The Modelling Journey

1. The Modelling Journey Part 1: Introduction to Systems Modelling

2. Introductions Dr. David Millard Senior Lecturer of Computer Science University of Southampton dem@ecs.soton.ac.uk Dr. Yvonne Howard Senior Research Fellow University of Southampton ymh@ecs.soton.ac.uk Part of the JISC Community Support Team

3. Objectives “Model (noun): A simplified or idealized description or conception of a particular system, situation, or process, often in mathematical terms, that is put forward as a basis for theoretical or empirical understanding, or for calculations, predictions, etc.; a conceptual or mental representation of something.” Oxford English Dictionary • To widen the perception of what modelling is • To demonstrate modelling techniques with a common example • To illustrate the affordances of those modelling approaches, and how they connect together

4. Why a Journey? Modelling is a spectrum of activity • The soft • Portfolios of evidence • Scenarios and Personas • Systems Theory (SSM etc.) • The hard • Universal Modelling Language • Business Process Modelling • EA Modelling

5. Why a Journey? Modelling is a spectrum of activity • The soft • Portfolios of evidence • Scenarios and Personas • Systems Theory (SSM etc.) • The hard • Universal Modelling Language • Business Process Modelling • EA Modelling Communication Decision Support Technical Specification Business Intelligence

6. Evidence Gathering • The first stage of modelling is to gather evidence • This portfolio of evidence is itself a lightweight model • Used to communicate problems • As evidence for potential solutions • Useful to others as context

7. Evidence Gathering Example: Induction Process • Documentation • Stakeholder Analysis • Surveys • Interviews • Ethnography • Related Studies Induction Policy --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- SSLC Minutes --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Mission Statement --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- ---------------------------

8. Evidence Gathering Example: Induction Process • Documentation • Stakeholder Analysis • Surveys • Interviews • Ethnography • Related Studies Induction Policy --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Q1: what? Q2: why? Q3: when? SSLC Minutes --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Mission Statement --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Stakeholders Primary: - - - - - - - - - - - Secondary: - - - - - - - - - Key: - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

9. Evidence Gathering Example: Induction Process • Documentation • Stakeholder Analysis • Surveys • Interviews • Ethnography • Related Studies Induction Policy --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Q1: what? Q2: why? Q3: when? SSLC Minutes --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Mission Statement --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Stakeholders Primary: - - - - - - - - - - - Secondary: - - - - - - - - - Key: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • Observation Notes • 0900 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

10. Evidence Gathering Example: Induction Process • Documentation • Stakeholder Analysis • Surveys • Interviews • Ethnography • Related Studies Induction Policy --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Q1: what? Q2: why? Q3: when? SSLC Minutes --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Mission Statement --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Stakeholders Primary: - - - - - - - - - - - Secondary: - - - - - - - - - Key: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • Observation Notes • 0900 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Induction at Bolton Induction at KCL

11. Scenarios and Personas • Written Scenarios capture a person interacting with a system during a particular activity • Accompanying Personas can capture the context of that interaction (motivations, concerns, priorities, etc.) • Together they can help give insight into how different individuals experience a system

12. Scenarios and Personas Induction Scenario After students have registered at the centre the School of Arts and Media holds a welcome event where they are introduced to the course, given core materials and receive a welcome from library staff. The School then runs a two day induction workshop. During this time students are given a tour of the facilities by staff, and are introduced to their peers and personal tutor (one of the lecturing staff) at an icebreaking event. Their tutor then helps them to get to know one another a bit better by producing and sharing a professional CV. They also attend WebCT training and have talks and discussions on lifelong learning. After the workshop they engage in ongoing tutorials on topics such as diversity, personal planning and numeracy. • A scenario is a narrative account of how a particular interaction unfolds • Easy to understand • But can be ambiguous • A Persona helps to highlight key issues for imaginary (but realistic) participants

13. Scenarios and Personas Persona: Louise Louise is a new full-time student in the School of Arts and Media at Bolton University. She is confident of her own abilities, and excited about the new course. Louise took a few years out after college and is concerned about fitting in with younger students. Her accommodation is a few miles from campus, so she is worried about making friends and getting involved in social activities. Induction Scenario After students have registered at the centre the School of Arts and Media holds a welcome event where they are introduced to the course, given core materials and receive a welcome from library staff. The School then runs a two day induction workshop. During this time students are given a tour of the facilities by staff, and are introduced to their peers and personal tutor (one of the lecturing staff) at an icebreaking event. Their tutor then helps them to get to know one another a bit better by producing and sharing a professional CV. They also attend WebCT training and have talks and discussions on lifelong learning. After the workshop they engage in ongoing tutorials on topics such as diversity, personal planning and numeracy.

14. Scenarios and Personas Persona: Tom Tom is a Lecturer in the School of Arts and Media at Bolton University. He has worked at the University for over ten years, and is proud of their courses and facilities. Tom’s teaching load is very high, particularly in the first semester, and he is concerned that more pastoral activities (such as tutoring, skills training or induction) will have a negative impact on his time and workload. Induction Scenario After students have registered at the centre the School of Arts and Media holds a welcome event where they are introduced to the course, given core materials and receive a welcome from library staff. The School then runs a two day induction workshop. During this time students are given a tour of the facilities by staff, and are introduced to their peers and personal tutor (one of the lecturing staff) at an icebreaking event. Their tutor then helps them to get to know one another a bit better by producing and sharing a professional CV. They also attend WebCT training and have talks and discussions on lifelong learning. After the workshop they engage in ongoing tutorials on topics such as diversity, personal planning and numeracy.

15. Systems Thinking

16. Systems Thinking The system as a whole displays behaviour or properties that the individual components do not The structure of the system (components, relationships) creates its behaviour, the emergent properties Components with no structure have individual behaviour but no emergent properties Systems Dynamics Soft Systems Methodology Critical Systems Heuristics

17. Soft Systems Method: 7 stage description Actions for change Real world Get information Draw pictures Debate with actors Analyse problem situation Compare models with problem situation Construct conceptual problem Conceive logical system CATWOE Conceptual world

18. Soft Systems Method: CATWOE Customers/clients Actors Transformation World view Owners Environment • a system • owned by Owner • to do What by Actor • by means of a Transformation • (given the constraints of some Environment) • in order to achieve X for Customer • Used when formulating definitions for a desired system: • called a root definition because it describes the root or core of the activity to be modelled • helpful when exploring the problem situation as a basis for change

19. Soft Systems Diagram Critical Systems Heuristics • Heuristics – because it uses a framework to discover ‘boundary’ judgements • To build a reference diagram (Soft Systems Diagram) which can provide a narrative for the evidence that is collected • Shows where evidence and information is missing or unsupported • Critical – because the framework encourages critical questioning of: • Legitimacy • Ownership • Assumptions • Motivations

20. Soft Systems Diagram:name, boundary and owner Student Induction System System owner ??? System Boundary

21. Soft Systems Diagram:inputs, outputs, beneficiaries and victims Student Induction System Manager/Supervisor System owner ??? Students prepared for learning Beneficiaries & victims New Students

22. Soft Systems Diagram:actors and processes Student Induction System System owner ??? University Welcome School Welcome School Induction Activities Students prepared for learning Programme Induction Intro to Student Services Beneficiaries & victims New Students

23. Soft Systems Diagram:control sub-systems Student Induction System Manager/Supervisor System owner ??? Standards ??? Student feedback Retention rates ???? measurements Corrective action University Welcome School Welcome School Induction Activities Students prepared for learning Programme Induction Intro to Student Services Beneficiaries & victims New Students

24. Soft Systems Diagram:resources, authorities, emergent properties Student Induction System Manager/Supervisor System owner ??? webCt, Lifelong learning resources Standards ??? Student feedback Retention rates ???? Health & safety Legislation measurements Corrective action University Welcome School Welcome School Induction Activities Students prepared for learning Student sense of belonging Cohort identity Student retention Programme Induction Intro to Student Services Beneficiaries & victims New Students

25. Soft Systems Diagram:alliances, conflicts, beliefs, values, attitudes, motivations How can I increase student retention ? Everyone we lose costs £££ Student Induction System alliances Manager/Supervisor System owner ??? conflicts webCt, Lifelong learning resources Standards ??? Student feedback Retention rates ???? Health & safety Legislation Beliefs Values Attitudes Motivation I have so much to do already and now thaey want me to blog and measure student satisfaction measurements Corrective action University Welcome School Welcome School Induction Activities Students prepared for learning Student sense of belonging Cohort identity Student retention Programme Induction Intro to Student Services Beneficiaries & victims New Students

26. Soft Systems Activity Scenario: Successfully responding to a JISC Call, and setting up a new project in a University context Evidence: Activity: • Drawing on both the evidence and your own experiences create a Soft Systems Diagram of this process Uni bid review process JISC Conditions Uni Mission Statement JISC Guide JISC Call Uni Best Practise Guide

27. The Modelling Journey Part 2: Tools and Methods

28. Why a Journey? Modelling is a spectrum of activity • The soft • Portfolios of evidence • Scenarios and Personas • Systems Theory (SSM etc.) • The hard • Universal Modelling Language • Business Process Modelling • EA Modelling Communication Decision Support Technical Specification Business Intelligence

29. UML • Unified Modelling Language – created in the 1990’s by • Is a visual language for developing software systems • it has syntax and semantics • It is not a programming language • Two types of model • Structural • What is in the system and their relationships • Behavioural • Captures interactions in the system • 13 types of diagram James Rumbaugh And others Grady Booch Ivar Jacobsen

30. Identifying Key Areas • Use your systems diagram to help you to focus in on an area ( decomposition: breaking the problem into manageable chunks) • You can choose to start: • At the beginning • Where the most need for change is • The biggest opportunity for improvement is • Use noun and verb analysis to identify Objects ( nouns) and processes

31. Use Case Analysis • Use cases model: • What the system should do • Who uses (benefits from) the system • From the user’s point of view • A Use Case captures a contract with the stakeholders of a system about its behaviour: • The Use Case describes how the system reacts to a request from a primary actor in order to achieve a goal • Use cases are essentially textual but have visual diagrams: • For each use case • A collection of use cases in a scenario (system) • Use case analysis gathers different requests together

32. Use Case Analysis for Induction Tours The use case Sign up for Tours will execute Display Tours The use case Record Completed tourswill execute Display Tours

33. Use Case Analysis for Induction Tours The use case Sign up for Tours will execute Display Tours The use case Record Completed tourswill execute Display Tours Both the Student and the School administrator will be able to Display tours If a student’s results fall below a threshold mark, the school administrator will set up a literacy course for the student

34. Activity and Sequence • UML includes other notations for describing how use cases relate to one another • (Or what is inside a use case) • Activity Diagrams (workflow) • Show order and dependency • Sequence Diagrams (communication) • Show interaction and communication

35. Activity Diagram • Describes workflow • Start and End states • Choice • Concurrency • Iteration • Logical partitions • To aid clarity Introduction Course CVs Need Library Course? [No] Tutorials [Yes] Ice Breakers Library Course Intro to WebCT

36. Activity Diagram • Describes workflow • Start and End states • Choice • Concurrency • Iteration • Logical partitions • To aid clarity Introduction Induction Introduction Course CVs Need Library Course? [No] Tutorials [Yes] Ice Breakers Library Course Intro to WebCT

37. Sequence Diagram • Describe interaction • Objects • Object Lifelines • Activation Boxes • Messages • Often describe one scenario of interaction • UML notes for clarity School Student Services Student Start of Year Enroll Confirm true Student id

38. Sequence Diagram • Describe interaction • Objects • Object Lifelines • Activation Boxes • Messages • Often describe one scenario of interaction • UML notes for clarity School Library Student Services Student Start of Year Enroll Confirm true Student id Request Induction Schedule Student requires id for interactions with School Interaction for Enrollment: Success Scenario Check Library requirement true Induction Schedule

39. BPMN • Business Process Modelling Notation • 2001 – Version 1, 2009 version 2 • Simple but expressive set of shapes for ease of understanding • For modelling workflows of objects triggered by events or messages • Very similar to UML Activity Diagrams • But unlike UML, BPMN can produce code that can be executed through a workflow engine • Either by its own transformation • Or by translation into Business Process Execution Language (not yet a simple transformation)

40. BPMN

41. Enterprise Architecture • A model of how a whole business fits together • Potentially broad and shallow • But capable of drilling down into areas of interest • Enterprise Architecture enables us to connect together models of parts of a business despite different: • Business areas • Modelling approaches • Complexity • Completeness

42. Example: Archimate Welcome New Students Student Induction Workshop Ice Breakers CVs Introduction Course Library Course Intro to WebCT Tutorials Course Handbook

43. Example: Archimate Welcome New Students Student Induction Workshop Ice Breakers CVs Introduction Course Library Course Start of new academic year Intro to WebCT Tutorials Course Handbook Student CV

44. Example: Archimate Welcome New Students Student Induction Workshop Ice Breakers CVs Introduction Course Library Course Start of new academic year Intro to WebCT Tutorials Course Handbook Student CV WebCT

45. Example: Archimate Welcome New Students Student Induction Workshop Ice Breakers CVs Introduction Course Library Course Start ofnew academic year Intro to WebCT Tutorials Course Handbook Student CV WebCT Tutor Head of School Academic Academic Student Librarian

46. Conclusion • There is a broad spectrum of modelling • From simple to complex • From ambiguous to precise • Many tools and methodologies • E.g. Stakeholder analysis, Personas and Scenarios, Soft Systems Diagrams, UML, BPMN, Archimate • Model for a purpose • Choose appropriate Formality, Complexity and Completeness for your task

47. Next Steps • Objectives: • To widen the perception of what modelling is • To demonstrate modelling techniques with a common example • To illustrate the affordances of those modelling approaches, and how they connect together InnovationBase.net

48. Mission Statement --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- Persona: Louise Louise is a new full-time student in the School of Arts and Media at Bolton University. She is confident of her own abilities, and excited about the new course. Louise took a few years out after college and is concerned about fitting in with younger students. Her accommodation is a few miles from campus, so she is worried about making friends and getting involved in social activities. Stakeholders Primary: - - - - - - - - - - - Secondary: - - - - - - - - - Key: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • Observation Notes • 0900 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 1200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thank You Induction at Bolton David Millard and Yvonne Howard {dem, ymh}@ecs.soton.ac.uk