Exploring How Students Test Models in Conceptual Modelling
Felix Cammaerts, Beatriz Marín, Monique Snoeck · 2025
Conceptual modelling can be used as a starting point for designing software systems and to better understand the domain knowledge related to requirements. This can act as a first step in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) which is an approach to software development where code (or another artefact such as documentation or test cases) is automatically generated from a model. Assuming that the code or other artefacts are generated correctly from the designed conceptual model by the transformation engine, there is still no guarantee that the model correctly reflects the requirements for the system. This validation can take the form of model simulation, where the user can simulate real-world scenarios on the model. It has been found that students often struggle with modelling. Previous research has found that the use of a model simulation tool can improve student performance in terms of understanding the behavioural and structural aspects of a model and check the output for correctness. However, due to the exploratory nature of simulation tools, it is possible that some patterns of interacting with a model simulation tool are more typical of high achieving students than low achieving students. To this end, this research aims to analyse students' interaction behaviours in a model simulation tool in order to understand which approaches to model validation are most fruitful for good performance in an conceptual modelling course. This is done by collecting students' recorded user logs in a simulation tool and developing a process model using process mining. The results show that highperforming students show different interaction behaviours than average and low-performing students. Several recommendations for teaching conceptual modelling are derived from the identified interaction behaviours.