Con-Action Project Midterm Presentation

A combined proposal of the master projects Data Visualization and Student Mobility (DaVisMo) and

Embodied Conversational Agents (Confetti)

November 2009

University of BremenUniversity of the Arts Bremen

DaVisMo & Confetti

A combined proposal of the master projects Data Visualization and Student Mobility (DaVisMo) and

Embodied Conversational Agents (Confetti)

DaVisMo & Confetti

Concept(video)

Learning by doing

Problem identification

->

Resolve

->

Evaluate

->

try again

Methodology

Database and

Data API

Different data sources:

• Int’l Offices

• Web

Design the data schema based on the data found

Transform all the data from the data sources into

a single format (CSV)

Data Sources

Database Schema

Database

Data API

Database Schema

Data API

Easy access to database for data visualization

Mapping database

schema to Java objects

Data API includes Data Mining methods

Data Mining: extracting patterns from data

Using Weka-API for Data Mining

Data Mining

Using Data Mining algorithm „Association“

Data Mining

Screen shot: http://www.amazon.com/

Destination country =LIECHTENSTEIN 133 ==> Home country =GERMANY 32 acc:(0.23805)Destination country =LUXEMBOURG 127 ==> Home country indicator=GERMANY 22 acc:(0.16204)Destination country=LIECHTENSTEIN 133 ==> Home country indicator=HUNGARY 15 acc:(0.11425)

Data Mining

Future goals

• API already finished

• Finish Data Mining methods of Data API

• Add additional socioeconomic data to the database

• Find more interesting patterns

DaVisMo & Confetti

Data Visualization

DaVisMo & Confetti

User Requirement Research

The requirements governing the project’s deliverable or product as expressed by the users.

Address what users need to do their jobs.

(Steve; Bryan, 2000)

the Concept

Main target users: International Students & International Offices

What we are looking for:

– Their needs

– Their interaction with websites on education

the Research

Method

Qualitative Research (triangulation methodology)

1. Interviews

2. Online Research Case studies

the Research

1. Interviews

• Interview with International & Administration Officers

– HfK International Office

– HfK Administration Office

– Uni Erasmus Incoming Students’ Office

• Interview with international students

– 11 students form 6 continents

the Questions:

– How they get the information

– Opinions on existing Websites

– Impressions and expectations on Data Visualization

1. Interviews

Opinions on Existing Websites

1. Interviews

OPINIONS on Existing Websites

Positive Negative

1. Interviews


Positive Negative

- Easy to navigate

- Well structure, good colors

- Complete contact address and links

- Provide search function

- Provide complete information

1. Interviews


Positive Negative

- Easy to navigate

- Well structure, good colors

- Complete contact address and links

- Provide search function

- Provide complete information

- Hard to find information

- Bad structure

- Distracting colors

- Some information only in native language

1. Interviews

Easy to understand

- Contain all the information,

- Detailed information should be clear,

- Need to be compare with something,

- Little kilobyte is requested,

- Too technical, too complicated, distracting should be avoid,

- Long text is not good,

- Simple structure,

- Easy to understand

- Colorful

- Moving/blinking objects

- Interactive

- Background article about the graphic

- Not too crowded

- Easy to understand

- Links to other Websites

EXPECTATIONSon Data Visualization

Int’l Offices Int’l Students

1. Interviews

Content Analysis:

– Social Networks

– TOP 25* European International Offices’ Websites

* According to the visibility on the internet ranking (www.webometrics.info/index.html)

2. Online Research

– Social Networks

2. Online Research

COUNTRY-Cultural aspectsAbout the countryInformation about everyday life

FIRST APPROACHProspective studentsFuture students

Share experiencesContact Student ExchangesDiscussion ForumTestimonials

Help to Country DecisionAbout the country

City suggestion

Course suggestionWhat to studyFaculties & InstitutesCourse catalogueDegree programs

Students’ Pattern:

1. No idea: no clue, just

want to study abroad




City suggestion



-Life quality-Language difficulties-Job Requirements to get a job

Curriculum structure

-Living expensesBudgets and costs of livingMeals and shopping

-Tuition fee-Recommendation letter-Professor’s guidance

Why this university?Faculties & Institutes

-Visa-Health insuranceMedical facilities

Careers adviseWork environment




2. Some idea: knew - at

least one criteria - country, university, course or are following the application process


FINANCIAL-Living expensesBudgets and costs of livingMeals and shopping

University suggestionsWhy this university?Faculties & Institutes

SOCIAL LIFELeisure timeCultural tipsEventsArt, cultureLibraries & Museums

Study fields suggestionsCurriculum structure

Job opportunitiesCareers adviseWork environment

UNIVERSITY-University qualityEducation quality-admission requirements-Application procedure-Deadline-Duration & academic calendar-Recognized degreeRecognition of qualifications-Scholarships-English certificationStudies in EnglishLanguage of instruction

UNIVERSITY-Tuition fee-Recommendation letter-Professor’s guidance

Study programsChoosing a programAll coursesUndergraduateBachelor programPostgraduateMaster programPhD opportunitiesLong coursesMedium coursesShort coursesSummer coursesOnline & distance courses



City suggestion



-Romance and relationshipDateFriendsSocial behavior-Travel partners -TV

-Bank account-Delivery services-Internet-Telephone

-Driving license-Documents official translation

Public services

-Host family-Flat mates

-Weather-Cooking tips

Tandem partner

BUREAUCRACY-Visa-Health insuranceMedical facilities



2. Some idea: knew - at

least one criteria - country, university, course or are following the application process

3. Clear idea: finished the

application, approved, just landed abroad


COUNTRY-Life quality-Language difficulties-Job opportunitiesRequirements to get a job

-Romance and relationshipDateFriendsSocial behavior-Travel partners

-TV-Bank account-Delivery services-Internet-Telephone


Public services





City suggestion




Tandem partner


Leisure timeCultural tipsEventsArt, cultureLibraries & Museums


Choosing a programAll coursesUndergraduateBachelor programPostgraduateMaster programPhD opportunitiesLong coursesMedium coursesShort coursesSummer coursesOnline & distance courses

-University qualityEducation quality-admission requirements-Application procedure-Deadline-Duration & academic calendar-Recognized degreeRecognition of qualifications-Scholarships-English certificationStudies in EnglishLanguage of instruction






Students’ Needs:

– TOP 25* European Int’l Offices’ Websites

1 University of Cambridge - 2 University of Oxford - 3 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich - 4 University College London - 5 University of Helsinki - 6 Norwegian University of Science & Technology - 7 University of Oslo - 8 Universität Wien - 9 Universidad Complutense de Madrid - 10 University of Edinburgh - 11 Università di Bologna - 12 University of Southampton - 13 Utrecht University - 14 Uppsala University - 15 UniversitéCatholique de Louvain - 16 Freie Universität Berlin - 17 Université de Geneve - 18 Linkoping University - 19 University of Groningen - 20 Charles University - 21 Universität Hamburg - 22 Royal Institute of Technology - 23 Technische Universität Wien - 24 Lund University - 25 University of Amsterdam

* According to the visibility on the internet ranking (www.webometrics.info/index.html)

2. Online Research

http://www.webometrics.info/index.html)

http://www.webometrics.info/index.html)

International Offices provide:

Main university regulationThe collegiate system

International collaborationVisiting studentsOur visits overseasInternational mobilityPartnershipsMobility fund

ADVICESOrientation programCounselingInformation & advice

ARRIVINGBefore arrivalWelcome serviceUpon arrivalFirst stepsFirst weeksFirst year

Social institutionsStudent associationStudent union

Studying with disabilityStudents with special needs

Erasmus incomingsErasmus outgoingsExchangesResearcher exchangeResearches and teachersFree mover studentsTraining and internships

Practical informationGuide orientation and A-ZOnline services & search

About the Int’l OfficeAddressContact usFAQStaffimprint

SportsPublic transport

GlossaryNewsletter

Information about swine fluLinks

Preparatory coursePreparatory study

Special events calendarExams and lesson timetableGrading, credits and examsTeaching methods

About the cityWelfare servicesimmigration

Video visual tourVisiting the universitypublications

Finance for international studentsFunding search




Tandem partner











International Offices provide:











GlossaryNewsletter










Tandem partner











Where the requirements are fulfilled:











GlossaryNewsletter










Tandem partner











-Romance and relationshipDateFriendsSocial behavior-Travel partners

-TV-Bank account-Delivery services-Internet-Telephone


Public services





City suggestion



What some students take as priority:

ADMINISTRATIVEMain university regulationThe collegiate system

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSInternational collaborationVisiting studentsOur visits overseasInternational mobilityPartnershipsMobility fund



CONNECTIONSocial institutionsStudent associationStudent union

STUDENTSStudying with disabilityStudents with special needs

STUDENT MOBILITYErasmus incomingsErasmus outgoingsExchangesResearcher exchangeResearches and teachersFree mover studentsTraining and internships

START POINTPractical informationGuide orientation and A-ZOnline services & search

INTERNATIONAL OFFICEAbout the Int’l OfficeAddressContact usFAQStaffimprint

FACILITIESSportsPublic transport

EXTRAGlossaryNewsletter


EDUCATIONPreparatory coursePreparatory study


COUNTRY/CITYAbout the cityWelfare servicesimmigration

UNIVERSITYVideo visual tourVisiting the universitypublications

FINANCESFinance for international studentsFunding search


FINANCIAL


LanguageTandem partner

BUREAUCRACY-Visa-Health insuranceMedical facilitiesSOCIAL LIFE




UNIVERSITY

-University qualityEducation quality-admission requirements-Application procedure-Deadline-Duration & academic calendar-Recognized degreeRecognition of qualifications

-Scholarships-English certificationStudies in EnglishLanguage of instruction

COUNTRY

-Cultural aspectsAbout the countryInformation about everyday life




-Romance and relationshipDate

FriendsSocial behavior-Travel partners

SERVICES-TV-Bank account-Delivery services-Internet-Telephone

BUREAUCRACY-Driving license-Documents official translation

GENERALPublic servicesTaxes

ACCOMODATION-Host family-Flat mates

GENERAL-Weather-Cooking tips-Special market

COUNTRY-Life quality-Language difficulties-Job opportunitiesRequirements to get a jobCitizen registration

UNIVERSITY-Tuition fee-Recommendation letter-Professor’s guidance

City suggestion

Transportation & Connection

What some students said they can’t find:

ADMINISTRATIVEMain university regulationThe collegiate system

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSInternational collaborationVisiting studentsOur visits overseasInternational mobilityPartnershipsMobility fund



CONNECTIONSocial institutionsStudent associationStudent union

STUDENTSStudying with disabilityStudents with special needs

STUDENT MOBILITYErasmus incomingsErasmus outgoingsExchangesResearcher exchangeResearches and teachersFree mover studentsTraining and internships

START POINTPractical informationGuide orientation and A-ZOnline services & search


FACILITIESSportsPublic transport

EXTRAGlossaryNewsletter


EDUCATIONPreparatory coursePreparatory study


COUNTRY/CITYAbout the cityWelfare servicesimmigration

UNIVERSITYVideo visual tourVisiting the universitypublications

FINANCESFinance for international studentsFunding search


FINANCIAL-Living expensesBudgets and costs of livingMeals and shopping


LanguageTandem partner

BUREAUCRACY


SOCIAL LIFELeisure timeCultural tipsEventsArt, cultureLibraries & Museums


Study programsChoosing a programAll coursesUndergraduateBachelor programPostgraduateMaster programPhD opportunitiesLong coursesMedium coursesShort coursesSummer coursesOnline & distance courses

UNIVERSITY-University qualityEducation quality-admission requirements-Application procedure-Deadline

-Duration & academic calendar-Recognized degreeRecognition of qualifications-Scholarships-English certificationStudies in EnglishLanguage of instruction



Share experiencesContact Student Exchanges

Discussion ForumTestimonials



SOCIAL LIFE-Romance and relationshipDateFriendsSocial behavior-Travel partners

SERVICES-TV-Bank account-Delivery services-Internet-Telephone

GENERALPublic services

ACCOMODATION-Host family-Flat mates

COUNTRY-Life quality-Language difficulties

-Job Requirements to get a job- Citizen registration

UNIVERSITY


GENERAL-Weather-Cooking tips

-Special market-Transportation & connection

BUREAUCRACY-Driving license

-Documents official translation

City suggestion

Students keep asking questions to Int’l Office,

which answers are available in Websites.


which answers are available in Websites. Why?

• They look for specific or personal answers




• The information is not clear enough or does not meet the needs





• Not all information is available in English or it uses some native language terms





• Not all information is available in English or it uses some native language terms

• It is faster to ask directly

• They prefer the human interface



Considering All…

What can we offer to the target users?

Considering All…


• All information in the same place

Considering All…



• Deep, trustful and unique information

Considering All…



• Deep, trustful and unique information

• International language (English)

References for User RequirementsUniversities web sites:www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/international/www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/international_students/index.htmlwww.ethz.ch/prospectives/index_ENwww.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international-students/www.helsinki.fi/international/www.ntnu.no/studieswww.uio.no/english/student_life/www.ucm.es/centros/webs/en/index.php?tp=International%20Context&a=dir4&d=17747.p

hpwww.ed.ac.uk/studying/internationalwww.eng.unibo.it/PortaleEn/Students/International+Students/default.htmwww.soton.ac.uk/international/index.shtmlwww.uu.nl/EN/INFORMATIONFOR/INTERNATIONALSTUDENTS/Pages/default.aspxwww.uu.se/en/node223www.uclouvain.be/en-etudiant-international.htmlwww.fu-berlin.de/en/studienbewerber/kompass/index.htmlwww.unige.ch/international/coopuniv_en.htmlwww.liu.se/en/education/?l=enwww.rug.nl/prospectiveStudents/indexwww.cuni.cz/UKENG-49.htmlwww.uni-hamburg.de/Internationales/index_e.htmlwww.kth.se/studies?l=en_UKwww.tuwien.ac.at/teaching/EN/www.lu.se/lund-university/international-relationswww.studeren.uva.nl/studyinginenglish/english.cfm Theoretical reference:“An Introduction to Content Analysis,”

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/content/pop2a.cfm. [last access 21/07/2009]

Clarke, Steve; Lehaneyo, Bryan (2000). Human centered methods in information systems: current research and practice. Eds: Idea Group.

“Content Analysis,” http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/content.html. *last access 23/07/2009]

“Main Articles: 'Involving Users in the Development of a Web Accessibility Tool', Ariadne Issue 44,” http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue44/craven/.*last access 22/07/2009+

“Social Networking? For Business? «,” http://www.bradhanksseminars.com/blog/?p=11. [last access 22/07/2009]

Social Networks:Facebook – www.facebook.comMy Space – www.myspace.comOrkut – www.orkut.comLinkedin – www.linkedin.comJust Landed - www.justlanded.com

Theoretical reference:

“An Introduction to Content Analysis,” http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/content/pop2a.cfm. [last access 21/07/2009]

Clarke, Steve; Lehaneyo, Bryan (2000). Human centered methods in information systems: current research and practice. Eds: Idea Group.

“Content Analysis,” http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/content.html. [last access 23/07/2009]

“Main Articles: 'Involving Users in the Development of a Web Accessibility Tool', Ariadne Issue 44,” http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue44/craven/.[last access 22/07/2009]

“Social Networking? For Business? «,” http://www.bradhanksseminars.com/blog/?p=11. [last access 22/07/2009]

DaVisMo & Confetti

IntegrationPART I: Student MobilityInformation, CEI & Semantic search

Motivation Video

• Questions:

– How could such a system work?

– What should be part of it?

– Would students really use it?

– Doesn’t (google) search already solve this?

– Why not just data visualization?

Student Mobility Information System

• Critique of Manovichs argument to use datamining and visualization to do „media analysis” instead of the traditional “media criticism”:– “*…+ the most significant critique of Manovich’s talk

came from an intelligent questioner at the end… a young man in the front asked, ‘Is visualization even necessary in an age when you have all the data… isn’t the perfect map a 1 to 1 representation?’ ”http://medialogy.net/2008/08/16/new-new-media-lev-manovich-data-visualization-and-borges-maps/

• We don’t need a map to the library of babel, we need a way to navigate it! (cf. Borges)

http://thedoublethink.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/network.png

Manovich’s Dream

http://medialogy.net/2008/08/16/new-new-media-lev-manovich-data-visualization-and-borges-maps/



















Sketches I – Tree Climber

Sketches I – Data Clover

Sketches I – Data Dive

Sketches I – All My Marbles

Sketches I – Data Zoom

• Space (2D, 2.5D, 3D)– Position– Size– Distances– Shape

• Time, Color, TextureConnections, Movement

• Sound– Pitch– Duration– Rhythm

• > Primitives, Dimensions & RelationsKim Marriott and Bernd E. Meyer, Visual language theory (Springer, 1998).

http://www.focuseducational.com/images/user/fullsize/290.jpg

Visual Language Dimensions

1. Computation is a medium (communication)

2. Meaning arises on multiple levels (objects,signs, metaphors)

3. Users, not designers, create and communicate meaning

4. Users, not designers, manage coupling

– relating entities for the purpose of action

5. Embodied technologies participate in the world they represent

– artifacts-in-use vs. separation of object and representation

6. Embodied interaction turns action into meaning

– no meaning in the system itself, but in the way it is usedPaul Dourish, Where the Action Is (MIT Press, 2004).

http://mitpress.mit.edu/images/products/books/0262041960-f30.jpg

Embodied Interaction: Design Principles

Embodied Interaction + Data Visualization & Exploration

1. Data visualizations / exploration interfaces act as media2. Meaning in such systems arises on multiple levels

(objects, signs, metaphors)3. Designers can not enforce a user’s context4. The users and not the system designers decide how to

interpret and use the system5. The data has to be situated in a context, an embodied

data exploration interface participates in the world it represents

6. Embodied data exploration turns actions into meaning

> Context Enaction Interface

CEI Sketches Keyword Combination

CEI SketchesInformation Presentation

• Semantic web + search– augment and improve traditional search results

• Two very different kinds of searches:– Navigational search

– Research searchR. Guha, Rob McCool, and Eric Miller, “Semantic Search,” http://www2003.org/cdrom/papers/refereed/p779/ess.html.

• Employ domain knowledge modeled as ontologies to enhance information retrievalD. T. Tran et al., “Expressive resource descriptions for ontology-based information retrieval,” in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on the Theory of Information Retrieval (ICTIR’07), 18th-20th October, 2007, 55–68.

• Enable systems to construct a personal context

Semantic Search

http://www2003.org/cdrom/papers/refereed/p779/ess.html

Demo Animation

• Google Wonder Wheelhttp://www.google.com/search?q=car&hl=en&sa=G&tbo=1&tbs=ww:1

• Google Side Wikihttp://www.google.com/sidewiki/intl/en/index.html

• Eyeplorerhttp://eyeplorer.com/show/

• Flokoonhttp://www.flokoon.com/#fotolia

• Raum der Daten und Faktenhttp://viola.informatik.uni-bremen.de/typo/index.php?id=10

Related Works

1. Control Panel

1. Logo/Name of the project, Help/Info area, Login/Greeting, Dropdown Area for Library/Pinboard (Optional), Dropdown Area for Friends Activity, “Friends“ button

2. Canvas

1. Holds number search/browse-graphs, can hold multiples, Holds Disposal Area (6), that will be used to dipose, delete modes that are not needed, May hold suggestive nodes, May exceed screen range (movable/draggable) or multiple canvas,

3. Library (Pinboard)

1. Store and retrieve graphs or nodes, Options to sort and organize stored graphs and nodes, Search area for stored items

4. Search/Browse Graph (image bellow)

1. Root node + n generations of n children, Movable nodes connected by “wire“, Nodes can be pulled off by force or recombined by drag and drop, Pulled off nodes spawn new systems, Recombination means the node that is dragged into the other becomes a child of the other containing its own keywords + its new parent keywords, Any node of a graph can be commented (the comments itself can be rated), Any node or graph can be shared (with friends on the system or with the Url to pass to friends), Nodes of the same generation can have a different importance (height). This importance could be revaluated by user behavior

2. Plant like

3. After selecting a keyword node it is possible to visualize the content nodes inside of it:

5. Friends Activity

1. History of friends searches, comments and other actions

6. Nodes

1. Keywords Nodes vs. Content Nodes

Beginning Specification

• Personal guidance

• Connection to students from destination countries

• A fitting metaphor to convey the semantically augmented information

http://synthese.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/intelligent-agent.jpg

What’s Missing?

DaVisMo & Confetti

Experiment

Embodied Conversational Agent

Multimodal

Interface

Speech

Facial

Displays

Hand

Gestures

Body

Stance

Represent

Human

Serve

Bidding

Software

Agent

Demo

http://www.youthserviceslitigation.com/uploads/image/StudyQuestion.jpg

Human-like or abstract representation?

How can we make the agent credible and

the user trust in the system?

How intelligent should the agent appear?

In which way should the agent speak with the user?

• Research question

“How does the behavior of an agent influence the expectations of the user?”

• For the experiment :

- Behavior of an agent

- Two DIFFERENT characters

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/isss/isss/question-mark1a.jpg

Character A Character B

Same appearance and simple humanoid body…why?

Experiment Concept

Behaviors of Character A and B

Style of movement

Way of answering

I don't know

Bridge the processing

gap/ ‘thinking’

How to welcome the

user

Character A Calm, simplejust concrete

answers,tell facts

Tries to hide his lack of knowledge

Gestures

Walk and head down

Formal,professional

Character B More active

Guide the user,

supplement answers

Honest lack of knowledge

More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal,energetic


Style of movement


answers,tell facts


Gestures

Walk and head down

Formal,professional


Guide the user,

supplement answers


More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal,energetic


Style of movement

Way of answering

I don't know


gap/ ‘thinking’

How to welcome the

user


answers,tell facts


Gestures

Walk and head down

Formal, professional


Guide the user,

supplement answers


More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal, energetic


Style of movement

Way of answering

I don't know


gap/ ‘thinking’

How to welcome the

user


answers,tell facts


Gestures

Walk and head down



Guide the user,

supplement answers


More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal, energetic


Style of movement

Way of answering

I don't know


gap/ ‘thinking’

How to welcome the

user


answers,tell facts


Gestures

Walk and head down

Formal,professional


Guide the user,

supplement answers


More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal, energetic


Style of movement

Way of answering

I don't know


gap/ ‘thinking’

How to welcome the

user


answers,tell facts


Gestures

Walk and head down



Guide the user,

supplement answers


More emotional

Sounds + gestures

Informal, energetic

http://tjdesignspot.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/checklist.jpg

Experiment Concept

• Fully functional system cannot be prepared forthe experiment

• Wizard of Oz experiment

• Comparable data and a stable experiment setup

• Prerecord animations and basic answers

• Enable live answering

• Domain: Digital Media

Next Steps

Survey

Survey Content:

• Domain information and experiment procedure

• Personal information

• Questionnaire:

- to get the feedback about the behaviors.

• Write 10 questions

http://massartlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/comms_center_survey.jpg

Setup of the Pre-Test

Aims:• Test the system

• Practice

• Get feedback

Pre-Test with 4 users

Work flow of the Pre-test:• Experiment information and sign letter of agreement

• Read instructions

• Live experiment and questionnaire

• Feedback interview

User

Operator

InterviewerTechnician

Trouble shooter

Trouble shooter

Instructor

Questionnaire + Instructions

Live Speech

Quick WOZ + Sound Conference

Quick WOZ + Sound/Video Conference

Speaker

Video Recording

Video Recording

Next Steps

Technical Problems• Solve server delay

• Ping Signal

User Feedback• Users did not realize that it was a WoZ experiment

• Agent gestures too much

• Questionnaire improvements

• Add instructions: expect delays

Conclusion for the Final Experiment

NLU and Machine Learning

Input

Natural

Language

Output

Natural

Language

DaVisMo & Confetti

IntegrationPART II: Agents, HCI &Interaction Metaphors

• Idea originated with John McCarthy in the mid-1950’s

• Term “agent” was coined by Oliver G. Selfridge a few years later at MIT

• System that, when given a goal, can carry out the details of the appropriate computer operations and could ask for and receive advice (in natural language)– ‘soft robots’ living and doing their business within the computer’s world

(Kay 1984, via: Bradshaw et al., “Living with agents and liking it: Addressing the technical and social acceptability of agent technology,” in AAAI Stanford Spring Symposium on Human Interaction with Autonomous Systems in Complex Environments, 2003.)

– Fabricate goals of their own– (A. Kay, “Computers, Networks and Education”. In: Scientific American, Sept. 1991)

• They can handle large amounts of data

Agents as HCI Metaphor

• Moves around in the system and „data-mines“ for interesting nodes

• May suggest nodes of interest to the user

• May also augment the discovered nodes with information retrieved from additional databases

• User can direct the agent to a certain node

• Friends agents can interact with each other

http://www.lustiges-taschenbuch.de/typo3temp/pics/24d579190a.png

CEI + Agent

Plants & Animals

• Implement a prototype CEI• User test / usability experiment• Surrounding research

• In the future, agents could:– Connect to other agents to share information and learn– Connect to new databases by automatically “inventing”

queries– Adapt their own ontology over time and in interaction

various individuals– Evolve over succeeding generations

Project Goals & Outlook on the Future

DaVisMo & Confetti

Research questionsHow is it possible to improve the existing interactive, web-based data visualization models in an innovative way?

How can these innovations open the possibility to analyze complex data applied to the students mobility case?

…and they lived happy until the end

DaVisMo & Confetti

DaVisMo & Confetti

THANK YOU

Con-Action Project Midterm Presentation

Education

recognized

recognized

lesson timetable

program erasmus

online services

leisure time

international

human centered