Introducing Fundamental Concepts of Process Modeling Through Participatory Simulation

Due to the ubiquitous deployment of information systems in today’s organizational work settings, the importance of process modeling skills is undis‐ puted not only for techno-centric roles in organizations, but also for more busi‐ ness-oriented positions. The ability to understand and shape work processes through modeling practices is important to actively contribute to information system design. How to facilitate the development of modeling skills for a non- technology-proficient target group has hardly been subject of research. We aim at addressing this issue with an experiential learning approach using participatory simulations of process models. By letting participants experience work processes and reflect on their underlying structure, we aim at facilitating the development of an abstract conceptual understanding, which can then be validated by actively experimenting with process modifications. In the present paper, we introduce the conceptual foundations of our approach, and describe the interactive system we have developed to facilitate the participatory simulation process. Initial findings from an exploratory study with the system indicate that it can support experiential learning processes.