Workshop 2 Call for Participation

16th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling (ER'97)

Los Angeles, California, USA

3 - 6 November 1997

Computer-supported modeling and simulation approaches of many kinds are becoming increasingly important to teams charged with understanding business processes and developing system or process solutions. Modeling approaches used with cross-functional teams include discrete event simulations, system dynamics, action workflow, process modeling methods such as IDEF, object-oriented modeling, and others. A major issue with such efforts is the gap between specialists that are deeply familiar with the modeling tools in use, and team members with little or no such background. Workshop participants will explore methods of increasing the quality and depth of team participation in such modeling efforts. The workshop will focus on the "soft" issues of modeling, such as collaboration, development of shared understanding, and usability of tools and approaches, rather than "hard" aspects such as model validity, quantitative methods, and technical issues. The Second International Workshop on Strategies for Collaborative Modeling and Simulation will build on the success of the first Workshop on Strategies for Collaborative Modeling and Simulation, held at CSCW '96 in Cambridge, MA, USA, in November 1996. That workshop attracted industry and academic practitioners and researchers from many disciplines.

This workshop is intended to address an area of modeling and simulation by teams that is under-addressed in the CSCW literature: enabling teams of workers who are not schooled in analytical methods and modeling approaches to participate effectively in modeling and simulation efforts.

While they offer rigor, clarity, and manageability, many approaches to modeling and simulation require non-specialists to learn arcane symbols or terminology as a precondition for modeling. Such approaches can be found in process analysis, object-oriented analysis, systems analysis, and other structured analysis methods.

This workshop will explore methods of enabling non-specialists to directly participate in the building, interpretation, and "owning" of the models they use in their system design and implementation work. The workshop is concerned with supporting people's ability to construct meaning from models through active engagement with both model-building activities (i.e., not just with data-gathering and reporting) and with interpretive activities -- the consideration of, reflection on, and communication about the models. A key assumption underlying this concern is that useful meaning (that is, meaning that is directly applicable to design and implementation) is not inherent in models, but must be constructed by the model's users -- the team.

The workshop will focus on approaches that can be effective for teams composed partially or wholly of non-specialists in computer-supported modeling and simulation approaches. Participants will review case studies, theoretical frameworks, tools and techniques and identify key directions for further research. Participants will share current thinking on strategies, tools, and techniques that can enable teams to build, understand, and apply computer-supported models and simulations to the design and implementation of computer systems and work processes.

Participants will write 5-page position papers describing their approach to the problem of enabling cross-functional teams to collaborate effectively in building, understanding, and applying models and simulations. Ideally, papers will be based on real-world experience that the authors have gained in collaborative modeling and simulation. Topics can include case studies, experiences, theoretical frameworks, tools, and techniques. The papers will be reviewed by a panel and selected for their insight into the workshop topic and the diversity of viewpoints, types of experience, and topics presented.

Modeling facilitators, researchers, systems designers and analysts, managers of BPR or system development efforts, modelers, and tool developers that desire to improve ways of enabling cross-functional teams to use modeling approaches to system development. People with direct experience of leading or facilitating collaborative modeling and simulation efforts are especially encouraged to attend.

Attendees at this workshop must register for the ER'97 conference and must also pay an additional workshop registration fee.

Albert M. Selvin and Maarten Sierhuis, leaders of the first Workshop on Strategies for Collaborative Modeling and Simulation at CSCW '96, have been involved with collaborative modeling and simulation efforts as tool developers, team members, project leaders, facilitators, knowledge-based system developers, and researchers since the 1980s. They have presented papers and workshops on the topic at many research and industry conferences, including the Workshop on Human Interaction Issues at CSCW '94, Participatory Design Conference (1994), the Second International Workshop in Incorporating Hypertext Functionality in Software Systems (1996), and the AAAI Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Knowledge Management (1997). Maarten Sierhuis is engaged in a research collaboration with the Institute for Research on Learning (Palo Alto, CA) investigating methods of incorporating the social dimensions of collaborative work into computerized simulations of business processes. Currently, both authors work in modeling and simulation projects at NYNEX Science & Technology, the research and development arm of a major telecommunications firm.

Sponsored By The ER Institute UCLA In Cooperation With ACM/ SIGMOD More Information http://osm7.cs.byu.edu/ER97/