Turning Unstructured and Incoherent Group Discussion into DATree: A TBL Coherence Analysis Approach

Despite the rapid growth of user-generated unstructured text from online group discussions, business decision-makers are facing the challenge of understanding its highly incoherent content. Coherence analysis attempts to reconstruct the order of discussion messages. However, existing methods only focus on system and cohesion features. While they work with asynchronous discussions, they fail with synchronous discussions because these features rarely appear. We believe that discussion logic features play an important role in coherence analysis. Therefore, we propose a TCA method for coherence analysis, which is composed of a novel message similarity measure algorithm, a subtopic segmentation algorithm and a TBL-based classification algorithm. System, cohesion and discussion logic features are all incorporated into our TCA method. Results from experiments showed that the TCA method achieved significantly better performance than existing methods. Furthermore, we illustrate that the DATree generated by the TCA method can enhance decision-makers’ content analysis capability

Actuarial Applications of Natural Language Processing Using Transformers: Case Studies for Using Text Features in an Actuarial Context

This tutorial demonstrates workflows to incorporate text data into actuarial classification and regression tasks. The main focus is on methods employing transformer-based models. A dataset of car accident descriptions with an average length of 400 words, available in English and German, and a dataset with short property insurance claims descriptions are used to demonstrate these techniques. The case studies tackle challenges related to a multi-lingual setting and long input sequences. They also show ways to interpret model output, to assess and improve model performance, by fine-tuning the models to the domain of application or to a specific prediction task. Finally, the tutorial provides practical approaches to handle classification tasks in situations with no or only few labeled data, including but not limited to ChatGPT. The results achieved by using the language-understanding skills of off-the-shelf natural language processing (NLP) models with only minimal pre-processing and fine-tuning clearly demonstrate the power of transfer learning for practical applications.Comment: 47 pages, 33 figures. v3: Added new Section 10 on the use of ChatGPT for unsupervised information extractio

Watching Storytelling: Visual Information in Oral Narratives

Oral narratives, though prolific, are increasingly being shared via some form of electronic mediation, and yet they are often glossed over in regard to the study of narrative. This study was designed to address the unique nature of oral narratives focusing on the information channels utilized by participants in their co-creation of stories. A comparative case study was undertaken of three groups who employed a variety of synchronous and asynchronous electronic mediation in their storytelling. Viewed through the lenses of Narratology and Social Presence Theory a combination of participant observation and qualitative semi-structured exploratory narrative interviews were undertaken with participants from 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling, The Moth, and The Storyteller’s Guild of Second Life. Over three years several hundred stories (via 112 tellers) were observed at 38 storytelling sessions (14 live and in-person; 14 live and virtual; and five each of fixed video and or audio) at numerous venues. During these sessions the telling and listening behaviours of 227 participants were noted, 15 of which were subsequently interviewed. Multiple sources of visual information were observed and identified, three of which were selected for in-depth consideration, namely kinesics, reciprocity, and space. Conclusions derived from this study include that: Visual information shared during storytelling is prolific; Listening is not a passive experience, with reciprocities varying with the mediations utilized; The spaces in which we share stories influence our experiences of said stories; Co-create stories are unique for each participant; and Technological mediation between participants does affect the stories being co-created

Life, Death, and Fear in the Twenty-First Century Brazilian Graphic Novel

This essay identifies influential and prominent twenty-first century Brazilian graphic novels and associated sociocultural affects, such as racial inequality, gender disparities, and social dysfunctionality, as this Post-Boom literary genre expands into a global market. A specific selection of influential texts, key citations, provocative images, and disturbing themes is analyzed, revealing humanistic leitmotifs such as fear of death, violence, and disease, as well as fear of life, immigrant acculturation, futurism, and authoritarianism. The selection is limited to Brazilian graphic novels produced so far in the twenty-first century that have achieved a significant international readership: Daytripper (2014) by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá; Two Brothers (2015) by Moon, Bá and Milton Hatoum; Pixu (2009) by Moon, Bá, Becky Cloonan, and Vasilis Lolos; V.I.S.H.N.U (2012) by Eric Archer, Ronaldo Bressane, and Fabio Cobiaco; and Notas de um tempo silenciado (2015) by Robson Vilalba

Arrive, explore, reflect: the development and evaluation of a web-based program to introduce high school students to landscape architecture

The profession of landscape architecture has struggled with public perception since the mid-nineteenth century. Community programs, coloring books, and educational toolkits are just some of the methods employed in the profession\u27s attempt to improve public perception. Very little research has been conducted to test the efficiency of these educational attempts. The goal of this thesis is to create a Web-based program to effectively educate young members of the public. The program uses five mini lessons to present information about landscape architecture to the student. Links to the World Wide Web are scattered throughout the program to supplement lesson material. A chat is available for those students interested in communicating with a professional landscape architect. To assess the effectiveness of the program, information is collected from answers submitted by student users from within the program. From a total of sixteen questions, twelve are modeled after Bloom\u27s Taxonomy to provide an analysis of student comprehension. The remaining four questions allow the student to express opinions and suggestions for program improvement. Although little literature exists that explores the evaluation of a Web-based educational landscape architecture program, surveyed literature does suggest its potential success. This study suggests that students can effectively learn about landscape architecture through use of such a program. This Web-based program can be used as an initial step in the development of more sophisticated Internet-based methods of educating high school students or the general public about the profession of landscape architecture

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning using Augmented and Virtual Reality in Museum Education

Recent advancements in the cost, availability, and capability of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices and software are spurring their mass distribution to the public. This fundamental shift in the use of AR and VR predominantly from military and academic research laboratories to the public presents new opportunities and challenges for the design of instructional technology. While studies of AR and VR have been conducted to inform the design of individual instructional products, few studies have focused on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) products in which AR and VR learners work together toward shared learning goals. The museum education industry possesses unique and inherent characteristics that position it as a strong candidate for the development and deployment of CSCL-ARVR products. Tourism locations, such as museums, provide an exemplary environment for advanced learning technology experimentation in which information technology infrastructure and programs of instruction are often already in place and in which many tourists already possess smartphones and or tablets that may be used to mediate location-based educational experiences. The goal was to conduct formative research to develop a tentative instructional design theory that can be used to guide the creation of CSCL-ARVR instructional products. Instructional design theory and software engineering practices were applied to guide the design of a CSCL-ARVR instructional product prototype to support museum education. The prototype, named Co-Tour, was designed and developed to enable remotely-located VR participants to collaborate with AR participants located within a tourism location to jointly navigate the location, examine exhibits and answer questions about exhibits related to a problem-based learning instance. Formative data were collected and analyzed, and the results were used to develop a tentative instructional design theory. Mixed Reality Museum Co-Visit Theory is proposed to inform the design and development of CSCL-ARVR co-visitation experiences for museums. A theoretical framework was developed and was informed by CSCL, game-based learning, social constructivist theory, flow theory, and the construct of camaraderie. Five values supporting the goal were elaborated to guide theory methods production including fostering of collaboration, leveraging of informal learning activities, incorporation of motivational elements, favoring of loose organization, and provision an effective user interface. Future research should focus upon replication towards validation and generalizability of results and upon the broader museum going population

Evaluating Generative Ad Hoc Information Retrieval

Recent advances in large language models have enabled the development of viable generative information retrieval systems. A generative retrieval system returns a grounded generated text in response to an information need instead of the traditional document ranking. Quantifying the utility of these types of responses is essential for evaluating generative retrieval systems. As the established evaluation methodology for ranking-based ad hoc retrieval may seem unsuitable for generative retrieval, new approaches for reliable, repeatable, and reproducible experimentation are required. In this paper, we survey the relevant information retrieval and natural language processing literature, identify search tasks and system architectures in generative retrieval, develop a corresponding user model, and study its operationalization. This theoretical analysis provides a foundation and new insights for the evaluation of generative ad hoc retrieval systems.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Inclusive interaction design: bridging the gap between information visualization perception and color vision deficiency users

It’s becoming increasingly important to design for Inclusivity, meaning building products that are accessible to all type of users, namely color vision deficiency (CVD) deuteranope users. Along with that, we can say that Information Visualization plays a big role in the understanding of how ou world functions, since the amount of produced data (2.5 exabytes) is increasing every day. In this way, this project aims to bridge the gap between Information Visualization perception and color vision deficiency users, by exploring the effects that saturation as a variable, applied through an interaction design methodology approach, has on human visual perception. An interactive system was designe in order to explore the effects saturation had in both user’s perception. To perform the experiment, 12 trichromatic male participants were recruited and the selected graph’s colours were simulated into colours a CVD user would normally perceive. This experiment enabled to reach a range in which both trichromatic and CVD users perceive the information of a specific graph in an optimal way. Serving as a first assessment in potentially reaching a range that ensures the optimal visual perception of all types of Information Visualizations for both CVD an trichromatic users, this project intends to be used as a reference in future investigations, in order to improve the quality of life of users affected by this visual constraint

Integrating Augmented Interactive Geo visualizations and Open Government

Es gibt große Hoffnungen zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement im Rahmen von Open Government Initiativen neu zu gestalten. Das Ziel ist es, Bürgerbeteiligung mittels offener Interaktionen und Zugang zu Daten zu stärken und einen Schwerpunkt auf Transparenz, Partizipation und Kollaboration zu legen. Vor diesem Hintergrund formuliert und untersucht diese Arbeit einen Ansatz zur Förderung von bürgerschaftlichem Engagement mittels erweiterten und interaktiven Geo-visualisierungen (AIGs). AIGs nutzen Raum und Zeit als Integratoren, um Bürgern Kontextualisierung, Visualisierung und verschiedene Möglichkeiten zum Engagement zu bieten. Die Hauptforschungsfrage dieser Arbeit untersucht die Effekte von AIGs auf bürgerschaftliches Engagement, während vier Leitfragen Vorbedingungen und Herausforderungen untersuchen. Zusammenfassend werden ein Design Space für AIGs konzeptualisiert, potentielle Rollen der Zielgruppe beschrieben, Best Practices für die Publikation von räumlichen offenen Daten formuliert und es wurden drei AIG Prototypen für einzelne Bürgerbeteiligungsverfahren und Stufen entwickelt und evaluiert.High hopes are pinned to reshaping civic engagement in Open Government Initiatives that seek to open up governmental processes and data by using modern information and communication technologies. The aim is to facilitate citizen engagement through open interactions and access to data by emphasizing transparency, participation, and collaboration. This thesis formulates and evaluates an approach to facilitate citizen engagement with Augmented Interactive Geo-visualizations (AIGs). AIGs use space and time as integrators that allow citizens to contextualize, visualize and engage in different ways. The central research question of this thesis investigates the effects of AIGs on citizen engagement while four guiding questions look at pre-requisits and challenges. In summary, a design space for AIGs is conceptualized, potential roles of the target audience are described, best practices for publishing geospatial Open Data established, and three AIG prototypes have been developed and evaluated for specific instances and levels of citizen engagement