Conceptual Modeling Education as a “Design Problem”

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 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 frameworkresources that support the development of treatments to the design problem framed by the article.

Formalizing the Four-layer Metamodeling Stack -- Potential and Benefits

“…Definition 2 A model M of a language L with typed signature Σ = {S, F, R, C} is an L-structure conforming to the language constraints C, i.e. M consists of a universe U of typed elements respecting the type hierarchy, that is for each T in S there exists a set U T ⊂ U and U = T∈S U T ; all sets U T for T ∈ S O ∪ S R have to be pairwise disjoint except for sets U O1 and This definition of models as language structures goes beyond a visualisation and considers models as knowledge structures as described in [11]. Thereby we overcome several shortcomings of graphical representations, like the missing depiction of attributes and their domains in models or the visual mixing of the metarelation inheritance with the definition of relation types in metamodels.…”

“…The constraints ensure single inheritance (5), < OT being the transitive closure of Inh under the assumption that all universes are finite (6-7), the existence and uniqueness of to and from objects of a relation (8)(9)(10), and the abstractness of the types ORT and DORT (11)(12). The absence of cyclic inheritance and self-inheritance follow from the properties of < OT .…”

“…Research on enterprise modeling has enhanced modeling languages from mere instruments for pictures supporting human understanding to highly specialized tools with value adding mechanisms like information querying, simulation, and transformation [5,24]. The nature of models has evolved from a visual representation of information to an exploitable knowledge structure [11]. Nevertheless the European enterprise modeling community experiences that the potential of enterprise modeling is currently not fully utilized in practice and modeling is employed only by a limited group of experts.…”

OMiLAB: A Smart Innovation Environment for Digital Engineers

“…Additionally, the Conceptual Modelling education "design problem", as framed in [6], inspired this work towards the aim of elevating the value of conceptual modelling from traditional use cases (software design, business process management) to a generalised value proposition, where modelling languages are "knowledge schemas" that can be tailored for any domain and depth of specificity. When this idea is coupled with interoperable modelling environments, it leads to a form of Digital Twin engineering that is semantics-driven in the centre (the so-called "next generation Digital Twin" [7]) and computationally-intensive at the edge (i.e.…”

M2FOL: A Formal Modeling Language for Metamodels

“…Research on enterprise modeling has enhanced modeling languages from mere instruments for pictures supporting human understanding to highly specialized tools with value adding mechanisms like information querying, simulation, and transformation [2] [14]. The nature of models has evolved from a visual representation of information to an exploitable knowledge structure [5]. Nevertheless the European enterprise modeling community experiences that the potential of enterprise modeling is currently not fully utilized in practice and modeling is employed only by a limited group of experts, therefore in [34] and [35] a research agenda is formulated to establish "modeling for the masses" (MftM) and broadcast its benefits also to non-experts.…”