With the recent trend to model driven engineering a common understanding of basic notions such as “model” and “metamodel” becomes a pivotal issue. Even though these notions have been in widespread use for quite a while, there is still little consensus about when exactly it is appropriate to use them. The aim of this article is to start establishing a consensus about generally acceptable terminology. Its main contributions are the distinction between two fundamentally different kinds of model roles, i.e. “token model” versus “type model” (The terms “type” and “token” have been introduced by C.S. Peirce, 1839–1914.), a formal notion of “metaness”, and the consideration of “generalization” as yet another basic relationship between models. In particular, the recognition of the fundamental difference between the above mentioned two kinds of model roles is crucial in order to enable communication among the model driven engineering community that is free of both unnoticed misunderstandings and unnecessary disagreement.

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Matters of (Meta-) Modeling

A Place Called School: Prospects for the Future. By John I. Goodlad. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1984. 396 pp. $18.95

Information systems development and data modeling: Conceptual and philosophical foundations

There is a way of looking at the world which holds that the human mind and its contents are all that there is. The second edition of Richard Gregory’s lovely book does justice to the greatness of its subject and to its renowned predecessor. If Gilgamesh is the first book of the human heart, the Oxford Companion to the Mind is on a short-list of those dedicated to the heart’s more calculating running-mate. It makes good the dust-jacket’s boast that this is, indeed, an edition for the new century. The book’s compact and sober exterior belies a breadth and exuberance as astonishing as the paradoxes it celebrates. In the course of its 959 pages we are taken on a journey from the abacus to zombies, with stops along the way at such out-of-the-way places as the mysteries of the colour brown, the winning of chess endgames (and the blunders of Kasparov), why doubles are bad news, the legal validity of psychopaths, what the Buddha had to say about visual perception, the manners of conversing with kings (or carving a joint of meat), the history of the jigsaw puzzle, why Adzell the Wodenite was intrinsically good, and the scientific status of levitation and ghosts (whether Pepper’s ghost, or more homely apparitions). It would be almost true to say that all of human (mental) life is here, from the weightiest meditations on our past and our future, as individuals and as a species, to such ticklish subjects as, well, tickling. Nor does the Companion confine itself to mind as it is instantiated in human brains: the operation of other minds in our fellow creatures, and the possibility of future minds in our own digital creations, are themes treated at length.

The Companion’s honour roll of 316 authors (129 new to the present edition) have contributed universally readable, frequently entertaining, and sometimes historic pieces ranging in scope from definitions and brief vignettes to substantial essays. It is a measure of the eclecticism of this enterprise that the list of contributors includes, besides neuroscientists young and old, Beryl Bainbridge, Roger Penrose, and Patrick Moore. Alongside the exotic and the esoteric, the more traditional subject matter of the core brain sciences of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropsychology is solidly in evidence. The philosophical foundations of these disciplines, sometimes regarded by neuroscientists as diversions en route to the more serious business of molecules and MRIs, are here firmly in the foreground.

For all its erudition, the Companion has an endearing lightness of touch. The dialogue between the brain sciences, the arts and the greater religions emerges with clarity and verve. The book is commendably even-handed in its treatment of contemporary scientific and philosophical issues: the article on consciousness, perhaps the most notorious case in point, is presented as a symposium in which influential thinkers outline their respective positions. Plato would surely have approved. The inclusion of brief Lives provides a welcome historical context, conveying the poignancy and humour of the passing parade. The Lives exemplify the surefooted economy of style and expression which is a hallmark of the whole work: such mighty themes as ‘religion’ or ‘symbols’ are rendered with an epigrammatic freshness which is never merely facile. The book is a triumph of the editor’s art (that is, the art which disguises art).

Any criticisms will seem mean-spirited. The neurological entries could perhaps be more contemporary in places; and I was a little disappointed not to find an entry devoted to the thorny problem of ‘objects’ as the building blocks of the brain’s experience of the world. But no book can be all things to all men; and to mention such things is rather like quibbling that Raphael could not paint feet. This book will fill many rainy afternoons, and it will be an amiable and scholarly guide to realms I know nothing about. There must be few with an interest in the mind, whether amateur or professional, who would not consult it with profit and delight. To paraphrase Owen Chadwick (as quoted in the article on Adrian in the Companion), I am not sure what wisdom is, but whatever it is, this book must surely advance it.

The Oxford Companion to the Mind

There has been a huge influx of business process modeling langu ages as business process management (BPM) and process-aware information systems continue to expand into various business domains. The origins of process modeling languages are quite diverse, although two dominant approaches can be observed; one based on graphical models, and the other based on rule specifications. However, at this time, there is no report in literature that specifically targets a comparative analysis of these two approaches, on aspects such as the relative areas of application, power of expression, and limitations. In this paper we have attempted to address this question. We will present both a survey of the two approaches as well as a critical and comparative analysis.

A survey of comparative business process modeling approaches

Web Information Systems Engineering - Wise 2005 Workshops

Since the 1980s the need increased for overcoming idiosyncrasies of approaches to modeling in the various sub-disciplines of computing. The theoretical model of evolution is used in this paper for analyzing how computing and conceptual modeling have changed. It is concluded that computing has changed into a social phenomenon with a technical core and that therefore relying on (formal) model semantics as the sole tool for the discussion of conceptual modeling is no more adequate. A number of language games of computing is identified and the task set to describe these language games to the extent necessary for deciding whether or not they can serve as the foundation of computing.

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On the evolution of conceptual modeling

Apart from completeness usability, performance and maintainability are the key quality aspects for Web information systems. Considering usability as key implies taking usage processes into account right from the beginning of systems development. Context-awareness appears as a promising idea for increasing usability of Web Information Systems. In the present paper we propose an approach to context-awareness of Web Information Systems that systematically distinguishes among the various important kinds of context. We show how parts of this context can be operationalized for increasing customers' usage comfort. Our approach permits designing Web information systems such that they meet high quality expectations concerning usability, performance and maintainability. We demonstrate the validity of our approach by discussing the part of a banking Web Information System dedicated to online home-loan application.

Context-aware Web Information Systems

Starting from a general framework for web-based e-learning systems that is based on an abstraction layer model, this paper presents a conceptual modelling approach, which captures the modelling of learners, the modelling of courses, the personalisation of courses, and the management of data in e-learning systems. Courses are modelled by outline graphs, which are further refined by some form of process algebra. The linguistic analysis of word fields referring to an application domain helps to set up these course outlines. Learners are modelled by classifying value combinations for their characteristic properties. Each learner type gives rise to intentions as well as rights and obligations in using a learning system. Intentions can be formalised as postconditions, while rights and obligations lead to deontic constraints. The intentions can be used for the personalisation of the learning system to a learner type. Finally, the management of data in an e-learning system is approached on two different levels dealing with the content of individual learning units and the integrated content of the whole system, respectively. This leads to supporting databases and views defined on them.

A Conceptual View of Web-Based E-Learning Systems

While using large-scale Web Information Systems (WISs) customers sometimes get confused and experience difficulties in solving their business problems. We propose context modelling as a conceptual tool for aiding customers to regain the possibility of using the respective WIS efficiently. We integrate context modelling into the co-design methodology, identify some losing track patterns and propose respective customer aid. Finally we formalise our approach based on the theory of media types and the model of contextual information systems developed by Teodorakis et al.

Roland Kaschek

Papers

Web Information Systems Engineering - Wise 2005 Workshops

On the evolution of conceptual modeling

Context-aware Web Information Systems

A Conceptual View of Web-Based E-Learning Systems

Integrating context in modelling for Web Information Systems