Mutatis mutandis: An abstraction with reusable building block used to teach business process modeling

Abstract Abstraction in business processes (BP) modeling arises from the recognition of similarities to the detriment of its differences. However, teaching modeling to beginning students in the context of process management is a hard task to perform, given the high level of abstraction required for these students to develop. This paper uses BP fragments to facilitate the teaching of BP modeling. Thus, two different process models were used from a BP Office. This observation resulted in the fragments being abstracted and defined by a group of students, later another group applied the third model. Thus, two fragments were abstracted, specified, and reused. In addition to the approach itself and the template used to define the fragments here presented, this research’s main contribution is the role that abstraction plays in BP learning and modeling skills. Finally, the fragments were validated by ten specialists, who emphasized the feasibility of using these fragments.