Incremental Learning from Scratch for Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems

Clarifying user needs is essential for existing task-oriented dialogue systems. However, in real-world applications, developers can never guarantee that all possible user demands are taken into account in the design phase. Consequently, existing systems will break down when encountering unconsidered user needs. To address this problem, we propose a novel incremental learning framework to design task-oriented dialogue systems, or for short Incremental Dialogue System (IDS), without pre-defining the exhaustive list of user needs. Specifically, we introduce an uncertainty estimation module to evaluate the confidence of giving correct responses. If there is high confidence, IDS will provide responses to users. Otherwise, humans will be involved in the dialogue process, and IDS can learn from human intervention through an online learning module. To evaluate our method, we propose a new dataset which simulates unanticipated user needs in the deployment stage. Experiments show that IDS is robust to unconsidered user actions, and can update itself online by smartly selecting only the most effective training data, and hence attains better performance with less annotation cost.Comment: ACL201

Using mobile RE tools to give end-users their own voice

Researchers highlight end-user involvement in system design as an important concept for developing useful and usable solutions. However, end-user involvement in software engineering is still an open-ended topic. Novel paradigms such as service-oriented computing strengthen the need for more active end-user involvement in order to provide systems that are tailored to individual end-user needs. Our work is based on the fact that the majority of end-users are familiar with mobile devices and use an increasing number of mobile applications. A mobile tool enabling end-user led requirements elicitation could be just one of many applications installed on end-users' mobile devices. In this paper, we present a framework of end-user involvement in requirements elicitation which motivates our research. The main contribution of our research is a tool-supported requirements elicitation approach allowing end-users to document needs in situ. Furthermore, we present first evaluation results to highlight the feasibility of on-site end-user led requirements elicitation

Generic Enterprise Software Implementation as Context for User-Oriented Design: Three Conditions and their Implications for Vendors

User-oriented approaches to designing IT are consistently promoted by academic and practitioner literature. These orients the design process around the specific practices and needs of end-users to build usable and relevant systems. However, an increasingly relevant but little explored context for the design of IT is that of implementing generic enterprise software solutions. In this paper, we explore conditions for user-oriented design during the implementation of generic enterprise software. Our empirical data is based on an ongoing engaged research project, where we work with the vendor of a global generic software solution and a set of implementation specialist groups (ISGs). Together, we explore how user-oriented design during implementation of the software solution can be supported and promoted. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge on the design and implementation of generic enterprise software by identifying several challenges and three conditions for user-oriented design in this context. The conditions are: the project configuration, the implementation practices of the ISGs, and the features and adaption capabilities of the generic software solution. We further contribute by discussing their implications for vendors who want to support and promote user-oriented design during implementation of their software solutions

A User-Oriented Approach To Data Modeling: A Blueprint For Generating Financial Statements And Other Accounting-Related Documents And Reports

In contrast to traditional and innovative data models in the database design process, such as the Entity-Relationship (E-R) and Resource Event Agent Location (REAL) models, respectively, a user-oriented approach to the data modeling of a relational database to satisfy users’ information needs is presented.  Although relational database management systems (RDBMS) are powerful for organizing, manipulating, and retrieving data, they are inadequate if the needed data elements are not captured and included, required relationships are not identified and implemented, or incorrect relationships are identified in the data model because the needs of information users were neglected or identified incorrectly during the data modeling.  Using the case of an accounting information system (AIS) for a simple merchandising enterprise, this paper illustrates how user information needs can be met when a user-oriented approach is followed in the data modeling.  Specifically, it provides a blueprint for generating financial statements and other accounting-related documents and reports from a relational database that utilizes user perspectives

A Transportation Performance Measurement System with a Mississippi Case Study

In current literature and practices, there are no systematic and user-oriented intermodal transportation performance measures. After identifying customer needs and transportation goals, this paper proposes a set of system-level performance measures for intermodal transportation that are user-oriented, scalable, systematic, and scientific. The measures can be used to compare intermodal design alternatives or to evaluate existing transportation systems with any size and any mode. The highway system in Mississippi is analyzed as a case study. The case study demonstrates the existing data sources, the methods of calculating the measures, and the means of evaluating transportation systems with the measures

A Transportation Performance Measurement System with a Mississippi Case Study

In current literature and practices, there are no systematic and user-oriented intermodal transportation performance measures. After identifying customer needs and transportation goals, this paper proposes a set of system-level performance measures for intermodal transportation that are user-oriented, scalable, systematic, and scientific. The measures can be used to compare intermodal design alternatives or to evaluate existing transportation systems with any size and any mode. The highway system in Mississippi is analyzed as a case study. The case study demonstrates the existing data sources, the methods of calculating the measures, and the means of evaluating transportation systems with the measures

OBJECT-ORIENTED PARTS INVENTORY INFORMATION SYSTEM MODELING USING UNIFIED MODELING LANGUAGE

The availability of spare parts in a vehicle service workshop needs to be correctly recorded and recorded, making it easier for workshop owners to ensure the complete availability of vehicle spare parts. From the results of the author's observations, the Rizki Prima workshop has several obstacles in recording the availability of spare parts where the business processes being carried out are still a hassle for the employees working in the workshop. The problem often occurs when recording is the incompleteness of data related to incoming and outgoing goods. So the recording made in the ledger needs to be more accurate and requires a relatively long time to search one by one in the register if the workshop owner needs it. As a result of poor recording of goods, it is difficult for the owner to order goods again, worried that duplicating data will record incoming goods. The above problems are the basis for the authors to conduct research by utilizing information systems and modeling with an object-oriented approach using a unified modeling language to design a spare parts inventory information system according to user needs. To provide an overview of the Rizki Prima workshop transforming from conventional spare parts data recording to digital spare parts recording. The above problems are the basis for the authors to conduct research by utilizing information systems and modeling with an object-oriented approach using a unified modeling language to design a spare parts inventory information system according to user needs. To provide an overview of the Rizki Prima workshop transforming from conventional spare parts data recording to digital spare parts recording. The above problems are the basis for the authors to conduct research by utilizing information systems and modeling with an object-oriented approach using a unified modeling language to design a spare parts inventory information system according to user needs. To provide an overview of the Rizki Prima workshop transforming from conventional spare parts data recording to digital spare parts recording.   KEYWORDS: Modeling, Information Systems, Spare Parts Inventory, Availability, Unified Modeling Languag

Separable User Interface Architectures in Teaching Object Technology

This paper concerns the critical role of separable user interface design in teaching object-oriented systems. M206 "Computing: An Object-oriented Approach" is a large-scale university-level introduction to software development designed from scratch for distance learning, using an objects-first approach with Smalltalk. The course is degree-level, counting as one sixth, and is being offered in the UK, Western Europe and Singapore. To address the needs of industry we have developed a radical syllabus that adheres to the principle of designing complex systems by separating view and model, and have developed a programming and learning environment to support these ideas. In the paper we examine how separable user interface architectures have guided our teaching of object technology and the design of powerful microworlds that are both usable and extendible by neophytes. The course and relevant teaching with software is outlined and the technical design and pedagogic use of the microworlds and GUI builder tool are described

The Role of Situation Awareness Metrics in the Assessment of Indoor Orientation Assistive Technologies that Aid Blind Individuals in Unfamiliar Indoor Environments

The importance of raising user\u27s situation awareness has proven to be an important factor in the successful use of systems that involve mission-critical tasks. Indoor Orientation Assistive Technology (OAT) that supports blind individuals is one of the systems that needs to be oriented to support user\u27s situation awareness. In the tasks involved in this system, blind individuals try to maintain their spatial understanding of the environment. The current evaluation methods of Orientation Assistive Technology that aids blind travelers within indoor environments rely on the performance metrics. When enhancing such systems, evaluators conduct qualitative studies to learn where to focus their efforts. The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the use of an objective method to facilitate blind travelers situation awareness when traveling unfamiliar indoor environments. We investigate the use of in-task probes using the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) method, and post self-reported questionnaire using the Situation Awareness Rating Technique (SART) method. The goal of this metric is to design an objective method that can highlight design areas that need improvements when evaluating such systems. Also, we investigate the relationship between user\u27s situation awareness and user\u27s confidence, satisfaction, and stress levels