Domain Modeling In FREMA David Millard Yvonne Howard Hugh Davis Gary Wills Lester Gilbert Learning Societies Lab University of Southampton, UK

What is FREMA? The e-Framework REference Model for Assessment JISC funded Project between Southampton, Strathclyde and Hull Aim to produce a Reference Model of the e- Learning Assessment Domain To aid interoperability and aid in the creation of Assessment Services for the e-Framework

FREMA Definitions What is a Reference Model? –A guide to help developers create web services that work with one another –But there is more than one type of guide A standard data format A best practise example of service design A methodology for creating or describing services A description of what is currently available What is a Reference Model for Assessment? –Assessment is a broad and complex domain –Many different assessment scenarios More than one data model More than one set of cooperating services –An active Community requires an evolving model

Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model 1

The FREMA Use Case Stakeholders and Personas 1

Personifying the actors Will, Web services developer –Scenario: ‘I want to lookup use cases and scenarios to help me design my application. This will help me to define my footprint in the assessment domain. I see there are some web services I could download but some are missing. What standards can I use when writing my own web services to ensure that I can interoperate with the web services I’ve chosen?’ Yvonne, Institutional Resource Manager –Scenario ‘I want an overview of what this domain is all about. I want to know what standards are applicable in the domain to ensure that we comply with quality assurance requirements. I want to examine use cases and scenarios to understand the available footprints. I also want to know who the key players are and what the key projects are.’ Other Actors –Early Adopter –Toolkit developer –Course developer –And there are others... Stakeholders and Personas 1

The Domain Actors These stakeholders are using the Domain Model There are other stakeholders who exist within the domain itself These will be identified as Actors in Scenarios For example, the external examination process –External examiner –Internal examiners –Teachers –Students –Etc… These can also be defined as actors in use cases, and described as personas Stakeholders and Personas 1

Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model 1 Concept Maps 2

Concept Mapping We built concept maps of the domain of Assessment –Series of expert workshops produced drafts –These were taken to the community and opinions fed back –Concept maps revised over time Engaged the community Built into a concept map tool for browsing –All resources will be linked to at least one concept –Users viewing the map can select concepts to see all the related resources –Unlike directories, or search tools, they don’t need to know what they are looking for! Concept Maps 2

FREMA Concept Map (verbs) Concept Maps 2

Concept Mapping But also an important activity in its own right Focused on the key activities in the domain (the functions) Captured the domain knowledge of the experts –The goals in the domain –Important functions –Entities in the domain –Begins to structure the knowledge Built a shared understanding of the domain –Common vocabulary of domain areas Concept Maps 2

Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model 1 Concept Maps 2 FREMA Ontology 3

A Knowledge Base Decided to deliver our domain model as a searchable, flexible, dynamic website Built on a knowledge base –Requires an ontology of resources in the domain with relationships between them –The ontology is the schema that describes what types of resources and relationships are allowed –(Ontology means the study of existence, and an ontology is a particular view of existence) The ontology is different than the concept map –Concept maps shows areas of the domain –Ontology shows what type of thing can be in the domain FREMA Ontology 3

The FREMA Ontology FREMA Ontology 3 what who

Concept Maps FREMA Ontology Semantic Wiki Pages Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model

A Dynamic Website Need to turn our Knowledge Base into a website Can be done dynamically –Resources displayed as web pages –Relationships displayed as hypertext links –Resources are also placed on the concept maps The ontology and the concept maps offer alternative interfaces –Concept maps are more intuitive –Ontology is more structured Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Ontology Example Project: FREMA Organisation: JISC Organisation: University of Southampton Is funded byIs involved in JISC frema FREMA Southampton JISC Uni Soton frema Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Implementing the Website Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Semantic Wiki –a wiki in which all the pages and links are typed Open editing, but with Administrator controls Users can edit –Resources –Relationships between resources –The ontology itself Enables full evolution of the Domain Information and System models Enables Smart Searching and Analysis –Semantic Search –Dynamic Gap Analysis Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Browsing the Wiki Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Dynamic Gap Analysis Semantic Wiki Pages 4

Concept Maps FREMA Ontology Semantic Wiki Pages Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model

FREMA Scenarios Scenarios capture a certain activity (function) within the Domain Can be captured at different levels of formality From narrative descriptions Through to real interacting services Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5 formality Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations

Service Usage Model Describes a scenario in which services work together Use Case Diagram Set of Abstract Logical Service Expressions Interaction Diagram Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5 FREMA Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations

Use Cases and Narratives Formal as a Use Case Diagram Informal as a Narrative Description Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5 FREMA Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations

Service Expression: SRC Logical, abstract description FREMA Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5

Service Interaction: Overview FREMA Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5

Service Interaction: Diagram FREMA Written Scenarios Use Cases Service Expressions Service Interactions Service Interfaces (WSDL) Service Workflows (BPEL) Service Implementations Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams 5

Concept Maps FREMA Ontology Semantic Wiki Pages Use Cases and Interaction Diagrams Stakeholders and Personas Domain Modelling Domain Context Stakeholders and Role Models Domain Information Model Scenarios (workflows and narratives) Domain System Model Goal and Function Model

Scenario: Technical Developer Will, Technical Developer ‘I want to lookup use cases and scenarios to help me design my application. This will help me to define my footprint in the assessment domain. I see there are some web services I could re-use but some are missing. What standards can I use when writing my own web services to ensure that I can interoperate with the web services I’ve chosen?’

How did things go? Excellent reaction from the Community –Lots of engagement (concept mapping) –Has helped the community to understand their domain –Useful resource for people researching the domain (reading) But limited contribution to the Wiki itself –Reading is as easy as browsing the web –Writing takes more technical skill Perceived as intimidating Overhead of adding your project details Openess vs. Control –Finding a guardian (Assessment SIG?) –Protecting the Wiki Have had some limited problems with spam Future Plans –Currently evaluating the Wiki through our own tools projects –Looking to build more natural authoring tools –Activities to help the community to get over the authoring barrier

Afternoon Workshop Hands-on activity A chance to try out some of the FREMA methodology for Domain modelling –Stakeholder and Persona modelling –Concept Mapping –Ontology Construction –Authoring in a Semantic Wiki We’ll be very pleased to see you!