In current practice, business processes modeling is done by trained method experts. Domain experts are interviewed to elicit their process information but not involved in modeling. We created a haptic toolkit for process modeling that can be used in process elicitation sessions with domain experts. We hypothesize that this leads to more effective process elicitation. This paper brakes down "effective elicitation" to 14 operationalized hypotheses. They are assessed in a controlled experiment using questionnaires, process model feedback tests and video analysis. The experiment compares our approach to structured interviews in a repeated measurement design. We executed the experiment with 17 student clerks from a trade school. They represent potential users of the tool. Six out of fourteen hypotheses showed significant difference due to the method applied. Subjects reported more fun and more insights into process modeling with tangible media. Video analysis showed significantly more reviews and corrections applied during process elicitation. Moreover, people take more time to talk and think about their processes. We conclude that tangible media creates a different working mode for people in process elicitation with fun, new insights and instant feedback on preliminary results. / Heute, werden Geschäftsprozesse durch speziell ausgebildete Modellierungsexperten erstellt. Wissensträger der Domäne werden befragt, aber sie werden nicht in die Modellierung einbezogen. Wir haben ein haptisches Werkzeug zur Prozessmodellierung entwickelt welches bei der Prozesserhebung zusammen mit den Domänenexperten eingesetzt wird. Wir vertreten die Hypothese, dass dies zur effizienteren Prozesserhebung beiträgt. In diesem Artikel schlüsseln wir "effiziente Prozesserhebung" in 14 operationalisierte Hypothesen auf. Diese werden in einem kontrollierten Experiment mit Hilfe von Fragebögen, Tests und Videoanalyse untersucht. In dem Experiment vergleichen wir unseren Ansatz mit strukturierten Interviews in einem Messwiederholungsdesign. Das Experiment wurde mit 17 Schülern kaufmännischer Berufe in einem Oberstufenzentrum durchgeführt. Sie repräsentieren potentielle Anwender unseres Ansatzes zu Prozesserhebung. Sechs der vierzehn Hypothesen zeigten einen signifikanten Unterschied zwischen den beiden Ansätzen. Teilnehmer berichteten mehr Spass an und mehr Erkenntnisse durch greifbare Prozessmodellierung zu haben. In der Videoanalyse beobachteten wir, dass Teilnehmer häufiger Ihre Aussagen prüfen und korrigieren. Außerdem wurde mehr Zeit für das Reden und Nachdenken über die Prozesse verwendet. Wir schlussfolgern, dass greifbare Medien ein anderes Arbeitsumfeld begünstigen mit mehr Spaß, neuen Erkenntnissen und direktem Feedback auf vorläufige Ergebnisse.

The focus of this thesis is on the implementation, the evaluation and the useful application of the third dimension in software visualization. Software engineering is characterized by a complex interplay of different stakeholders that produce and use several artifacts. Software visualization is used as one mean to address this increasing complexity. It provides role- and task-specific views of artifacts that contain information about structure, behavior, and evolution of a software system in its entirety. The main potential of the third dimension is the possibility to provide multiple views in one software visualization for all three aspects. However, empirical findings concerning the role of the third dimension in software visualization are rare. Furthermore, there are only few 3D software visualizations that provide multiple views of a software system including all three aspects. Finally, the current tool support lacks of generating easy integrateable, scalable, and platform independent 2D, 2.5D, and 3D software visualizations automatically. Hence, the objective is to develop a software visualization that represents all important structural entities and relations of a software system, that can display behavioral and evolutionary aspects of a software system as well, and that can be generated automatically. In order to achieve this objective the following research methods are applied. A literature study is conducted, a software visualization generator is conceptualized and prototypically implemented, a structured approach to plan and design controlled experiments in software visualization is developed, and a controlled experiment is designed and performed to investigate the role of the third dimension in software visualization. The main contributions are an overview of the state-of-the-art in 3D software visualization, a structured approach including a theoretical model to control influence factors during controlled experiments in software visualization, an Eclipse-based generator for producing automatically role- and task-specific 2D, 2.5D, and 3D software visualizations, the controlled experiment investigating the role of the third dimension in software visualization, and the recursive disk metaphor combining the findings with focus on the structure of software including useful applications of the third dimension regarding behavior and evolution.

The focus of this thesis is on the implementation, the evaluation and the useful application of the third dimension in software visualization. Software engineering is characterized by a complex interplay of different stakeholders that produce and use several artifacts. Software visualization is used as one mean to address this increasing complexity. It provides role- and task-specific views of artifacts that contain information about structure, behavior, and evolution of a software system in its entirety. The main potential of the third dimension is the possibility to provide multiple views in one software visualization for all three aspects. However, empirical findings concerning the role of the third dimension in software visualization are rare. Furthermore, there are only few 3D software visualizations that provide multiple views of a software system including all three aspects. Finally, the current tool support lacks of generating easy integrateable, scalable, and platform independent 2D, 2.5D, and 3D software visualizations automatically. Hence, the objective is to develop a software visualization that represents all important structural entities and relations of a software system, that can display behavioral and evolutionary aspects of a software system as well, and that can be generated automatically. In order to achieve this objective the following research methods are applied. A literature study is conducted, a software visualization generator is conceptualized and prototypically implemented, a structured approach to plan and design controlled experiments in software visualization is developed, and a controlled experiment is designed and performed to investigate the role of the third dimension in software visualization. The main contributions are an overview of the state-of-the-art in 3D software visualization, a structured approach including a theoretical model to control influence factors during controlled experiments in software visualization, an Eclipse-based generator for producing automatically role- and task-specific 2D, 2.5D, and 3D software visualizations, the controlled experiment investigating the role of the third dimension in software visualization, and the recursive disk metaphor combining the findings with focus on the structure of software including useful applications of the third dimension regarding behavior and evolution.