A task-centered approach for user modeling in a hypermedia office documentation system
The development of user-adaptive systems is of increasing importance for industrial applications. User modeling emerged from the need to represent in the system knowledge about the user in order to allow informed decisions on how to adapt to match the user's needs. Most of Be research in this field, however, has been theoretical, ''top-down.'' Our approach, in contrast, was driven by the needs of the application and shows features of bottom-up, user-centered design. We have implemented a user modeling component supporting a task-based interface to a hypermedia information system for hospitals and tested it under realistic conditions. A new architecture for user modeling has been developed which focuses on the tasks performed by users. It allows adaptive browsing support for users with different level of experience, and a level of adaptability. The requirements analysis shows that the differences in the information needs of users with different levels of experience are not only quantitative, but qualitative. Experienced users are not only able to cope with a wider browsing space, but sometimes prefer to organize their search in a different way. That is why the user model and the interface of the system are designed to support a smooth transition in the access options provided to novice users and to expert users.
adaptation adaptive interfaces hypermedia and hypertext navigation intelligent information retrieval office hospital documentation systems task-based context for information retrieval task-structures