Computer Aided Modelling Exercises
Computer Aided Modelling Exercises

Summary/Abstract: This paper describes a didactical Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE)-tool that was developed for use within the context of a course in object-oriented domain modelling. In particular, the tool was designed to address several inconveniences that challenge the realisation of the course objectives: the number of students enrolled does not allow for individual feedback (a); students have little opportunity to build a concrete information system, therefore they fail to predict the consequences of the different choices when building a conceptual model (b); students lack examples and practice on how to convert a conceptual model into a concrete information system (c); at the beginning of the course students have very different levels of prior knowledge leading to major differences in motivation and learning outcomes (d). The tool was evaluated positively by the students and was shown to have a positive impact on the student’s capabilities to construct object-oriented models. It is argued that even better learning results can be realised by capitalizing on the opportunities for social interaction in an educational context.

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