although, in essence, we agree with the statement, we believe this statement is too simplified, since behavioural science and design science often go hand in hand and are sometimes inseparable.
Behavioural science can have the danger of overemphasising on contextual theories [
There is a strong need to improve the way to present and communicate DEMO models [
There is a need found to represent information in a more straightforward and orderly way [
With this PhD I hope to contribute the the Enterprise Engineering (EE) community and shed some light on the human (psychological) side of programming. Programming is on the data-side of the work, but when this is finished it arrives at the human-side of work. Through literature I have conjectured that the human-side still has some ‘problems’ that I hope to help solve some of them with this research.
I recently finished my master’s and intend to create this proposal and submit it as a doctoral paper to the Enterprise Engineering Doctoral Consortium (EEDC) for feedback. The idea has been discussed with a few professors active in modelling.
In June of 2022, I finished my Social, Health and Organisational Psychology ( SHOP) master’s at Utrecht University.
Having just finished my master’s, I want to get a full doctoral position to research the thesis described above. We will have submitted this proposal paper at EEDC on September, 5th 2022, for discussion on November, 2nd 2022.