The Object Management Group (OMG) accepted the Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a standard in 1997, yet there is sparse empirical evidence to justify its choice. This research aimed to address that lack by investigating the modification of programs for which external representations, drawn using the UML notations most commonly used in industry, were provided. The aim of the research was to discover if diagrams using those UML notations provided the modifying programmer with cognitive support. The application of the use of modelling to assist program modification was chosen as a result of interviews that were carried out in New Zealand and North America to discover how workers in the software industry used modelling, and if so, whether UML notation satisfied their needs. The most preferred UML diagrams were identified from the interviews. A framework of modelling use in software development was derived. A longitudinal study at a Seattle-based company was the source that suggested that program modification should be investigated. The methodology chosen for the research required subjects to modify two non-trivial programs, one of which was supplied with UML documentation. There were two aspects to the methodology. First, the subjects’ performances with and without the aid of UML documentation were compared. Modifying a program is an exercise in problem solving which is a cognitive activity. If the use of UML improved subjects’ performances then it could be said that the UML had aided the subjects’ cognition. Second, concurrent verbal protocols were collected whilst the subjects modified the programs. The protocols for the modification with UML documentation, for ten of the more successful subjects, were transcribed and analysed according to a framework derived from the literature. The framework listed the possible cognitive steps involved in problem solving where cognition could be distributed to and from external representations. The categories of evidence that would confirm cognitive support were also derived from the literature. The experiments confirmed that programmers from similar backgrounds varied widely in ability and style. Twenty programmers modified both an invoice application and a diary application. There was some indication that the UML diagrams aided performance. The analyses of all ten of the transcribed subjects showed evidence of UML cognitive support.

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / Since the mid 1990s, thousands of companies around the world have implemented Enterprise Systems (ES), which are considered to be the most important development in the corporate use of information technology. By providing computerized support to business processes spanning both the enterprise and the supply chain, these systems have become an indispensable tool utilized by organizations to accomplish and maintain efficient and effective operational performance. However, there are many cases in which ES implementation has failed in terms of the required time and budget, and more importantly, in terms of functionality and performance. One of the main causes of these failures is the misidentification and improper selection of business processes to be implemented into the ES, which are a crucial element of the system's implementation life cycle. In order to achieve effective implementation, a ‘necessary and sufficient’ set of business processes must be designed and implemented. Implementing an excessive set of business processes is costly; yet implementing an insufficient set is ruinous. The heuristic identification of the set of business processes, based on requirement elicitation, is flawed; there is no guarantee that all the necessary processes have been captured (Type I error), and/or that superfluous processes have been selected for implementation (Type II error). The existing implementation methods do not include a methodology to address this vital issue. This thesis aims to resolve this problem and to provide a methodology that will generate a necessary and sufficient set of business processes in a given organization, based on its specific characteristics, which will be used as a baseline for implementing an ES. A proper definition of the business processes and their associated properties is proposed and detailed. The properties are then used as parameters to generate the complete set of all the possible business processes in the organization; from this set, necessary and sufficient processes are selected. The methodology exposes the fundamental level of business processes, which are then used as a baseline for further phases in the implementation process. The proposed methodology has been tested through the analysis of companies that have implemented ES. In each of these cases, the identification of business processes utilizing the proposed methodology has proven to provide superior results to those obtained through all other implemented practices, producing a better approximation of their existing business processes.

Interpretation is an implicit part of today’s programming; it has great power but is overused and has significant costs. For example, interpreters are typically significantly hard to understand and hard to reason about. The methodology of “Totally Functional Programming” (TFP) is a reasoned attempt to redress the problem of interpretation. It incorporates an awareness of the undesirability of interpretation with observations that definitions and a certain style of programming appear to offer alternatives to it. Application of TFP is expected to lead to a number of significant outcomes, theoretical as well as practical. Primary among these are novel programming languages to lessen or eliminate the use of interpretation in programming, leading to better-quality software. However, TFP contains a number of lacunae in its current formulation, which hinder development of these outcomes. Among others, formal semantics and type-systems for TFP languages are yet to be discovered, the means to reduce interpretation in programs is to be determined, and a detailed explication is needed of interpretation, definition, and the differences between the two. Most important of all however is the need to develop a complete understanding of the nature of interpretation. In this work, suitable type-systems for TFP languages are identified, and guidance given regarding the construction of appropriate formal semantics. Techniques, based around the ‘fold’ operator, are identified and developed for modifying programs so as to reduce the amount of interpretation they contain. Interpretation as a means of language-extension is also investigated. Finally, the nature of interpretation is considered. Numerous hypotheses relating to it considered in detail. Combining the results of those analyses with discoveries from elsewhere in this work leads to the proposal that interpretation is not, in fact, symbol-based computation, but is in fact something more fundamental: computation that varies with input. We discuss in detail various implications of this characterisation, including its practical application. An often more-useful property, ‘inherent interpretiveness’, is also motivated and discussed in depth. Overall, our inquiries act to give conceptual and theoretical foundations for practical TFP.

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / As computer networks become more complex, and more heterogeneous (often involving systems from multiple vendors), the importance of integrated network management increases. This thesis summarises the efforts of research carried out 1 ) to identify the characteristics and requirements of an Integrated Network Management Environment (INME) and its individual components, 2) to propose a model to represent the INME, 3) to demonstrate the validity of the model, 4) to describe the steps needed to formally specify the model, and 5) to suggest an implementation plan for the INME. One of the key aspects of this thesis is the introduction of three different and complementary models used to integrate the emerging OSI management standards with the proven-and-tried network management solutions promoted by the Internet Activities Board. The Protocol-Oriented Network Management Model is used to represent the existing network management supported by the INME: ie, OSI and Internet-based systems. The Element-Oriented Network Management Model represents the components that are used within individual network systems. It describes the managed objects, and the platform application program interfaces (APIs). This model also includes the translation mechanisms needed to support the interaction between OSI managers and Internet agents. The Interoperability Model is used to represent the underlying communications infrastructure supporting network management. The communications between agents and managers is represented with this model by using the required protocol stacks (OSI or TCP/IP), and by depicting the interconnection between the entities using the network management functions. This three-pronged classification provides a richer level of abstraction facilitating the coexistence of the standard network management systems, allowing different levels of modeling. complexity, and improving the access to managed objects. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to describe a framework that assists developers of network management applications in the process of integrating their solutions to an open systems network management platform. This framework will also help network managers to minimise the risks involved in the transition from first generation network management systems to more integrated alternatives as they become available.

The Object Management Group (OMG) accepted the Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a standard in 1997, yet there is sparse empirical evidence to justify its choice. This research aimed to address that lack by investigating the modification of programs for which external representations, drawn using the UML notations most commonly used in industry, were provided. The aim of the research was to discover if diagrams using those UML notations provided the modifying programmer with cognitive support. The application of the use of modelling to assist program modification was chosen as a result of interviews that were carried out in New Zealand and North America to discover how workers in the software industry used modelling, and if so, whether UML notation satisfied their needs. The most preferred UML diagrams were identified from the interviews. A framework of modelling use in software development was derived. A longitudinal study at a Seattle-based company was the source that suggested that program modification should be investigated. The methodology chosen for the research required subjects to modify two non-trivial programs, one of which was supplied with UML documentation. There were two aspects to the methodology. First, the subjects’ performances with and without the aid of UML documentation were compared. Modifying a program is an exercise in problem solving which is a cognitive activity. If the use of UML improved subjects’ performances then it could be said that the UML had aided the subjects’ cognition. Second, concurrent verbal protocols were collected whilst the subjects modified the programs. The protocols for the modification with UML documentation, for ten of the more successful subjects, were transcribed and analysed according to a framework derived from the literature. The framework listed the possible cognitive steps involved in problem solving where cognition could be distributed to and from external representations. The categories of evidence that would confirm cognitive support were also derived from the literature. The experiments confirmed that programmers from similar backgrounds varied widely in ability and style. Twenty programmers modified both an invoice application and a diary application. There was some indication that the UML diagrams aided performance. The analyses of all ten of the transcribed subjects showed evidence of UML cognitive support.

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / As computer networks become more complex, and more heterogeneous (often involving systems from multiple vendors), the importance of integrated network management increases. This thesis summarises the efforts of research carried out 1 ) to identify the characteristics and requirements of an Integrated Network Management Environment (INME) and its individual components, 2) to propose a model to represent the INME, 3) to demonstrate the validity of the model, 4) to describe the steps needed to formally specify the model, and 5) to suggest an implementation plan for the INME. One of the key aspects of this thesis is the introduction of three different and complementary models used to integrate the emerging OSI management standards with the proven-and-tried network management solutions promoted by the Internet Activities Board. The Protocol-Oriented Network Management Model is used to represent the existing network management supported by the INME: ie, OSI and Internet-based systems. The Element-Oriented Network Management Model represents the components that are used within individual network systems. It describes the managed objects, and the platform application program interfaces (APIs). This model also includes the translation mechanisms needed to support the interaction between OSI managers and Internet agents. The Interoperability Model is used to represent the underlying communications infrastructure supporting network management. The communications between agents and managers is represented with this model by using the required protocol stacks (OSI or TCP/IP), and by depicting the interconnection between the entities using the network management functions. This three-pronged classification provides a richer level of abstraction facilitating the coexistence of the standard network management systems, allowing different levels of modeling. complexity, and improving the access to managed objects. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to describe a framework that assists developers of network management applications in the process of integrating their solutions to an open systems network management platform. This framework will also help network managers to minimise the risks involved in the transition from first generation network management systems to more integrated alternatives as they become available.

The purpose of the current study was to develop and administer a Spanish static and dynamic assessment of decoding and other important reading measures. Using the best available resources regarding Spanish literacy acquisition and Spanish language development, a preliminary Spanish dynamic and static screener was developed. The resulting test was named the Spanish Dynamic Decoding Measure (S-DDM) and is a counterpart to the original DDM available in English. This test contains three subtests: decoding, phonemic awareness, and word identification. The S-DDM was administered to eight bilingual Spanish-English speaking students with varying levels of Spanish language ability and reading proficiency in grades ranging from second to fourth grade. The results from all three subtests of the S-DDM were analyzed to report the levels of validity, reliability, and variance observed in the administration of the test and performance of the participants. There was a wide range of performance on the pretest sections of the dynamic assessment decoding subtest, and performance at or near ceiling on the posttest sounds sections. Modifiability scores were strong for the students who were not receiving special education services while the two participants receiving special education both received weaker modifiability ratings. There was a wide range of variance observed on all subtests of both the phonemic awareness and word identification subtests, with the exception of the phoneme blending target of the phonemic awareness subtest. Interrater reliability and administration fidelity were found to be within acceptable measures. Results indicated that the test is sensitive to varying degrees of Spanish reading proficiency and reading ability. Future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this screener in identifying Spanish-speaking students who are at-risk for reading difficulties.

Electropalatography (EPG) is a computer-based tracking system designed to provide real-time visual biofeedback of articulatory contacts occurring during speech production. Historically, EPG technology has proven functional within the treatment and assessment of speech disorders however, application of EPG technology to assist in second language learning has remained limited. The present thesis is part of a larger study examining the effectiveness of using EPG as an advanced instructional tool for assisting second language (L2) learners of German. Fricative productions ([ç], [x], /s/, and /∫/) within real words were gathered from 12 native English speakers enrolled in a second semester university level course to learn German. Speech productions from student participants were compared against native German speakers' productions collected in a previous study, using electrode mappings, percentages of regional contact, and center of gravity measures. These measures revealed different patterns of palatal contact between fricative sounds, between individual subjects, and cross-linguistically. Fricative sound mappings varied visually as speakers generally produced [ç] and [x] with significantly less palatal contact than when producing /s/ and /∫/. Variation across individual subjects was identified as some produced sounds with nearly no posterior palatal contact while others produced sounds asymmetrically or with decreased overall contact. Cross-linguistic differences were apparent as non-native German speakers frequently contacted greater numbers of electrodes with greater force, compared to the natives. It is anticipated that the information included in this thesis will provide insights into the role of EPG technology as an instructional tool for L2 learners.

This study examined changes in speech production when distracting background audio is present. Forty typically speaking adults completed a repetitive sentence reading task in the presence of 5 different audio conditions (pink noise, movie dialogue, heated debate, classical music, and contemporary music) and a silent condition. Acoustic parameters measured during the study included vowel space area (VSA), vowel articulation index (VAI), formant transition extent, formant transition rate, and diphthong duration for /ɑɪ/ and /ɑʊ/. It was hypothesized that there would be significant increases in vowel space area and vowel articulation index as well as an increase in formant transition measures in the presence of background noise. There were statistically significant decreases in vowel space are and vowel articulation index in the presence of all noise conditions compared to the silent baseline condition. Results also demonstrated a significant decrease in F2 transition extent for both /ɑɪ/, and /ɑʊ/ diphthongs in all noise conditions except the pink noise condition when compared to the silent condition. These findings were contrary to what was originally hypothesized. It is possible that VAI and VSA decreased in the presence of background noise due to an increase in speaking rate. Formant transition measurements were consistent with the VAI and VSA results. More research is needed to accurately determine the acoustic changes a speaker makes in response to distracting background audio.

The present study was designed to determine whether differences exist between frontal tongue thrusters and normal swallowers on tasks or oral stereognosis and two-point discrimination.