Abstract
The paper proposes a model of program designer behavior, based on the blackboard architecture, that has the capability of describing multi-directional decision-making by means of hierarchical (i.e., ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’), heterarchical, sequential and incremental planning strategies for the design process. It is expressed in terms of cognitive processes that operate on, and communicate via, information posted on a specific blackboard structure. These processes, or specialists, are an extension of the set proposed by Hayes-Roth and Hayes-Roth (1979) for opportunistic planning. Additional specialists in our characterization are divided into those that correspond to general problem-solving methods and those relating specifically to the program design task. These include specialists that note features of the problem, those that analogize and make assessments about sub-problems and those that modify policies. Details of an experimental study involving the collection of verbal and video protocols are also reported. The proposed model is used as an explanatory framework for the results obtained. These are also discussed in relation to other cognitive models of the program design process.
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References
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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York
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Siddiqi, J.I.A., Sumiga, J.H., Khazaei, B. (1990). Use of a Blackboard Framework to Model Software Design. In: Zunde, P., Hocking, D. (eds) Empirical Foundations of Information and Software Science V. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5862-6_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5862-6_9
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