MASTER'S THESIS Ontology-based Interactive User Modeling for Adaptive Web Information Systems Enhancement of Task Sequencing

I. Abstract Current Adaptive Web Information Systems suffer from several problems such as cold-start, inaccuracy of the user model and difference in the semantics of the end-users and the authors. To tackle these problems, we propose an OWL-based framework for interactive user modeling in information systems on Semantic Web. The interactive user modeling approach is implemented as OWL-OLM and is integrated and demonstrated in the OntoAIMS Learner Content Management System. The user model in OntoAIMS is extracted —in collaboration with the user— with the help of graphical dialog episodes, which discuss the user's domain knowledge on the domain on-tology in OntoAIMS. This user model is further used to enhance the adaptiveness of the course task recommendation in OntoAIMS. We present an analysis of the benefits of such a framework for interactive user modeling integrated in adaptive web information systems. Detailed design and implementation of the OWL-OLM framework, as well as an evaluation with real users are also presented in this thesis. Special thanks to Lora Aroyo and Vania Dimitrova for their guidance throughout this project, sharing their experience in the field and for making this work an enjoyable experience. Also thanks to all those who contributed to this work. Michael Pye for his implementation of the OWL-OLM graphical communication interface. Vania Dimitrova for her work on the evaluation. All the people who evaluated the system at one time or another. International World Wide Web Conference. Web site URL Demo web site

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