Workshop "Machine Learning for User Modeling" to be held in conjunction with Seventh International Conference on User Modeling (UM99) Banff, Canada, 20-24 June 1999 Call for Participation ---------------------- The information about the user that is available to an interactive computer system is usually limited, so that user model acquisition is a difficult problem. Classical acquisition methods like user interviews, application-specific heuristics, and stereotypical inferences often are not flexible enough. Machine Learning is concerned with the formation of models from observations. Hence, learning algorithms seem to be promising candidates for user model acquisition systems. Recently, a growing interest in the application of machine learning techniques for user modeling purposes has been apparent. At the last user modeling conference (UM97), a first workshop on "Machine Learning for User Modeling" took place, and a special interest group on that topic was initiated. The ML4UM SIG now has both a web site and a mailing list with about 150 subscribers. This workshop has three goals: First, it attempts to be a forum for user modeling researchers who want to discuss specific problems of using machine learning for user modeling. Second, it shall provide an opportunity for user modeling researchers who are not so familiar but want to get acquainted with the possibilities of using machine learning for user modeling. These "novices" shall benefit from the insights of more experienced colleagues, while the latter shall be pointed to new applications and problems. Third, the workshop shall function as a SIG meeting, where joint activities of interested attendants can be planned. Hence, participants are required to submit a short paper that (a) describes why they are interested in the application of machine learning techniques to user modeling and the problems and questions they have encountered and/or (b) describe their current work and interests as related to the workshop topic and/or (c) makes proposals concerning SIG activities In cases (b) and (c), authors shall provide comments and answers to the questions listed below as topics of interest, and perhaps raise new relevant questions and issues. Participants will be selected based on their submissions. Organization ------------ The workshop program will be content-centered. Related issues will be grouped together into sessions, each of which will be moderated by one other participant. Participants will be given opportunity to briefly present their contributions, but they may be part of several sessions, if their paper covers several issues that are quite different from each other. In particular, "novice" questions and problems, research issues, and SIG issues will be separated from each other. If there are enough "novice" submissions, a specific session is planned, where the most interesting questions and problems of newcomers to the field shall be answered by other participants. Accepted contributions will be put on the web beforehand. A mailing list will be set up which participants will be encouraged to use for a-priori comments on other participants' contributions. Topics of Interest ------------------ 1. Research issues: - What learning tasks can be identified in user modeling systems? - Are there classes of problems in user modeling that are particularly well or poorly suited to the application of machine learning methods? - Are there machine learning algorithms or classes of algorithms that are particularly appropriate / not appropriate for user modeling systems? - Are there subareas of user modeling or classes of user modeling systems where machine learning can be especially useful? - In what respects does the induction of a user model differ from other induction tasks to which machine learning is typically applied, and what implications does this have for the application of machine learning in user modeling? - In the case of the description of a concrete application: Why did you choose this particular machine learning technique? How did it affect the success of your application? What general conclusions can you draw from your experiences? - and others 2. SIG issues: - How can SIG facilities (in particular, the SIG web site) be made more useful? - What are possibilities for cooperation (e.g., sharing resources, usage logs, etc.) between SIG members? - What could be activities the SIG should engage in (workshops, special issues of journals, etc.)? - and others Submission instructions ----------------------- Please submit a short paper (2-4 pages) in HTML, PostScript, or PDF to bauer@dfki.uni-sb.de Deadlines --------- February 15 - deadline for submissions March 15 - notification of authors about acceptance April 15 - deadline for revised versions of accepted contributions April 30 - accepted contributions and first draft of the workshop programme made available to participants; mailing list for participants set up Workshop Proceedings -------------------- All accepted papers will be made available on the web before the workshop. In addition we would like to make papers and a summary of the workshop discussions available as online proceedings. Please try to assure that you will be able to provide an HTML version of your final paper. Alternatively, the PostScript/PDF version of your paper will be included Organizers ---------- * Mathias Bauer, DFKI, Germany (bauer@dfki.uni-sb.de) * Piotr Gmytrasiewicz, Univ. of Texas at Arlington, U.S.A. (piotr@huckle.uta.edu) * Wolfgang Pohl, GMD, Germany (Wolfgang.Pohl@gmd.de)