DM: CfP: Workshop on Machine Learning in User Modeling

[Christos Papatheodorou]

                        Call For Papers and Participation
 
                                Workshop on
                        Machine Learning in User Modeling
                (http://www.lib.demokritos.gr/callforpapers.htm)

                        MACHINE LEARNING AND APPLICATIONS
        Advanced Course on Artificial Intelligence 1999 (ACAI'99)
                        5-16 July 1999, Chania, Greece
                (http://www.iit.demokritos.gr/skel/eetn/acai99)


European Coordinating Committee on Artificial Intelligence (ECCAI)
                        (http://www.eccai.org)
                                  &
        Hellenic Artificial Intelligence Society (EETN)
                (http://www.iit.demokritos.gr/skel/eetn)




Workshop Background

User modeling technology aims to make information systems really
user-friendly, by adapting the behaviour of the system to the needs of
the individual. The importance of adding this capability to 
information
systems is proven by the variety of areas in which user modelling has
already been applied: information retrieval, filtering and extraction
systems, adaptive user interfaces. 

A user model consists mainly of the individual preferences of the user
as well as personal information about him/her. Information retrieval 
and
filtering systems aim to deliver to the user those documents that are
relevant to his/her requirements, whereas information extraction 
systems
aim to deliver specific facts from those documents. Adaptive user
interfaces are implemented exploiting user models, which contain
information about the usage of the system by each user. These user
models differ from those in information retrieval and filtering, 
because
they contain mainly procedural information, specifying how the system 
is
used by each user.

Machine learning techniques have been applied to user modeling 
problems, 
for acquiring models of individual users interacting with an 
information 
system and grouping them into communities or stereotypes with common
interests. This functionality is essential in order to have a useful 
and
usable system that can modify its behavior over time and users.

Machine learning techniques are looking promising in cases with very 
large usage data, like WWW sites, and in general in Internet
applications (news filtering, digital libraries, search engines, 
etc.).
In such applications, the information providers need a tool to help
their users in separating the needed information, out the plethora of
information on the net. 


Workshop Objectives

The workshop aims to present the current trends and activities in
exploiting Machine Learning techniques for User Modeling and more
specifically for:

- adaptive user interfaces,
- construction of user communities and stereotypes,
- learning agents for user modeling,
- user modelling for customized web usage,
- user modelling for educational hypermedia.

Active exchange of ideas will be encouraged, as well technical topics
will be discussed concerning the impact of Machine Learning in User
Modeling, among researchers and professionals, information providers 
and
software engineers who develop Internet or similar applications.
Moreover the description of existing working systems will be strongly
encouraged.


Workshop Format

o The workshop will take place during an afternoon session of 
ACAI'99. 
  The afternoon sessions are planned to start at 14:30 and finish at  
  18:30. 
o The exact date of the Workshop will be finalised by the ACAI'99    
  organising   committee by the end of December 1998.
o Anyone registered for the main ACAI-99 event can attend the 
Workshop. 
  For the workshop participants who won't be registered for the
whole         ACAI'99 there will be a fee of 100 ECU.


Submission Format

Interested authors are requested to submit a paper, of no more than 10
pages, before 7 March 1999.

Submissions should be sent by e-mail to:

Dr. Christos Papatheodorou
NCSR Demokritos - Library,
Aghia Paraskevi 153 10, Athens, Greece
Tel: +30-1-6545 427
Fax: +30-1-6522 965
Email: papatheodor@lib.demokritos.gr


Important Dates

March 7, 1999 Deadline for full paper submissions
March 20, 1999 Notification of acceptance or rejection
March 30, 1999 Deadline for final versions of papers
April 30, 1999 Early Registration
June 15, 1999 Late Registration

Organizing Committee


C.Papatheodorou (Chair)         NCSR Demokritos - Library,
Greece                                                  
(papatheodor@lib.demokritos.gr)
D. Kalles                       Univ. of Patras - Computer
Technology                                                            
                                  Institute, Greece
(kalles@cti.gr)
V. Karkaletsis                  NCSR Demokritos - Institute of        
          
Informatics  and
Telecommunications,                                                   
                                          Greece
(vangelis@iit.demokritos.gr)
A. Moukas                       MIT - Multimedia Lab,
USA                                
                                (moux@Frictionless.com)
G. Paliouras                    NCSR Demokritos - Institute of
                                Informatics and
Telecommunications,                                                   
          Greece
(paliourg@iit.demokritos.gr)
M. Spiliopoulou                 Humboldt Univ. - Institut
                                fuer Wirtschaftsinformatik,
                                Germany (myra@wiwi.hu-berlin.de)