BPM Cluster Meeting 2018

1/23 | www.janclaes.info
An overview of my previous work and future plans
FROM differentiated process modeling
TO differentiated problem solving

GOAL
Present my PhD research
★ Inductive, curiosity-driven ★
★ Stepwise methodology ★
★ Publishable ★

1. Collecting observations
Properties of
Modeler
GIVEN TASK
Properties of
Model
Properties of
Modeling Process

1. Collecting observations
2010
Eindhoven
102 master students
2011
Eindhoven
14 practitioners
2012
Eindhoven
18 master students
2013
Gent
146 master students
2014
Eindhoven
119 master students
2015
Gent
146 master students
DESCRIPTIVE THEORY

2. Data analysis – analysis instrument
 PPMChart
 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
time
modelelements
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

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
2. Data analysis – observations and impressions
Based on dataset of 357 unique modeling executions

Combined
Flow-oriented Aspect-oriented
Undirected

Combined
Flow-oriented Aspect-oriented
Undirected
WHY?

3. Theory building
Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)
 Overload causes..
 .. to stop learning
 .. to become slower
 .. to make cognitive mistakes
Normal
load
Overload
Cognitive Fit Theory (CFT)
 Lower extraneous load by..
 .. adapting learning/problem solving material to task
 .. adapting learning/problem solving material to user

3. Theory building
Extended Cognitive Fit Theory (ECFT)
 Lower intrinsic load by..
 .. adapting problem solving strategy to user
 .. adapting problem solving strategy to task
Cognitive Fit Theory (CFT)
 Lower extraneous load by..
 .. adapting learning/problem solving material to task
 .. adapting learning/problem solving material to user

3. Theory building
Structured Process Modeling Theory (SPMT)
 Lower intrinsic load by..
 .. adapting process modeling strategy to user
 (.. adapting process modeling strategy to task)
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
for aggregation phases
course of cognitive overload
for strategy building phases
+ + +
serialization style fitstructuredness of serialization
– –– –
1 2 3
EXPLANATORY THEORY

4. Method development
Development of a digital one-hour treatment
Structured Process Modeling Method (SPMM)
 Measure cognitive variables
 Select fitting strategy
 Explain and train strategy (=treatment)
 Apply strategy
PRESCRIPTIVE THEORY
METHOD

4. Method development
 Results
 10-15%* of variation in quality..
 30%* of variation in modeling time..
 60%* of variation in modeling effort..
.. could be explained by only 8 variables from our theory
These are:
 Serialization degree, structuredness, and fit
 Learning style, field dependency, and need for structure
 Interaction effects with time and effort
R2 values of linear regression models with p-values below 0.05

GOAL
Get feedback on my plans
★ FWO postdoc ★
★ ERC research group ★

Research proposals
 Generalization to problem solving
 Extended Cognitive Fit Theory (ECFT)
• Fit between problem solving and user
• Fit between problem solving and task
 Differentiated problem solving
• Descriptive + explanatory + prescriptive
• Theory + method
• For programming, writing, composing
• And problem solving in general (=ECFT)

working
memory
1. Motivation
 Cognitive Load Theory
 3 types of load can overload working memory
 Criticism about and adaptation of Cognitive Load
Theory, while it has proven explanatory power
sensory
memory
long-term
memory
extraneous
load
intrinsic
load
germane
load
problem

1. Motivation
USER
sensory
memory
working
memory
long-term
memory
capacity
extraneous
load
intrinsic
load
germane
load
PROBLEM STRATEGY
complexity serialization
preferences
& skills
FIT
FIT
FIT
DATA STEPS
expertise experience

2. Research gap
 Effects of fit ask for differentiation
 Research is giving up on differentiation
where it is clearly relevant for the future
 Cognitive Psychology has strong focus on learning
 Differentiation in learning is difficult to study
 difficulty to measure types of load
 difficulty to measure end results of learning
 role of ‘challenge’ in learning
 The focus on learning is too complex
 intangible end results, long term
 Lack of process orientation
 variable values evolve during the process

2. Research gap
 Shift the focus to problem solving
 tangible end results, short term
(source: Google Scholar)
Learning
(keywords: learning, learner,
teaching, teacher, student,
studying, material, lecture,
course, lesson, instruction)
Problem solving
(keywords: problem solving,
task, solution)
Adaptive
(keywords: adaptive, behavior,
performance)
56.79233.208
Differentiated
(keywords: differentiated,
cognitive profile, cognitive style,
learning style, holist or serialist,
field dependent, field dependency)
1.477229

3. Proposed solution
 Study differentiated problem solving
 Width a broad scope
 Different (types of) users, problems and strategies
 But not too broad
 Scope of individual complex design problems
 High risk
 It’s all about balance!
 High gain
 Breakthrough in cognitive differentiation research
 Crossover opportunities between domains

3. Proposed solutions
 Overview of problem domains
ENGINEERING
PROBLEM
MANAGEMENT
PROBLEM
PRESENTATION
PROBLEM
ARTISTIC
‘PROBLEM’
Notion
of flow*
programming
business
process
modeling
report
writing
composing
No notion
of flow*
data(base)
modeling
tbd
technical
drawing
painting
creativestructured
DOMAIN
MATRIX
Serialist/holist
Field dependency
Need for structure
Cognitive complexity
Cognitive flexibility
Category width
Ill-structured
- Real life
- Practitioners
Well-structured
- Realistic, artificial, but controlled
- Students
* Temporal flow, in the artefact

3. Proposed solution
 With a versatile and generalist P.I. (me )
 Data-driven process improvement expert
 Technically skilled (programming, experimenting,
data/process mining, statistics, visualization)
 Relatively unbiased by the psychology field (again )
 But capable of setting up an international research
network and successful research collaborations quickly
 With experience in training, coaching, and supervising
 With vision (pioneering PPM research)
 With top-tier publications (ESWA, DSS)
 With passion

 Do you have any questions?
 Do you have feedback?
 Do you have ERC experience?
Thanks for you attention!
Jan Claes
jan.claes@ugent.be
www.janclaes.info

BPM Cluster Meeting 2018

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