Slides of my presentation at my defense 25 November 2015, Eindhoven, NL

1. 1/15
www.janclaes.info
Jan Claes
Supervisors UGent : Geert Poels & Frederik Gailly
Supervisors TU/e : Paul Grefen & Irene Vanderfeesten
Investigating the process of process modeling
and its relation to modeling quality
The Role of Structure Serialization

2. 2/15
www.janclaes.info
Study 1: visualization
Research Objective 1
Build knowledge about
how people create models
Overall objective
Curiosity-driven
Build knowledge about PPM
Research Objective 2
Build knowledge about
relation with quality
Research Objective 3
Build knowledge about
structured modeling
Study 3: theorizationStudy 2: exploration
Research Objectives

3. 3/15
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CREATE_ACTIVITY
CREATE_START_EVENT
CREATE_END_EVENT
CREATE_AND
CREATE_XOR
CREATE_EDGE
Study 1 – Visualization
MOVE_ACTIVITY
MOVE_START_EVENT
MOVE_END_EVENT
MOVE_AND
MOVE_XOR
DELETE_ACTIVITY
DELETE_START_EVENT
DELETE-END_EVENT
DELETE_AND
DELETE_XOR
DELETE_EDGE
NAME_ACTIVITY
RENAME_ACTIVITY
NAME_EDGE
RENAME_EDGE
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
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4. 4/15
www.janclaes.info
 CREATE_ACTIVITY
 CREATE_START_EVENT
 CREATE_END_EVENT
 CREATE_AND
 CREATE_XOR
 CREATE_EDGE
 MOVE_ACTIVITY
 MOVE_START_EVENT
 MOVE_END_EVENT
 MOVE_AND
 MOVE_XOR
 DELETE_ACTIVITY
 DELETE_START_EVENT
 DELETE-END_EVENT
 DELETE_AND
 DELETE_XOR
 DELETE_EDGE
 NAME_ACTIVITY
 RENAME_ACTIVITY
 NAME_EDGE
 RENAME_EDGE
Study 1 – Visualization
PPMChart
time
modelelements

5. 5/15
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Fast
modelingSlow
modelingInitial
delayMany
pauzesFew
elementsMany
elements No
(separate)
lay-outing
Quick
lay-outingDedicated
lay-outing
phase
Continuous
lay-outingUnpaired
event
creation
Paired
event
creation
No pauzes
Serialization
Paired
gateway
creation
Delayed
edge
creation
Chunked
modeling
Study 1 – Visualization
Based on dataset of 357 unique modeling executions

6. 6/15
www.janclaes.info
Study 1 – Visualization
Evaluation
 Sample of intended users (6 academic researchers)
 Five extreme examples in PPMChart or Dotted Chart
 Observe and measure amount, quality, and timing
of insights gained through the visualization
 Observe and ask about perceived usefulness
Results
 Perceived as useful
 More cognitive effective than Dotted Chart

7. 7/15
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Study 2 – Exploration
Based on dataset of 40 unique modeling executions
Fast
modeling
Slow
modeling
Initial
delay
Many
pauzes
Few
elements
Many
elements
No
(separate)
lay-outing
Quick
lay-outing
Dedicated
lay-outing
phase
Continuous
lay-outing
Unpaired
event
creation
Paired
event
creation
No pauzesSerializationPaired
gateway
creation
Delayed
edge
creation
Chunked
modeling

8. 8/15
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Study 2 – Exploration
Structuredness Movement Speed
Based on dataset of 40 unique modeling executions
Fast
modeling
Slow
modeling
Quick
lay-outing
Dedicated
lay-outing
phase
Continuous
lay-outing
Serialization
Chunked
modeling
CONJECTURE 1
CONJECTURE 2
CONJECTURE 3

9. 9/15
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Study 2 – Exploration
Conjecture 1: Structured modeling
results in
more understandable models
Conjecture 2: A high number of move operations
results in
less understandable models
Conjecture 3: Slow modeling
results in
less understandable models

10. 10/15
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Study 2 – Exploration
Based on dataset of 103 unique modeling executions
T-test
t=-2,231
(p=0,028)
T-test
t=2,199
(p=0,030)
CONJECTURE 1
structuredness
T-test
t=-1,984
(p=0,049)
T-test
t=0,457
(p=0,648)
T-test
t=-2,183
(p=0,031)
T-test
t=2,505
(p=0,014)
CONJECTURE 2
movement
CONJECTURE 3
speed

11. 11/15
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Study 3 – Theorization
Based on dataset of 103 unique modeling executions
T-test
t=-2,231
(p=0,028)
T-test
t=2,199
(p=0,030)
CONJECTURE 1
structuredness
T-test
t=-1,984
(p=0,049)
T-test
t=0,457
(p=0,648)
T-test
t=-2,183
(p=0,031)
T-test
t=2,505
(p=0,014)
CONJECTURE 2
movement
CONJECTURE 3
speed

12. 12/15
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Study 3 – Theorization
Combined
Flow-oriented Aspect-oriented
Undirected
Based on dataset of 118 unique modeling executions

13. 13/15
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Study 3 – Theorization
A B A determines BA B The more A, the more B+ A B The more A, the less B– A B A translates into B
learning style
degree of serialization
adopted serialization style
field-dependency need for structure
– +
course of intrinsic cognitive load
for process modeling phases
course of intrinsic cognitive load
for aggregation phases
course of cognitive overload
course of intrinsic cognitive load
for strategy building phases
+ + +
serialization style fitstructuredness of serialization
– –– –
1 2 3

14. 14/15
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Study 3 – Theorization
Evaluation of utility
Novelty (uses existing theories in fundamental new way)
Parsimony (11 constructs, 15 associations)
Consistency (can explain additional observations)
Plausibility (accurate and profound explanation)
Credibility (building blocks are established theories)
Transferability (problem solving in general)
Consistency based on dataset of 143 unique modeling executions

15. 15/15
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FUTURE
WORK
Knowledge gaps
Knowledge contribution Research instrument
Knowledge gap 4
How to change one’s
modeling strategy?
Knowledge gap 3
How should one model
in a specific context?
Study 1: visualization
Contributions
A – PPMChart
B – 22 patterns
C – 13 observations
Study 2: exploration
Contributions
D – 8 patterns
E – 3 conjectures
F – 1 metric
Knowledge gap 1
How do people
currently model?
Knowledge gap 2
Which strategy is
intrinsically better?
A B
C
D E F
H
HG
I
Study 3: theorization
Contributions
G – 5 styles
H1 – 6 observations
H2 – 3 impressions
I – SPMT
I