Comparing the usability of two multi-agents systems DSLs: Sea_ML++ and DSML4MAS study design


Silva J., Barišić A., Amaral V., Goulão M., TEZEL B. T., Alaca O. F., ...More

2018 MODELS Workshops: ModComp, MRT, OCL, FlexMDE, EXE, COMMitMDE, MDETools, GEMOC, MORSE, MDE4IoT, MDEbug, MoDeVVa, ME, MULTI, HuFaMo, AMMoRe, PAINS, MODELS-WS 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark, 14 - 19 October 2018, vol.2245, pp.770-777 identifier

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Volume: 2245
  • City: Copenhagen
  • Country: Denmark
  • Page Numbers: pp.770-777
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

© 2018 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved.Context: The “Physics of Notations” (PoN) supports a systematic improvement of the cognitive effectiveness of visual modelling languages. Problem: PoN focuses on the concrete syntax of a language, building on a predefined abstract syntax. We should also consider the abstract syntax of a language when developing efforts to improve it by choosing the most adequate language constructs (concepts and their relationships). We instantiate this challenge by comparing two Multi-Agent Systems Domain Specific Languages: SEA_ML++ and DSML4MAS, and assessing the extent to which their respective constructs affect the developer experience. Method: We will perform a quasi-experiment for comparing how practitioners use both languages to solve similar modelling challenges. The experiment will have a cross-over within-subjects design and will focus on the extent to which the different language constructs impact on developer experience. These tasks will be monitored, so that we can assess their success and effort involved, including eye-tracking information. Results: This paper reports on the planned study design for this empirical comparison of two DSLs for MAS.