IMS5024 Week 81 IMS 5024 Human Activity modelling

IMS5024 Week 82 Content Group assignment presentations Group Assignment Rich pictures Root definitions Conceptual models SSM, Others (Multiview, Ethics) Place in ISD Evaluation of Human Activity modelling

IMS5024 Week 83 Group assignment presentations Time slotGroup name 116h05 – 16h20 216h25 – 16h40 316h45 – 17h00 417h05 – 17h20 517h25 – 17h40 617h45 – 18h00

IMS5024 Week 84 Why human behaviour? Started with participation History of participation - refer back to Hirschheim et al. Early ISD payed lip service to participation System technically viable – fail because?

IMS5024 Week 85 History of ISD methodologies GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Formal life- cycle approaches Control of SDLC; guidance through standardization Structured approaches Productivity, better maintainable systems, control over analyst/programmer Prototyping and evolutionary approaches Speed and Flexibility, overcome communication gap, right kind of system instead of getting system right

IMS5024 Week 86 History of ISD methodologies(2) GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Socio-technical, participatory approaches Control of ISD by users through participation; conflict management; joint optimisation Sense-making and problem formulation approaches Multiple perspectives in problem framing; software development as social reality construction

IMS5024 Week 87 History of ISD methodologies(3) GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Trade-Union led approaches Labour/ management conflict; workers rights; industrial democracy Emancipator approaches Improve communication; furthering emancipatory effects of ISD

IMS5024 Week 88 Answers to these problems: More than interviews HCI End user computing JAD and JRP Prototyping

IMS5024 Week 89 Three levels of participation: Consultative – lowest level Representative – design group, equal say Consensus- involve all user department staff, user driven

IMS5024 Week 810 Human Activity modelling view of ISD: Conventional Human-oriented

IMS5024 Week 811 Techniques used in human activity modelling Rich pictures Root definitions Conceptual models

IMS5024 Week 812 Rich pictures Informal drawing that represents the illustrator’s understanding of a situation. (Mathiassen et al) Drawing or diagram of interfaces, boundaries, subsystems, organisation goals, issues, problems, concerns ect Represent the problem situation Express relationships, value judgments, ‘feel’ for the situation

IMS5024 Week 813 Rich pictures Should be self explanatory Approach: –Elements of structure –Elements of process (what is going on) What system can be described in this system? (system is a perceived grouping of people, objects and activities which is meaningful)

IMS5024 Week 814 SEIDET Center Steering committee Tutors Students Administration Business Community Stakeholders

IMS5024 Week 815 Another example of a rich picture

IMS5024 Week 816 Symbols for rich pictures ABC…. 123…

IMS5024 Week 817 Advantages of Rich pictures Picture is worth a thousand words Sort out the fundamentals of the situation Summary of a situation Help move thinking from ‘thinking about the problem situation’ to ‘thinking about what can be done about the problem situation’

IMS5024 Week 818 Disadvantages of rich pictures Not well-used as DFD, ERD ect. Might be regarded as a joke

IMS5024 Week 819 Root definitions Identify two things: problems and systems Plain language Has 6 characteristics

IMS5024 Week 820 Characteristics: Client – Whom (beneficiary, or victim, affected by the activities) Actor – Who (carries out the transformation) Transformation – what (the change taking place) Weltanschauung – world view (outlook that makes the root definition meaningful) Owner – (sponsor or controller) Environment – (wider system the problem situation is part)

IMS5024 Week 821 Example

IMS5024 Week 822 Why root definitions: Clarify the the situation Exposing different views Core purpose of the system Root definition elaborate the core transformation

IMS5024 Week 823 Describe the transformation Transformation Process Input Output An entity Entity is transformed in Primary School Kidseducated kids Need for educationeducation needs met Teachers effortsretired teachers Government fundingFunding used for teaching purposes

IMS5024 Week 824 The role of the computer lab at SEIDET Computer lab at SEIDET Compute literate community Create

IMS5024 Week 825 Aspects of the role of the computer lab at Siyabuswa Client: Community of Siyabuswa Actors: Tutors of the SEIDET Center Transformation: Illiterate community Literate community Worldview: A belief that computer literacy will create a better standard of living Owners: SEIDET Center Environment: Need of computer knowledge in the community; appreciation of the needs of the community; appreciation of expectations and believes of the community

IMS5024 Week 826 Definition An SEIDET Center owned system to create a better standard of living by delivering literate users in the Siyabuswa community by using the tutors at the SEIDET Center. The training should be tailored to the needs and the expectations of the community.

IMS5024 Week 827 Conceptual models After the rich picture and the root definition need to build a model which shows how the various activities are related to each other Two levels: Real world and systems thinking about the real world.

IMS5024 Week 828 Objective of the conceptual model What ought to happen to achieve the goal in the specified root definition Compare with reality and try to identify the changes needed (ito SSM)

IMS5024 Week 829 Create funds for lab maintenance and setup 1 Set lab up for training purposes 3 Determine needs of tutors 5 Determine needs of community 4 Train tutors to be computer literate 6 Present computer literacy courses to community 7 Maintain lab 2 Monitor 1-7 Define criteria Take control action Criteria: Efficacy: Creating computer literate community Efficiency: Outcome/ resources used Effectiveness: Creating a better standard of living

IMS5024 Week 830 Hard vs soft systems thinking Well defined problem with a well know list of tasks Little social interaction SDLC (failure!) Example: build a bridge Problems are real and solvable System objectives is easily reachable and defined Real world seen as systematic Different perceptions on reality Human aspects Different solutions Problems not so real and solvable Objectives can not be accomplished so easily and is not so definable

IMS5024 Week 831 Principles of SSM A process of learning Cultural feasibility Participation Two modes of thought

IMS5024 Week 832 SSM technique/ methodology It should not be conceived of as a linear progression from on stage to another A seven stage process of enquiry MODE I and MODE II

IMS5024 Week 833 Phases or stages of SSM

IMS5024 Week 834 Thinking in Human Activity modelling Hard Vs Soft ?? Perspective –Objective vs Subjective –Nature of the organisation

IMS5024 Week 835 Evaluation of Human Activity modelling Problem orientedProduct oriented Concep- tual Structured analysis Entity relationship modelling Logical construction of systems Modern structured analysis Object oriented analysis Structured design Object oriented design Formal PSL/PSA JSD VDM Levels of abstraction Stepwise refinement Proof of correctness Data abstraction JSP Object oriented programming

IMS5024 Week 836 Advantages/ Benefits of Human Activity modelling Include different perspectives to a problem situation Compare reality with the conceptual model Participation a must Change is an central element of the process Others??

IMS5024 Week 837 Disadvantages of Human Activity modelling Only useable in soft problems Can take a long time to reach consensus Some managers see this as silly Not well used Others??

IMS5024 Week 838 Human Activity modelling view of ISD Development group Objectives Environment Object system Object system Change process Hirschheim et al see reading list

IMS5024 Week 839 Reading for next week No reading for next week