Understanding individual processes of conceptual modeling: A multi-modal observation and data generation approach

Abstract

How conceptual modeling is performed by modelers, how modeling processes proceed, which modeling difficulties modelers face and why, and how to overcome these difficulties by tailored modeling support has received limited attention in conceptual modeling research so far. Studying individual modeling processes by observing modelers during conceptual modeling contributes to identifying modeling difficulties, and to understand whether modelers require tailored modeling support. Based on TOOL, a modeling tool and research observatory for studying modeling processes, we design a multi-modal observation and data generation approach and report its application to exploratory studies of individual modeling processes, and show how complementary modes of observation are integrated during data analysis for a richer and more complete understanding of modeling processes. Moreover, we discuss how the multi-modality of observations contributes to understanding modeling processes and modeling difficulties, and how observations during modeling feed back into the software development of TOOL.