User context and personalisation

The importance of user context as a means of delivering personalised and context-sensitive systems is discussed. Relevant aspects of personalisation and context technology are covered. The intention is to inspire those interested in Case-base reasoning and personalisation from background and experience in other disciplines such as information retrieval, adaptive user interfaces, user modelling and mobile computing. Descriptions of personalisation and context are followed by their use in information retrieval and their importance and use in ambient computing. Relevant literature that may be a motivating source for interested readers are provided. Various questions are also raised in initiating discussion on this topic

A model ensemble generator to explore structural uncertainty in karst systems with unmapped conduits

Karst aquifers are characterized by high-conductivity conduits embedded in a low-conductivity fractured matrix, resulting in extreme heterogeneity and variable groundwater flow behavior. The conduit network controls groundwater flow, but is often unmapped, making it difficult to apply numerical models to predict system behavior. This paper presents a multi-model ensemble method to represent structural and conceptual uncertainty inherent in simulation of systems with limited spatial information, and to guide data collection. The study tests the new method by applying it to a well-mapped, geologically complex long-term study site: the Gottesacker alpine karst system (Austria/Germany). The ensemble generation process, linking existing tools, consists of three steps: creating 3D geologic models using GemPy (a Python package), generating multiple conduit networks constrained by the geology using the Stochastic Karst Simulator (a MATLAB script), and, finally, running multiple flow simulations through each network using the Storm Water Management Model (C-based software) to reject nonbehavioral models based on the fit of the simulated spring discharge to the observed discharge. This approach captures a diversity of plausible system configurations and behaviors using minimal initial data. The ensemble can then be used to explore the importance of hydraulic flow parameters, and to guide additional data collection. For the ensemble generated in this study, the network structure was more determinant of flow behavior than the hydraulic parameters, but multiple different structures yielded similar fits to the observed flow behavior. This suggests that while modeling multiple network structures is important, additional types of data are needed to discriminate between networks

Aprendizagem de língua assistida por computador : uma abordagem baseada em HPSG

Este trabalho analisa fundamentos e métodos pertinentes para o planejamento e desenvolvimento de sistemas de Processamento de Linguagem Natural (PLN) com o objetivo de auxiliar a aprendizagem de línguas. O foco principal é a correção sintática baseada no formalismo HPSG conforme implementado no sistema LKB (Linguistic Knowledge Building). Foi implementado um analisador em linguagem Java que, juntamente com uma gramática da língua espanhola de médio porte, permite experimentar a técnica de correção através de regras de malformação. A partir dos resultados obtidos discute-se alguns aspectos práticos e a viabilidade do PLN aplicado à educação. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis work analyses principles and methods relevant to the planning and development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems, whose goal is to assist in language learning. Syntax checking based on the HPSG formalism as implemented in the LKB (Linguistic Knowledge Building) system is the main focus. Java language was used to implement a parser that, together with a Spanish grammar of moderate coverage, allows us to experiment with mal-rule based checking. From the results obtained practical issues and the viability of NLP applied to education are discussed

Personalization in cultural heritage: the road travelled and the one ahead

Over the last 20 years, cultural heritage has been a favored domain for personalization research. For years, researchers have experimented with the cutting edge technology of the day; now, with the convergence of internet and wireless technology, and the increasing adoption of the Web as a platform for the publication of information, the visitor is able to exploit cultural heritage material before, during and after the visit, having different goals and requirements in each phase. However, cultural heritage sites have a huge amount of information to present, which must be filtered and personalized in order to enable the individual user to easily access it. Personalization of cultural heritage information requires a system that is able to model the user (e.g., interest, knowledge and other personal characteristics), as well as contextual aspects, select the most appropriate content, and deliver it in the most suitable way. It should be noted that achieving this result is extremely challenging in the case of first-time users, such as tourists who visit a cultural heritage site for the first time (and maybe the only time in their life). In addition, as tourism is a social activity, adapting to the individual is not enough because groups and communities have to be modeled and supported as well, taking into account their mutual interests, previous mutual experience, and requirements. How to model and represent the user(s) and the context of the visit and how to reason with regard to the information that is available are the challenges faced by researchers in personalization of cultural heritage. Notwithstanding the effort invested so far, a definite solution is far from being reached, mainly because new technology and new aspects of personalization are constantly being introduced. This article surveys the research in this area. Starting from the earlier systems, which presented cultural heritage information in kiosks, it summarizes the evolution of personalization techniques in museum web sites, virtual collections and mobile guides, until recent extension of cultural heritage toward the semantic and social web. The paper concludes with current challenges and points out areas where future research is needed

Enhancing learning through self-explanation

Self-explanation is an effective teaching/learning strategy that has been used in several intelligent tutoring systems in the domains of Mathematics and Physics to facilitate deep learning. Since all these domains are well structured, the instructional material to self-explain can be clearly defined. We are interested in investigating whether self-explanation can be used in an open-ended domain. For this purpose, we enhanced KERMIT, an intelligent tutoring system that teaches conceptual database design. The resulting system, KERMIT-SE, supports self-explanation by engaging students in tutorial dialogues when their solutions are erroneous. We plan to conduct an evaluation in July 2002, to test the hypothesis that students will learn better with KERMIT-SE than without self-explanation

FERRAMENTAS DE AUTORIA DE SISTEMAS HIPERMÍDIA ADAPTATIVOS PARA APRENDIZAGEM: UM PONTO DE SITUAÇÃO

Um Sistema Hipermídia Adaptativo (SHA) define-se como sendo um sistema de visualização em que os conteúdos a apresentar, a sua forma de apresentação e navegação são ajustados de acordo com as características de cada utilizador, com o objetivo de guiá-lo para a informação mais relevante, desviando-o de informação menos interessantes ou que ele não conseguiria entender. A utilização de SHA em processos deEnsino/Aprendizagem (SHAA) torna-se assim bastante eficaz, pela capacidade de oferecer ao aluno os estímulos cognitivos corretos no momento adequado, facilitando o ntrajeto construtivista de aprendizagem. Este estudo debruça-se sobre as características atuais das ferramentas de autoria de SHAA, permitindo determinar as mais adequadas para uma determinada finalidade e, ao mesmo tempo, detectar eventuais fragilidades

Dolmetscher, Spione und Mörder: Südtiroler im Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers SS in Italien 1943-45

Bei Kriegsende 1945 blickte die Welt entsetzt auf das Ausmaß der NS-Verbrechen. Auf die Frage, wie konnte das geschehen und wer war verantwortlich für Völkermord und Krieg, verwies man meist auf eine kleine Clique (größen-) wahnsinniger Führer und ihre fanatische und mörderische SS-Gefolgschaft. Alle anderen - etwa die Angehörigen der Wehrmacht und der Waffen-SS - hatten mit den Verbrechen nichts zu tun, hieß es zumeist. Seit den 1990er Jahren hat sich diese Sichtweise in Deutschland und Österreich deutlich geändert. Das jahrzehntelange Schweigen der deutschen Gesellschaft während des Kalten Krieges bezüglich der NS-Täter wurde durchbrochen. Ausstellungen wie Verbrechen der Wehrmacht und Arbeiten wie Christopher Brownings Buch über Ganz normale Männer l und der Holocaust sowie in Österreich die Waldheim-Kontroverse führten zu einer differenzierteren Sichtweise. Die pathologische und dämonisierende Perspektive wurde durch eine neue Subdisziplin der Holocaustforschung - die Täterforschung - in Frage gestellt bzw. stark relativiert. Die neue Täterforschung untersucht vor allem auch die ,kleinen\u27 Schwungräder des Genozids .2 Sie untersucht die Biographie, Sozialisation und Milieu von Tätern der mittleren und unteren Ebene in Wehrmacht, Polizei und anderen Säulen des Regimes. Im Folgenden wird die Geschichte und der Hintergrund einer solchen Gruppe von Südtiroler NS-Tätern dargestellt, die zwischen 1943 und 1945 zum SS-Unterdrückungsapparat in Italien gehörten. Die Beteiligung von Südtirolern in der Bandenbekämpfung ist in Italien heute zwar wenig erforscht aber hinlänglich bekannt, dennoch herrschte unter den Südtirolern jahrzehntelang das Bild der Tiroler südlich des Brenners als kollektives Opfer des italienischen Faschismus vor. Dies ist freilich nur ein Teil der historischen Wahrheit. Die Täter-Rolle nicht weniger Südtiroler im Nationalsozialismus wird dabei gerne übersehen. Stellt man in Rechnung, dass Südtirol in der nationalsozialistischen Großmachtplanung eine Schlüsselrolle einnahm, stellt sich die Frage, in wie weit Südtiroler sich von NS-Organisationen in Dienst nehmen ließen. Im folgenden Beitrag wird die Rolle des Sicherheitsdienstes der SS als Nachrichtendienst, politische Elite und Mordeinheit 3 während der deutschen Besatzungsherrschaft in Italien beispielhaft an einigen Südtiroler Täterbiografien dargestellt