Semantic web technology to support learning about the semantic web

This paper describes ASPL, an Advanced Semantic Platform for Learning, designed using the Magpie framework with an aim to support students learning about the Semantic Web research area. We describe the evolution of ASPL and illustrate how we used the results from a formal evaluation of the initial system to re-design the user functionalities. The second version of ASPL semantically interprets the results provided by a non-semantic web mining tool and uses them to support various forms of semantics-assisted exploration, based on pedagogical strategies such as performing later reasoning steps and problem space filtering

Design as interactions of problem framing and problem solving

This paper introduces a model of framing in design. The model takes into account a reflective nature of designing, and it is based on the interplay between two conceptually distinct knowledge sources – an explicit specification of a problem and a solution to it. The approach is novel in the former investigated aspect that is presented as a semi-formal operation of framing, i.e. interpretation of a problem using selected conceptual primitives. We argue that the interpretation of design problems lacks a similar rigorous investigation as problem solving received in both design theory and methodology. Furthermore, two design schemas of frame refinement and problem re-framing are discussed and exemplified

Context as foundation for a semantic desktop

Adoption of semantic web technologies and principles presents an opportunity to change the conceptual model of desktop computing. Moving from a traditional position where the desktop is largely tied to a specific computational device, a semantic desktop could exist as a broad, networked space defined relative to the user. In this position paper we argue that personal, computing, and knowledge contexts are the appropriate means by which to define and shape the desktop space, and that collectively they provide the foundation for novel functionality in a semantic desktop

Opening up Magpie via semantic services

Magpie is a suite of tools supporting a ‘zero-cost’ approach to semantic web browsing: it avoids the need for manual annotation by automatically associating an ontology-based semantic layer to web resources. An important aspect of Magpie, which differentiates it from superficially similar hypermedia systems, is that the association between items on a web page and semantic concepts is not merely a mechanism for dynamic linking, but it is the enabling condition for locating services and making them available to a user. These services can be manually activated by a user (pull services), or opportunistically triggered when the appropriate web entities are encountered during a browsing session (push services). In this paper we analyze Magpie from the perspective of building semantic web applications and we note that earlier implementations did not fulfill the criterion of “open as to services”, which is a key aspect of the emerging semantic web. For this reason, in the past twelve months we have carried out a radical redesign of Magpie, resulting in a novel architecture, which is open both with respect to ontologies and semantic web services. This new architecture goes beyond the idea of merely providing support for semantic web browsing and can be seen as a software framework for designing and implementing semantic web applications

Developing ontologies in OWL: An observational study

No abstract

Supporting user tasks and context: challenges for Semantic Web research

Whilst the tasks users perform online are often complex and wide-ranging, the tools currently available may not adequately support them. Attempts to classify user behaviors online have tended to focus on the medium of the web, where searching and browsing are seen as the primary modes of interaction. This paper introduces a comprehensive user-oriented classification of online tasks that emphasizes the user’s goals without assuming the use of particular internet tools or technologies. Taking greater account of a user’s context is also discussed as an essential component in better supporting performance of tasks online. Finally we consider how Semantic Web technologies can support the development of task-focused context-aware tools

Uses of contextual information to support online tasks

In this paper we make a case for the role of user context information in supporting task performance online, examine previous attempts at representing and making use of user context factors, and highlight the limitations of existing tools and services. We then suggest how the emergent Semantic Web might be able to better facilitate the capture of knowledge regarding user context, and provide the means for its reuse in supporting the performance of tasks online

Magpie: customizing users' experiences when browsing on the semantic web

We describe several advanced functionalities of Magpie -- a tool that assists users with interpreting the web resources. Magpie is an extension to the Internet Explorer that automatically creates a semantic layer for web pages using a user-selected ontology. Semantic layers are annotations of a web page, with a set of applicable semantic services attached to the annotated items. We argue that the ability to generate different semantic layers for a web resource is vital to support the interpretation of web pages. Moreover, the assignment of semantic web services to the entities allows users to browse their neighbourhood semantically. At the same time, the Magpie suite offers trigger functionality based on the patterns of an automatically updated semantic log. The benefits of such an approach are illustrated by a semantically enriched browsing history management

From Buddyspace to CitiTag: Large-scale Symbolic Presence for Community Building and Spontaneous Play

In this paper we discuss the conceptual framework and principles that guide our work in the design of large-scale informal environments for collaborative work, learning and play, aiming to foster social bonds and to provide an exciting testbed for emergent social behaviours. We present three different applications we have developed: Buddyspace, an Instant Messaging environment for community building, BumperCars, an online presence-based multiplayer game and CitiTag, an experimental wireless mixed reality game