Towards Connecting Online Interfacing and Internal Core Business Processes

Nowadays, organisations tend to do more business online by enabling their business processes to interact with customers, suppliers, etc., via different online channels. On the other hand, their core business processes, such as production, engineering, etc., may still stay inside the organisation. As a consequence, this makes an organisation rely on the collaboration between these two types of business processes to conduct its business, and this collaboration brings issues like multiple instance correlation, process view, and process evolution, to the business process management (BPM) of the organisation. This paper reports our research in progress on these issues. It firstly identifies the requirements to fully support such collaboration, and then presents a framework to illustrate how the collaboration can be facilitated using latest BPM technologies. This framework provides a reference architecture to incorporating online interfacing and internal core business processes

Chatbots for Modelling, Modelling of Chatbots

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Departamento de Ingeniería Informática. Fecha de Lectura: 28-03-202

Model Driven Service Description and Discovery Framework for Carrier Applications

The most dominant architecture in the contemporary business domain is Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The large number of the existing service description and discovery systems available today, including the ones proposed in research proposals, reveals an increasing need for adaptive, semantically enriched and context-aware, wide-area service discovery. This need will become more intense in the years to come as the number of available services increases rapidly. The main reason behind the existence of a plethora of such systems is that before these initiatives, the standard in service discovery was taking into account only the syntactic descriptions of the services, causing conflicts when services, with similar syntactic descriptions, needed to be evaluated. The research solutions available today offer efficient and accurate discovery at the syntactic, functional semantic and non-functional semantic level. However, the problem is that there is no general consensus yet regarding service discovery. Research by its very nature, leads to point solutions rather than complete systems. Based on these observations, we propose an adaptive service description and discovery framework for carrier applications, enabling the model-driven specification of services and client profiles, and also, for allowing the dynamic configuration of the services to meet specific quality requirements defined by the clients. The framework was implemented in the context of Model Driven Development, to ensure platform independence at the level of the specification of services. The framework takes the union of the point solutions offered by research proposals in the area of service description and discovery, creates an abstract model, and can compile that model to platform specific code. More specifically, services for carrier applications can be specified in a platform independent way both in terms of service signatures (syntactic properties) and in terms of the functionality and the QoS service characteristics (semantic properties). A model transformation framework allows for the creation of a platform specific model for the description of services in a specific technology platform (e.g., Web services). The framework is extensible to accommodate future extensions. In addition, as a proof of concept, we designed and developed an Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) prototype tool, implementing our proposal

Towards adaptive argumentation learning systems : theoretical and practical considerations in the design of argumentation learning systems

This dissertation addresses four issues of pivotal importance in realizing the promises of adaptive argumentation learning systems: (1) User interface: How can argumentation user interfaces be designed to effectively structure and support problem solving, peer interaction, and learning? (2) Software architecture: How can software architectures of adaptive argumentation learning systems be designed to be employable across different argumentation domains and application scenarios in a flexible and cost-effective manner? (3) Diagnostics: How can user behavior be analyzed, automatically and accurately, to drive automated adaptations and help generation? (4) Adaptation: How can strategies for automated adaptation and support be designed to promote problem solving, peer interaction, and learning in an optimal fashion? Regarding issue (1), this dissertation investigates argument diagrams and structured discussion interfaces, two areas of focal interest in argumentation learning research during the past decades. The foundation for such structuring approaches is given by theories of learning and teaching with knowledge representations (theory of representational guidance) and collaboration scripts (script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning). This dissertation brings these two strands of research together and presents a computer-based learning environment that combines both approaches to support students in conducting high-quality discussions of controversial texts. An empirical study confirms that this combined approach has positive impact on the quality of discussions, thus, underpins the theoretical basis of the approach. Regarding issue (2), this dissertation presents a software framework for enhancing argumentation systems with adaptive support mechanisms. Adaptive support functionality of past argumentation systems has been tailored to particular domains and application scenarios. A novel software framework is presented that abstracts from the specific demands of different domains and application scenarios to provide a more general approach. The approach comprises an extensive configuration subsystem that allows the flexible definition of intelligent software agents, that is, software components able to reason and act autonomously to help students engage in fruitful learning activities. A graphical authoring tool has been conceptualized and implemented to simplify the process of defining and administering software agents beyond what has been achieved with the provided framework system. Among other things, the authoring tool allows, for the first time, specifying relevant patterns in argument diagrams using a graphical language. Empirical results indicate the high potential of the authoring approach but also challenges for future research. Regarding issue (3), the dissertation investigates two alternative approaches to automatically analyzing argumentation learning activities: the knowledge-driven and the data-driven analysis method. The knowledge-driven approach utilizes a pattern search component to identify relevant structures in argument diagrams based on declarative pattern specifications. The capabilities and appropriateness of this approach are demonstrated through three exemplary applications, for which pedagogically relevant patterns have been defined and implemented within the component. The approach proves particularly useful for patterns of limited complexity in scenarios with sufficient expert knowledge available. The data-driven approach is based on machine learning techniques, which have been employed to induce computational classifiers for important aspects of graphical online discussions, such as off-topic contributions, reasoned claims, and question-answer interactions. Validation results indicate that this approach can be realistically used even for complex classification tasks involving natural language. This research constitutes the first investigation on the use of machine learning techniques to analyze diagram-based educational discussions. The dissertation concludes with discussing the four addressed research challenges in the broader context of existing theories and empirical results. The pros and cons of different options in the design of argumentation learning systems are juxtaposed; areas for future research are identified. This final part of the dissertation gives researchers and practitioners a synopsis of the current state of the art in the design of argumentation learning systems and its theoretical and empirical underpinning. Special attention is paid to issue (4), with an in-depth discussion of existing adaptation approaches and corresponding empirical results.Diese Dissertationsschrift behandelt die folgenden vier Fragestellungen, welche bei der Realisierung adaptiver Argumentationssysteme von zentraler Bedeutung sind: (1) Benutzerschnittstelle: Wie müssen Benutzerschnittstellen beschaffen sein, um Problemlöse-, Kooperations- und Lernprozesse effektiv zu strukturieren und zu unterstützen? (2) Softwarearchitektur: Wie können die Funktionalitäten eines adaptiven Argumentationslernsystems in eine Softwarearchitektur abgebildet werden, welche flexibel und mit angemessenem Aufwand in verschiedenen Bereichen und Szenarien einsetzbar ist? (3) Diagnostik: Wie kann Benutzerverhalten automatisch und mit hoher Genauigkeit analysiert werden, um automatisierte Anpassungen und Hilfestellungen effektiv zu steuern? (4) Adaption: Wie sollten automatisierte Anpassungen und Hilfestellungen ausgestaltet werden, um Problemlöse-, Kooperations- und Lernprozesse optimal zu unterstützen? Hinsichtlich Fragestellung (1) untersucht diese Arbeit Argumentationsdiagramme und strukturierte Onlinediskussionen, zwei Schwerpunkte der Forschung zu Lernsystemen für Argumentation der vergangenen Jahre. Die Grundlage solcher Strukturierungsansätze bilden Theorien zum Lehren und Lernen mit Wissensrepräsentationen (theory of representational guidance) und Kooperationsskripten (script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning). Diese Arbeit führt beide Forschungsstränge in einer neuartigen Lernumgebung zusammen, die beide Ansätze vereint, um Lernende beim Diskutieren kontroverser Texte zu unterstützen. Eine empirische Untersuchung zeigt, dass sich dieser kombinierte Ansatz positiv auf die Diskussionsqualität auswirkt und bekräftigt damit die zu Grunde liegenden theoretischen Annahmen. Hinsichtlich Fragestellung (2) stellt diese Arbeit ein Software-Rahmensystem zur Bereitstellung adaptiver Unterstützungsmechanismen in Argumentationssystemen vor. Das Rahmensystem abstrahiert von domänen- und anwendungsspezifischen Besonderheiten und stellt damit einen generelleren Ansatz im Vergleich zu früheren Systemen dar. Der Ansatz umfasst ein umfangreiches Konfigurationssystem zur Definition intelligenter Softwareagenten, d. h. Softwarekomponenten, die eigeständig schlussfolgern und handeln, um Lernprozesse zu unterstützen. Um das Definieren und Administrieren von Softwareagenten über das bereitgestellte Rahmensystem hinaus zu vereinfachen, wurde ein grafisches Autorenwerkzeug konzipiert und entwickelt. Unter anderem erlaubt dieses erstmals, relevante Muster in Argumentationsdiagrammen ohne Programmierung mittels einer grafischen Sprache zu spezifizieren. Empirische Befunde zeigen neben dem hohen Potential des Ansatzes auch die Notwendigkeit weiterführender Forschung. Hinsichtlich Fragestellung (3) untersucht diese Arbeit zwei alternative Ansätze zur automatisierten Analyse von Lernaktivitäten im Bereich Argumentation: die wissensbasierte und die datenbasierte Analysemethodik. Der wissensbasierte Ansatz wurde mittels einer Softwarekomponente zur Mustersuche in Argumentationsdiagrammen umgesetzt, welche auf Grundlage deklarativer Musterbeschreibungen arbeitet. Die Möglichkeiten und Eignung des Ansatzes werden anhand von drei Beispielszenarien demonstriert, für die verschiedenartige, pädagogisch relevante Muster innerhalb der entwickelten Softwarekomponente definiert wurden. Der Ansatz erweist sich insbesondere als nützlich für Muster eingeschränkter Komplexität in Szenarien, für die Expertenwissen in ausreichendem Umfang verfügbar ist. Der datenbasierte Ansatz wurde mittels maschineller Lernverfahren umgesetzt. Mit deren Hilfe wurden Klassifikationsroutinen zur Analyse zentraler Aspekte von Onlinediskussionen, wie beispielsweise themenfremde Beiträge, begründete Aussagen und Frage-Antwort-Interaktionen, algorithmisch hergeleitet. Validierungsergebnisse zeigen, dass sich dieser Ansatz selbst für komplexe Klassifikationsprobleme eignet, welche die Berücksichtigung natürlicher Sprache erfordern. Dies ist die erste Arbeit zum Einsatz maschineller Lernverfahren zur Analyse von diagrammbasierten Lerndiskussionen. Die Arbeit schließt mit einer Diskussion des aktuellen Forschungsstands hinsichtlich der vier Fragestellungen im breiteren Kontext existierender Theorien und empirischer Befunde. Die Vor- und Nachteile verschiedener Optionen für die Gestaltung von Lernsystemen für Argumentation werden gegenübergestellt und zukünftige Forschungsfelder vorgeschlagen. Dieser letzte Teil der Arbeit bietet Forschern und Anwendern einen umfassenden Überblick des aktuellen Forschungsstands bezüglich des Designs computerbasierter Argumentationslernsysteme und den zugrunde liegenden lehr- und lerntheoretischen Erkenntnissen. Insbesondere wird auf Fragestellung (4) vertiefend eingegangen und bisherige Adaptionsansätze einschließlich entsprechender empirischer Befunde erörtert

Value Co-Creation in Smart Services: A Functional Affordances Perspective on Smart Personal Assistants

In the realm of smart services, smart personal assistants (SPAs) have become a popular medium for value co-creation between service providers and users. The market success of SPAs is largely based on their innovative material properties, such as natural language user interfaces, machine learning-powered request handling and service provision, and anthropomorphism. In different combinations, these properties offer users entirely new ways to intuitively and interactively achieve their goals and thus co-create value with service providers. But how does the nature of the SPA shape value co-creation processes? In this paper, we look through a functional affordances lens to theorize about the effects of different types of SPAs (i.e., with different combinations of material properties) on users’ value co-creation processes. Specifically, we collected SPAs from research and practice by reviewing scientific literature and web resources, developed a taxonomy of SPAs’ material properties, and performed a cluster analysis to group SPAs of a similar nature. We then derived 2 general and 11 cluster-specific propositions on how different material properties of SPAs can yield different affordances for value co-creation. With our work, we point out that smart services require researchers and practitioners to fundamentally rethink value co-creation as well as revise affordances theory to address the dynamic nature of smart technology as a service counterpart

A flexible and reusable framework for dialogue and action management in multi-party discourse

This thesis describes a model for goal-directed dialogue and activity control in real-time for multiple conversation participants that can be human users or virtual characters in multimodal dialogue systems and a framework implementing the model. It is concerned with two genres: task-oriented systems and interactive narratives. The model is based on a representation of participant behavior on three hierarchical levels: dialogue acts, dialogue games, and activities. Dialogue games allow to take advantage of social conventions and obligations to model the basic structure of dialogues. The interactions can be specified and implemented using reoccurring elementary building blocks. Expectations about future behavior of other participants are derived from the state of active dialogue games; this can be useful for, e. g., input disambiguation. The knowledge base of the system is defined in an ontological format and allows individual knowledge and personal traits for the characters. The Conversational Behavior Generation Framework implements the model. It coordinates a set of conversational dialogue engines (CDEs), where each participant is represented by one CDE. The virtual characters can act autonomously, or semi-autonomously follow goals assigned by an external story module (Narrative Mode). The framework allows combining alternative specification methods for the virtual characters\u27; activities (implementation in a general-purpose programming language, by plan operators, or in the specification language Lisa that was developed for the model). The practical viability of the framework was tested and demonstrated via the realization of three systems with different purposes and scope.Diese Arbeit beschreibt ein Modell für zielgesteuerte Dialog- und Ablaufsteuerung in Echtzeit für beliebig viele menschliche Konversationsteilnehmer und virtuelle Charaktere in multimodalen Dialogsystemen, sowie eine Softwareumgebung, die das Modell implementiert. Dabei werden zwei Genres betrachtet: Task-orientierte Systeme und interaktive Erzählungen. Das Modell basiert auf einer Repräsentation des Teilnehmerverhaltens auf drei hierarchischen Ebenen: Dialogakte, Dialogspiele und Aktivitäten. Dialogspiele erlauben es, soziale Konventionen und Obligationen auszunutzen, um die Dialoge grundlegend zu strukturieren. Die Interaktionen können unter Verwendung wiederkehrender elementarer Bausteine spezifiziert und programmtechnisch implementiert werden. Aus dem Zustand aktiver Dialogspiele werden Erwartungen an das zukünftige Verhalten der Dialogpartner abgeleitet, die beispielsweise für die Desambiguierung von Eingaben von Nutzen sein können. Die Wissensbasis des Systems ist in einem ontologischen Format definiert und ermöglicht individuelles Wissen und persönliche Merkmale für die Charaktere. Das Conversational Behavior Generation Framework implementiert das Modell. Es koordiniert eine Menge von Dialog-Engines (CDEs), wobei jedem Teilnehmer eine CDE zugeordet wird, die ihn repräsentiert. Die virtuellen Charaktere können autonom oder semi-autonom nach den Zielvorgaben eines externen Storymoduls agieren (Narrative Mode). Das Framework erlaubt die Kombination alternativer Spezifikationsarten für die Aktivitäten der virtuellen Charaktere (Implementierung in einer allgemeinen Programmiersprache, durch Planoperatoren oder in der für das Modell entwickelten Spezifikationssprache Lisa). Die Praxistauglichkeit des Frameworks wurde anhand der Realisierung dreier Systeme mit unterschiedlichen Zielsetzungen und Umfang erprobt und erwiesen

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Study of the development of an Io T-based sensor platform for e-agriculture

E-agriculture, sometimes reffered as 'ICT in agriculture' (Information and Communication technologies) or simply "smart agriculture", is a relatively recent and emerging field focused on the enhacement on agricultural and rural development through improved information and communication processes. This concept, involves the design, development, evaluation and application of innovative ways to use IoT technologies in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture, in order to achieve better ways of growing food for the masses with sustainability. In IoT-based agriculture, platforms are built for monitoring the crop field with the help of sensors (light, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, etc.) and automating the irrigation system. The farmers can monitor the field conditions from anywhere and highly more efficient compared to conventional approaches

Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice

Can new technology enhance purpose-driven, democratic dialogue in groups, governments, and societies? Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice is the first book that attempts to sample the full range of work on online deliberation, forging new connections between academic research, technology designers, and practitioners. Since some of the most exciting innovations have occurred outside of traditional institutions, and those involved have often worked in relative isolation from each other, work in this growing field has often failed to reflect the full set of perspectives on online deliberation. This volume is aimed at those working at the crossroads of information/communication technology and social science, and documents early findings in, and perspectives on, this new field by many of its pioneers. CONTENTS: Introduction: The Blossoming Field of Online Deliberation (Todd Davies, pp. 1-19) Part I - Prospects for Online Civic Engagement Chapter 1: Virtual Public Consultation: Prospects for Internet Deliberative Democracy (James S. Fishkin, pp. 23-35) Chapter 2: Citizens Deliberating Online: Theory and Some Evidence (Vincent Price, pp. 37-58) Chapter 3: Can Online Deliberation Improve Politics? Scientific Foundations for Success (Arthur Lupia, pp. 59-69) Chapter 4: Deliberative Democracy, Online Discussion, and Project PICOLA (Public Informed Citizen Online Assembly) (Robert Cavalier with Miso Kim and Zachary Sam Zaiss, pp. 71-79) Part II - Online Dialogue in the Wild Chapter 5: Friends, Foes, and Fringe: Norms and Structure in Political Discussion Networks (John Kelly, Danyel Fisher, and Marc Smith, pp. 83-93) Chapter 6: Searching the Net for Differences of Opinion (Warren Sack, John Kelly, and Michael Dale, pp. 95-104) Chapter 7: Happy Accidents: Deliberation and Online Exposure to Opposing Views (Azi Lev-On and Bernard Manin, pp. 105-122) Chapter 8: Rethinking Local Conversations on the Web (Sameer Ahuja, Manuel Pérez-Quiñones, and Andrea Kavanaugh, pp. 123-129) Part III - Online Public Consultation Chapter 9: Deliberation in E-Rulemaking? The Problem of Mass Participation (David Schlosberg, Steve Zavestoski, and Stuart Shulman, pp. 133-148) Chapter 10: Turning GOLD into EPG: Lessons from Low-Tech Democratic Experimentalism for Electronic Rulemaking and Other Ventures in Cyberdemocracy (Peter M. Shane, pp. 149-162) Chapter 11: Baudrillard and the Virtual Cow: Simulation Games and Citizen Participation (Hélène Michel and Dominique Kreziak, pp. 163-166) Chapter 12: Using Web-Based Group Support Systems to Enhance Procedural Fairness in Administrative Decision Making in South Africa (Hossana Twinomurinzi and Jackie Phahlamohlaka, pp. 167-169) Chapter 13: Citizen Participation Is Critical: An Example from Sweden (Tomas Ohlin, pp. 171-173) Part IV - Online Deliberation in Organizations Chapter 14: Online Deliberation in the Government of Canada: Organizing the Back Office (Elisabeth Richard, pp. 177-191) Chapter 15: Political Action and Organization Building: An Internet-Based Engagement Model (Mark Cooper, pp. 193-202) Chapter 16: Wiki Collaboration Within Political Parties: Benefits and Challenges (Kate Raynes-Goldie and David Fono, pp. 203-205) Chapter 17: Debian’s Democracy (Gunnar Ristroph, pp. 207-211) Chapter 18: Software Support for Face-to-Face Parliamentary Procedure (Dana Dahlstrom and Bayle Shanks, pp. 213-220) Part V - Online Facilitation Chapter 19: Deliberation on the Net: Lessons from a Field Experiment (June Woong Rhee and Eun-mee Kim, pp. 223-232) Chapter 20: The Role of the Moderator: Problems and Possibilities for Government-Run Online Discussion Forums (Scott Wright, pp. 233-242) Chapter 21: Silencing the Clatter: Removing Anonymity from a Corporate Online Community (Gilly Leshed, pp. 243-251) Chapter 22: Facilitation and Inclusive Deliberation (Matthias Trénel, pp. 253-257) Chapter 23: Rethinking the ‘Informed’ Participant: Precautions and Recommendations for the Design of Online Deliberation (Kevin S. Ramsey and Matthew W. Wilson, pp. 259-267) Chapter 24: PerlNomic: Rule Making and Enforcement in Digital Shared Spaces (Mark E. Phair and Adam Bliss, pp. 269-271) Part VI - Design of Deliberation Tools Chapter 25: An Online Environment for Democratic Deliberation: Motivations, Principles, and Design (Todd Davies, Brendan O’Connor, Alex Cochran, Jonathan J. Effrat, Andrew Parker, Benjamin Newman, and Aaron Tam, pp. 275-292) Chapter 26: Online Civic Deliberation with E-Liberate (Douglas Schuler, pp. 293-302) Chapter 27: Parliament: A Module for Parliamentary Procedure Software (Bayle Shanks and Dana Dahlstrom, pp. 303-307) Chapter 28: Decision Structure: A New Approach to Three Problems in Deliberation (Raymond J. Pingree, pp. 309-316) Chapter 29: Design Requirements of Argument Mapping Software for Teaching Deliberation (Matthew W. Easterday, Jordan S. Kanarek, and Maralee Harrell, pp. 317-323) Chapter 30: Email-Embedded Voting with eVote/Clerk (Marilyn Davis, pp. 325-327) Epilogue: Understanding Diversity in the Field of Online Deliberation (Seeta Peña Gangadharan, pp. 329-358). For individual chapter downloads, go to odbook.stanford.edu