Intelligent Technologies for Cultural Visits and Mobile Education

2 Post-Doc/PhD Positions are avaiable at the Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Computer Science at the  University of Haifa, Israel

In the areas of:
1.    User Modeling
2.    Intelligent User Interfaces
In the framework of the FIRB project, focusing on:
“Intelligent Technologies for Cultural Visits and Mobile Education”
The Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Foundation Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Computer Science (C.R.I.) is an advanced research institute which is unique in Israel in that it specifically promotes research in interdisciplinary applications of computer science.
While a number of computer institutes exist, few are specifically devoted to interdisciplinary research.
A novel, cutting edge, multidisciplinary research project focusing on enhancing personal experience with cultural heritage is starting now at CRI, in the framework of the collaboration between CRI and ITC/irst in Trento, Italy. The objective of the project is to explore a specific theme of artificial intelligence, combining the experience and knowledge of Israeli and Italian researchers. The main theme concerns the study of intelligent mobile interfaces in the sector of systems for cultural visits and mobile education. Various areas of artificial intelligence are involved, among which the production of dynamic presentations, group collaboration, user modelling, natural language processing, reasoning, systems aware of the context and interaction between man and the intelligent computer.
Past research projects focused on exploiting the capabilities of state of the art technology to support the individual museum visitor. However, people are rarely alone when they visit a museum or other cultural sites.
One of the questions of this research project is: can this technology support a small group during their visit?
The project has the task of developing the technology for a group of people moving within a physical cultural space. In particular, the project emphasises the fact that this is not a mere group of people, but rather individuals who communicate among one another during their visit and even afterwards. They will share feelings, supply and obtain advice, integrate the acquired information and discuss points of view. The purpose is to increase the interest of visitors in a theme, give them more in-depth information, and if possible make them return. Groups of people visiting together may have some kind of social relation, like a family, or a specific learning target. The members of each group will interact (before
and) after the visit.
Recent sociological studies emphasise the value of the conversations that visitors hold inside the museum. One of our objectives is to favour the conversations in the museum through the use of flexible, non-intrusive technology.
Post-Doc/PhD positions - In the framework of the above project, two Post-Doc/PhD positions are currently announced with the aim of undertaking research in two closely related areas, namely User Modeling and Intelligent User Interfaces.
The first position will focus on group modeling and integrating group and individual user modeling in the museum setting. This work will be supervised by Dr. Tsvi Kuflik from the Management information Systems department, at the University of Haifa. The research will expand and enhance prior work done in this area, in various research projects, including the recent PEACH and PIL projects where the Haifa teams took an active part.
The second position will focus on novel information presentation techniques for individuals that are part of a group, taking into account concepts coming from the world of theater and with the goal of stimulating conversation among participants. This work will be supervised by Prof.
Oliviero Stock. The research will expand on prior work done in the area of museum presentations, in various research projects, including the recent PEACH and PIL projects where the Haifa teams took an active part.
The task is to perform research and studies with the aim of passing a PhD examination in User Modeling or Intelligent user interfaces at the University of Haifa. The task involves programming in Java, C##, Flash, Web services (these technical skills are an advantage, but can be
acquired) and to work as part of a small team for developing an integrated system. Small part of the time will be spent at IRST. There will be some opportunities to contribute to the teaching at the university as a teaching assistant. The positions are offered for 3 years, starting as soon as possible and no later than October 2007. Applications review will start on May 15th until positions filled.
More information about the positions is given by Dr. Tsvi Kuflik, phone
+972 4 8288511. email: tsvikak@is.haifa.ac.il and by Prof. Oliviero
+Stock,
email: stock@itc.it
A motivated letter of application, including relevant research ideas accompanied by a CV and a transcript of the applicant’s undergraduate studies. Applications should be sent to Dr. Tsvi Kuflik, The Management Information Systems Department, The University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel, or sent by fax to +972 4 8288522. The applicant should ask one, alternatively two, of her or his teachers or supervisors to send, by the same date, a brief letter of reference by email, post or fax to the same address.