This study investigated an instructional strategy to improve learning a complex model in a system dynamics based learning environment. The instructional strategy required subjects to explore key variables by manipulating dynamic graphs. Design of the strategy was posited upon principles of reducing cognitive load, facilitating mental models, enhancing transfer, and managing risk. Eight students...

This paper describes a computational model based on rational analysis which is compared to experimental data and enables us to explain the number and order of assessments that participants make on the items on a web-page. The model provides both a good fit to the scan paths of the participants and an explanation for why a particular item is chosen. The strength of this research is that it provi...

The aim of this paper is to investigate and gain insights into the state of practice of integrating Agile development and Model-Driven Development (MDD), understanding their impact and various problems of their applicability. To meet this aim, we conducted seven in-depth, one-to-one interviews with Agile and MDD practitioners to provide insights about their experiences and opinions of integrati...

Decision-makers in an online deliberative forum require access to tools to help them understand the potential impact of proposed policies. Agent-based models can help to predict such impacts. However, the questions being asked by many existing models are not always relevant to the concerns of communities affected by proposed policies. In this exploratory paper, we outline a methodology for expl...

Graphs visualizations can become difficult to interpret when they fail to highlight patterns. Additionally, the data to be visualized may be hierarchical in nature. Therefore, graphs with hierarchical data need to offer means of telescoping that collapse or expand subgraphs while aggregating their data. In this paper, we demonstrate an interactive hierarchical edge graph on book prerequisite da...

Demographic change in regard to an aging population with an increasing amount of diabetes patients will put a strain on health care rentability in all modern societies. Electronic living assistants for diabetes patients might help lift the burden on taxpayers, if they are usable for the heterogeneous user group. Research has shown that correct mental models of device menu structures might help ...

Why do we build models? There are two basic reasons: explanation or prediction (Ripley, 2004). Using large ensembles of models for prediction is commonplace, but is rarely used for explanation, where we typically choose one “best” model. When there are several equally good models, it is common sense to look at them too, but can the “bad” models tell us something as well? This paper describes ex...

This paper lays out provocative assertions about major challenges for the modeling and simulation community. One relates to building M&S for the purpose of assisting the search for strategies that are flexible, adaptive, and robust despite uncertainty. A key aspect of this search is exploratory analysis, coupled with selective zoom. These, in turn, require multiresolution modeling with sound mo...

The objective of this study was to analyze the satisfaction of the users of a private hospital in terms of a number of attributes of the services in units. This exploratory, descriptive study used a quantitative approach and was developed in a private hospital in the city of São Paulo. The casuistry consisted of 71 users and data collection was performed during the period from March to August 2...