A Study of Modeling Perception in a First-Time Modeling Class

In this paper, we have studied the modeling perception change of first-time learners in a heavily undergraduate research institute. The new course has covered a lot of aspects that are a part of a regular modeling course, including domain-specific languages, modeling, metamodeling, code-generation, and model transformation. We have run the study by distributing three surveys to all students: one at the beginning of the course, one in the middle, and one at the end. The results are mixed. Even though there are changes in terms of what modeling is, the primary obstacle seems to be related to the tools and support available (or not) in the modeling community.