For the final project, I am working with Kevin Casey in implementing the TA interface that helps then mark students progress in class
http://kcasey436.blogspot.com/2011/04/final-project-proposal.html
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Paper Reading #19: Tell Me More, not just "More of the Same"
Comments
Reference
Francisco Iacobelli, Larry Birnbaum, and Kristian J. Hammond
Tell Me More, not just "More of the Same"
Intelligent User Interfaces
Summary
Given the amount of information that is currently available on the internet, it is important that researchers devise better ways of presenting this information to the user. This is particularly true in the context of media outlets and search engines; who increase the amount of information presented by suggesting similar pages to the one requested. It is important to state that it is up to the user to determine whether the suggested articles constitute new information of not. Tell Me More is an interface that can make this classification automatically. Given a seed article, this interface is able to collect new information based on additional quotes, actors, figures, or information. Furthermore, this information is presented with explicit categorization; as opposed to the binary criteria (new/not new) currently used by other systems. The current system implementation consists of five subsystems that help Tell Me More classify and display new information: content gathering, content filtering, text analysis, difference metrics, and presentation. By using LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis), Tell Me More is able to collect a list of different entities (subjects), quantifiers, and quotes in order to determine if the collected information is new and whether it really constitutes new information.
Discussion
This was a very interesting paper in particular because current search engines fail to recognize whether the related material (or suggested readings) represent additional information or not. This is not only seen in the news outlets, but also when shopping for particular products. For example buying a CD that consists of the best music of an artist where several tracks on the disc are already on another disc belonging to the user. I really see how this system can be useful.
Reference
Francisco Iacobelli, Larry Birnbaum, and Kristian J. Hammond
Tell Me More, not just "More of the Same"
Intelligent User Interfaces
Summary
Given the amount of information that is currently available on the internet, it is important that researchers devise better ways of presenting this information to the user. This is particularly true in the context of media outlets and search engines; who increase the amount of information presented by suggesting similar pages to the one requested. It is important to state that it is up to the user to determine whether the suggested articles constitute new information of not. Tell Me More is an interface that can make this classification automatically. Given a seed article, this interface is able to collect new information based on additional quotes, actors, figures, or information. Furthermore, this information is presented with explicit categorization; as opposed to the binary criteria (new/not new) currently used by other systems. The current system implementation consists of five subsystems that help Tell Me More classify and display new information: content gathering, content filtering, text analysis, difference metrics, and presentation. By using LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis), Tell Me More is able to collect a list of different entities (subjects), quantifiers, and quotes in order to determine if the collected information is new and whether it really constitutes new information.This was a very interesting paper in particular because current search engines fail to recognize whether the related material (or suggested readings) represent additional information or not. This is not only seen in the news outlets, but also when shopping for particular products. For example buying a CD that consists of the best music of an artist where several tracks on the disc are already on another disc belonging to the user. I really see how this system can be useful.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Full Blog: Opening Skinner's Box
Comments
Reference
Lauren Slater
Opening Skinners Box
Summary
In Opening Skinner's Box, Lauren Slater talks about a series of psychological experiments that changed the way researchers experienced the field of psychology and psychiatry. Each chapter in this book talks about an experiment and researcher challenged current thought of the time; and the impact of the concept has on society in general.
One of the most interesting parts about Slater's book is that instead of just writing about experiments, she sometimes puts herself to test on the concepts being studied. In chapter 3, where Slater talks about David Rosenhan and his experiment, the author volunteers to conduct the experiment being studied. At some point in the book, she even drugs herself in order to test the theories proposed by Bruce Alexander.
Slater's book can be described also by the amount of controversial thoughts presented in each chapter. Not only are the concepts controversial in themselves, but they also challenge the reader to look at both sides of the story before forming an opinion about a particular topic. For example, in the chapter named Monkey Love, Slater explorers the attachments theories of Harry Harlow not only from a psychological point of view, but also from an ethical perspective. At the end of the chapter the author finds herself talking about animal rights and whether they should be used for experiments.
Discussion
I found Slater's book to be very fascinating and interesting. One of the things that really caught my attention (aside from the psychological experiments being discussed) is that the author went beyond her duty in exploring each concept. In several occasions she put herself to test the topics being discussed. Even if this book is not directly related to HCI, it can still teach us a lot about the way humans think and the way different theories came to be known.
Reference
Lauren Slater
Opening Skinners Box
Summary
One of the most interesting parts about Slater's book is that instead of just writing about experiments, she sometimes puts herself to test on the concepts being studied. In chapter 3, where Slater talks about David Rosenhan and his experiment, the author volunteers to conduct the experiment being studied. At some point in the book, she even drugs herself in order to test the theories proposed by Bruce Alexander.
Slater's book can be described also by the amount of controversial thoughts presented in each chapter. Not only are the concepts controversial in themselves, but they also challenge the reader to look at both sides of the story before forming an opinion about a particular topic. For example, in the chapter named Monkey Love, Slater explorers the attachments theories of Harry Harlow not only from a psychological point of view, but also from an ethical perspective. At the end of the chapter the author finds herself talking about animal rights and whether they should be used for experiments.
Discussion
I found Slater's book to be very fascinating and interesting. One of the things that really caught my attention (aside from the psychological experiments being discussed) is that the author went beyond her duty in exploring each concept. In several occasions she put herself to test the topics being discussed. Even if this book is not directly related to HCI, it can still teach us a lot about the way humans think and the way different theories came to be known.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Book Reading #34 - Obedience to Authority
Chapter 1
Summary
In this chapter the author gives an overview of his experiment and the reasons behind its implementation. For the most part the shocking experiment is conducted in order to understand the role of authority in the holocaust and its relation to the moral values of the general executing the tasks.
Chapter 2
Summary
In chapter 2 Milgram discusses the methods used to conduct the shocking experiment. He talked about the recruiting process as well as the participants (experimenter, teacher, and learner). The author also talked about a post-experiment discussion with the subject where he was explained that no harmed really occurred to the victim and the true purpose of the experiments (subjects were told at first that the experiment aimed to research learning instead of obedience).
Chapter 3
Summary
Milgram talks about people's prediction about the outcome of the experiment. He found out that whether the prediction was about the self or another group, interviewees believed that most people would stop at 150 volts (first request of the victim to be released).
Chapter 4
Summary
This chapter talks about all the variations of the experiment and the effect on its outcome. Milgram determines that the remoteness of the experiment has a big impact on the amount of disobedience; that it, the closer the victim is to the subject, the less likely the subject is to administer the maximum punishment. The author talks about a few reasons explaining why this occurs.
Chapter 5
Summary
In chapter 5 Milgram talks about some of the subjects that took part of the experiment. One person in particular had trouble understanding the experiment and seemed to be controlled by authority. While this subject blamed the experimenter for his actions, other subjects only blamed themselves for administering shocks even after the victim expresses his desire to terminate the experiment.
Summary
In this chapter the author gives an overview of his experiment and the reasons behind its implementation. For the most part the shocking experiment is conducted in order to understand the role of authority in the holocaust and its relation to the moral values of the general executing the tasks.
Chapter 2
Summary
In chapter 2 Milgram discusses the methods used to conduct the shocking experiment. He talked about the recruiting process as well as the participants (experimenter, teacher, and learner). The author also talked about a post-experiment discussion with the subject where he was explained that no harmed really occurred to the victim and the true purpose of the experiments (subjects were told at first that the experiment aimed to research learning instead of obedience).
Chapter 3
Summary
Milgram talks about people's prediction about the outcome of the experiment. He found out that whether the prediction was about the self or another group, interviewees believed that most people would stop at 150 volts (first request of the victim to be released).
Chapter 4
Summary
This chapter talks about all the variations of the experiment and the effect on its outcome. Milgram determines that the remoteness of the experiment has a big impact on the amount of disobedience; that it, the closer the victim is to the subject, the less likely the subject is to administer the maximum punishment. The author talks about a few reasons explaining why this occurs.
Chapter 5
Summary
In chapter 5 Milgram talks about some of the subjects that took part of the experiment. One person in particular had trouble understanding the experiment and seemed to be controlled by authority. While this subject blamed the experimenter for his actions, other subjects only blamed themselves for administering shocks even after the victim expresses his desire to terminate the experiment.
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