Applying Distributed Cognition Theory to Agile Requirements Engineering

Buchan, J; Zowghi, D; Bano, M

Applying Distributed Cognition Theory to Agile Requirements Engineering

Buchan, J Zowghi, D

Bano, M

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Publisher:: Springer
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality, 2020, 12045, pp. 186-202
Issue Date:: 2020-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Buchan, J
dc.contributor.author	Zowghi, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-0155
dc.contributor.author	Bano, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1447-9521
dc.contributor.editor	Madhavji, NH
dc.contributor.editor	Pasquale, L
dc.contributor.editor	Ferrari, A
dc.contributor.editor	Gnesi, S
dc.date	2020-03-24
dc.date.accessioned	2021-01-06T05:09:15Z
dc.date.available	2021-01-06T05:09:15Z
dc.date.issued	2020-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality, 2020, 12045, pp. 186-202
dc.identifier.isbn	9783030444280
dc.identifier.issn	0302-9743
dc.identifier.issn	1611-3349
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145111
dc.description.abstract	© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. [Context & Motivation] Agile Requirements Engineering (ARE) is a collaborative, team-based process based on frequent elicitation, elaboration, estimation and prioritization of the user requirements, typically represented as user stories. While it is claimed that this Agile approach and the associated RE activities are effective, there is sparse empirical evidence and limited theoretical foundation to explain this efficacy. [Question/problem] We aim to understand and explain aspects of the ARE process by focusing on a cognitive perspective. We appropriate ideas and techniques from Distributed Cognition (DC) theory to analyze the cognitive roles of people, artefacts and the physical work environment in a successful collaborative ARE activity, namely requirement prioritization. [Principal idea/results] This paper presents a field study of two early requirements related meetings in an Agile product development project. Observation data, field notes and transcripts were collected and qualitatively analyzed. We have used DiCoT, a framework for systematically applying DC as a methodological contribution, to analyze the ARE process and explain its efficacy from a cognitive perspective. The analysis identified three main areas of cognitive effort in the ARE process as well as the significant information flows and artefacts. Analysis of these have identified that the use of physical user story cards, specific facilitator skills, and development of shared understanding of the user stories, were all key to the effectiveness of the ARE activity observed. [Contribution] The deeper understanding of cognition involved in ARE provides an empirically evidenced explanation, based on DC theory, of why this way of collaboratively prioritizing requirements was effective. Our result provides a basis for designing other ARE activities.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation.ispartof	Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality
dc.relation.ispartof	International Working Conference on Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/978-3-030-44429-7_14
dc.rights	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in International Working Conference on Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44429-7_14.	en_US
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44429-7_14.	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing
dc.title	Applying Distributed Cognition Theory to Agile Requirements Engineering
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.citation.volume	12045
utslib.location.activity	Pisa, Italy
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Computer Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - HCTD - Human Centred Technology Design
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - STEM Education Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Graduate Research School
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-01-06T05:09:11Z
pubs.finish-date	2020-03-27
pubs.place-of-publication	Cham, Switzerland
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.start-date	2020-03-24
pubs.volume	12045
dc.location	Cham, Switzerland

Abstract:

© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. [Context & Motivation] Agile Requirements Engineering (ARE) is a collaborative, team-based process based on frequent elicitation, elaboration, estimation and prioritization of the user requirements, typically represented as user stories. While it is claimed that this Agile approach and the associated RE activities are effective, there is sparse empirical evidence and limited theoretical foundation to explain this efficacy. [Question/problem] We aim to understand and explain aspects of the ARE process by focusing on a cognitive perspective. We appropriate ideas and techniques from Distributed Cognition (DC) theory to analyze the cognitive roles of people, artefacts and the physical work environment in a successful collaborative ARE activity, namely requirement prioritization. [Principal idea/results] This paper presents a field study of two early requirements related meetings in an Agile product development project. Observation data, field notes and transcripts were collected and qualitatively analyzed. We have used DiCoT, a framework for systematically applying DC as a methodological contribution, to analyze the ARE process and explain its efficacy from a cognitive perspective. The analysis identified three main areas of cognitive effort in the ARE process as well as the significant information flows and artefacts. Analysis of these have identified that the use of physical user story cards, specific facilitator skills, and development of shared understanding of the user stories, were all key to the effectiveness of the ARE activity observed. [Contribution] The deeper understanding of cognition involved in ARE provides an empirically evidenced explanation, based on DC theory, of why this way of collaboratively prioritizing requirements was effective. Our result provides a basis for designing other ARE activities.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145111