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IMS 5024

Human Activity modelling

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Content

• Rich pictures• Root definitions• Conceptual models • SSM, • Others (Multiview , Ethics)• Place in ISD• Evaluation of Human Activity modelling

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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?

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History of ISD methodologies

Speed and Flexibility, overcome communication gap, right kind of system instead of getting system right

Prototyping and evolutionary approaches

Productivity, better maintainable systems, control over analyst/programmer

Structured approaches

Control of SDLC; guidance through standardization

Formal life-cycle approaches

Principle management and organisational issues

Generation

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History of ISD methodologies(2)

Multiple perspectives in problem framing; software development as social reality construction

Sense-making and problem formulation approaches

Control of ISD by users through participation; conflict management; joint optimisation

Socio-technical, participatory approaches

Principle management and organisational issues

Generation

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History of ISD methodologies(3)

Improve communication; furthering emancipatoryeffects of ISD

Emancipatorapproaches

Labour/ management conflict; workers rights; industrial democracy

Trade-Union led approaches

Principle management and organisational issues

Generation

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Answers to these problems:

• More than interviews

• HCI

• End user computing

• JAD and JRP

• Prototyping

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Three levels of participation:

• Consultative – lowest level

• Representative – design group, equal say

• Consensus - involve all user department staff, user driven

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Human Activity modelling view of ISD:

Conventional

Human-oriented

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Techniques used in human activity modelling

• Rich pictures

• Root definitions

• Conceptual models

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Rich pictures

• Informal drawing that represents the illustrator’s understanding of a situation. (Mathiassenet 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

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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)

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SEIDET Center

Steering committeeTutors

StudentsAdministration

Business

Community

Stakeholders

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Another example of a rich picture

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Symbols for rich pictures

ABC….

123…

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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’

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Disadvantages of rich pictures

• Not well-used as DFD, ERD ect.

• Might be regarded as a joke

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Root definitions

• Identify two things: problems and systems

• Plain language • Has 6 characteristics

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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)

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Example

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Why root definitions:

• Clarify the the situation

• Exposing different views• Core purpose of the system• Root definition elaborate the core

transformation

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Describe the transformation

TransformationProcessInput Output

An entity Entity is transformed in

Primary SchoolKids educated kidsNeed for education education needs

metTeachers efforts retired teachersGovernment funding Funding used for

teaching purposes

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The role of the computer lab at SEIDET

Computer lab at SEIDET

Compute literate community

CreateCreate

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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

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Definition

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

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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.

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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)

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Create funds for lab maintenance

and setup 1

Set lab up for training purposes

3

Determine needsof tutors 5

Determine needsof community 4

Train tutors to becomputer literate

6Present computerliteracy courses to

community 7

Maintain lab2

Monitor1-7

Definecriteria

Take controlaction

Criteria:Efficacy: Creating computer literate communityEfficiency: Outcome/ resources usedEffectiveness: Creating a better standard of living

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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

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Principles of SSM

• A process of learning

• Cultural feasibility

• Participation

• Two modes of thought

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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

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Phases or stages of SSM

1

2

7 6

3 4

5

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Thinking in Human Activity modelling

• Hard Vs Soft ??

• Perspective– Objective vs Subjective– Nature of the organisation

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Evaluation of Human Activity modelling

Levels of abstractionStepwise refinement

Proof of correctnessData abstractionJSPObject oriented programming

PSL/PSAJSD

VDM

Formal

Structured designObject oriented design

Structured analysisEntity relationship modellingLogical construction of systemsModern structured analysisObject oriented analysis

Concep-tual

Product orientedProblem oriented

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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??

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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??

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Human Activity modelling view of ISD

Development group

Objectives

Environment

Object system

ObjectsystemChange

process

Hirschheim et al see reading list

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Reading for next week

• No reading for next week