|
|||
|
By Robert Hadden Mole NAPCN president Dr. Mildred L. G. Shaw is currently the Industrial Research Chair in Software Engineering, and Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is a prolific researcher in the area of human factors computing. Despite her strong roles in computer science, she considers herself more of an educationist, than computer scientist. In this issue of the Constructivist Chronicle, the life and work Dr. Mildred L. G. Shaw is celebrated. Mildred Shaw grew up in England, attending grammar schools in Bradford, and Stoke-on-Trent. In 1963, she went to teacher’s college at the University of London, graduating with distinction in 1966. Mildred taught at a comprehensive school in London from 1966 to 1971, and at the same time, pursued a B.Sc. in mathematical sciences. Immediately on finishing the B.Sc. Mildred took up an M.Sc. in computer science, graduating in 1972. Having a graduate degree in computer science was something of a rarity in 1972. Mildred immediately found a position as the Coordinator of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Middlesex Polytechnic (then Trent Park College) in London. It was at Middlesex where Mildred became colleagues with Dr. Len Chapman, a psychologist well-schooled in personal construct psychology. An important professional relationship grew between the two, which would have a lasting effect on Mildred’s career. Chapman would impart his knowledge of PCP on to Mildred, and in exchange Mildred designed custom data analysis programs for Chapman. It was around this time that Mildred realized that she “had been a constructivist all along” but just never put a name to it. In 1975, Chapman persuaded Mildred to apply for a Ph.D. at Brunel University. She wasn’t interested in doctoral work at the time, but Chapman “wasn’t the kind of person you could disappoint”, and so an application was filed. Mildred hoped that the application would be enough to keep Chapman at bay, but when she was accepted, she found herself attending the first few classes. And then “after only a few weeks – I was totally hooked”. She continued on, taking her doctorate in computer-based knowledge acquisition systems in 1978. Mildred remained at Middlesex Polytechnic until 1982, the year she moved to Canada to take up a position of associate professor of computer science at York University in Toronto. While at York, Mildred also held the position of Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education, and was a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. By 1984, she was a full professor at York, and by 1986, was making the transition to Professor of Computer Science at the University of Calgary. While at Calgary, Mildred’s career has continued to flourish. She has been very giving of her time at Calgary, serving on over two dozen committees, panels and councils since 1990 alone. She holds editorships with 5 journals, including the Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Applied Intelligence:The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, and the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. She has been a referee for a wide range of journals, as well as several conferences and councils. Her courses include “Software Process Management”, “Trends in Software Engineering”, “Requirements Engineering”, “Cognitive Processes in Artificial Intelligence”, and “Human-Computer Interaction”. During her time at Calgary, Mildred also has maintained a lively research program. Her interests are in the area of human and organizational aspects of knowledge and requirements engineering, and their modeling and support through advanced information systems. This has included research on the development and application of requirements engineering; software process engineering, automation of repertory grid techniques and analysis, and knowledge engineering for expert systems. To date, Mildred has authored or co-authored over 250 papers in refereed books, journals, and conference proceedings. She has also authored or co-authored five books, including On Becoming a Personal Scientist: Interactive Computer Elicitation of Personal Models of the World (1980), Think Again (1981; with Cliff McKnight), Recent Advances in Personal Construct Technology (1981), The Art of Computer Conversation (1984; with Brian Gaines), and Cognition and Personal Structure: Computer Access and Analysis (1988; with James C. Mancuso). Not to be eclipsed by these achievements is Mildred’s pioneering work in developing a range of interactive computer programs for use in knowledge engineering, management, clinical, and educational studies. These programs have been in use by hundreds of institutions and organizations the world over. All of them have foundation in personal construct psychology. For example, in requirements engineering, it is necessary to understand the constructs of all stakeholders in the creation of a computer program (these stakeholders may include users, customers, managers, and developers simultaneously). Mildred has found PCP techniques to be most helpful for eliciting people’s requirements of a program, in advance of the actual production of the program. In essence, she has created a requirements elicitation program that supports the production and design of other computer programs. This saves expenses and time that could be incurred if any program is created, but fails to meet all the specifications (requirements) of the stakeholders. Another program of Mildred’s, developed with Brian Gaines, is WebGrid II, a knowledge acquisition and inference server and an application of the repertory grid. In addition to her clever application of PCP to knowledge acquisition programs, Mildred’s commitment to PCP runs deeper still. She feels her attraction to PCP is not so much the techniques, but the philosophy itself. It comes through in all of the courses she teaches. “I can’t really teach anything without it – it creeps into everything”. She finds the philosophy to be especially relevant when “one right answer” is not available. She encourages her students to entertain the alternative constructions of a situation. “It is good to have (or generate) as many perspectives as are relevant to a situation” Her teaching style facilitates the consideration of a number of perspectives. “I set the structure so they [the students] can’t go wrong – but they propose the content, by and large”. Mildred believes the students’ views, and the information they bring into classes are at least as interesting as hers “and probably more so”. She maintains that she can’t be an expert in everything. “In many situations, the students are in a better position to research a topic.” It is important to remember that Mildred started her career as a teacher. “I’m probably more of an educationist, than a computer scientist when it comes right down to it” she explains. Mildred’s role as educator, and her long-held PCP orientation are two instrumental forces behind the computer programs she researches and creates. The knowledge acquisition she facilitates in class, and the knowledge acquisition she facilitates with her computer programs is driven by the same PCP philosophy. Mildred has been President of NAPCN since 1992, and plans to step from this position in the near future. 
Dr. Mildred L. G. Shaw
|
