Um modelo sobre as dificuldades para modelar casos de uso

Abstract

Use Cases (UCs) have become an important artifact for the specification of software requirements. However, there are several difficulties that prevent students and software engineers from specifying UCs correctly. In order to explore and understand the difficulties in modeling diagram and specify UCs, we carried out four empirical studies with 195 participants. We present in this thesis a model about the difficulties in the modeling of UCs found in the studies carried out. The model presents the difficulties in diagram and specification UC that were classified into categories. First, we present the categories related to the diagram (D), which identify: (D-I) the actors of the system, (D-II) the use cases of the system, (D-III) generalization relationship, (D-IV) included and extend relationship; and categories related to the use-case specification (E): (E-I) abstraction of requirements, (E-II) flows of UC, (E-III) business rules, (E-IV) References of flows and business rules, (E-V) Pre- and Post-condition and (E-VI) dependence of other UCs. This on research is based on an evidence-based methodology, we executed procedures of the Grounded Theory (GT) method to analyze the data; and we use the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to evaluate the constructed model. The model was evaluated and it showed that the presented difficulties occur with more than 50% of the participants. We used EFA to identify possible factors with correlated difficulties. The EFA did not show that some of the difficulties grouped in the categories defined for the model are correlated. Through the obtained results from the empirical studies, the current version of the model can be considered valid to represent the perception of the participants about the difficulties occurred in diagram and specification of UC. In addition, the model serves as a basis for future research in the field, as well as support for the suggestion of practices to improve the teaching / learning process of students in modeling UC.