A Common Sense-Based On-Line Assistant for Training Employees

Abstract

Abstract. We present a prototype of an on-line assistant to support a training course about workspace safety issues. The application uses a common sense reasoning engine and the Brazilian Open Mind common sense knowledge base, to make inferences about concepts that might be unfamiliar to the students. We explore the use of metaphors and analogies to explain topics, enhancing learning by using similarities to help students associate related topics. We believe that common sense can be used to take into account cultural considerations while helping learners to build analogies. A survey of students showed that they considered analogies useful in the learning process, that the system was helpful in understanding new concepts, and that it helped connect the information searched for with common sense knowledge.

Improving Human-Computer Interaction by Developing Culture-Sensitive Applications Based on Common Sense Knowledge

“…This algorithm uses a ConceptNet as basis domain and an ExpertNet as target domain, returning literal similarities. Details about the algorithm can be found in (Anacleto et al, 2007b). In the same way it can be found details about the other common sense inference procedures used in OMCS-Br in (Liu & Sing, 2004).…”

“…For example, when a student asks the system for results related to the expression "prevenir acidentes no ambiente de trabalho" (in English, "preventing accidents in the workplace"), the expression will be divided in "preventing work accidents", "work accidents", "accidents" and "accident in the workplace". This technique increases the likelihood of getting results from the search, since the terms that are searched are simpler and more likely to be found in the semantic network (Anacleto et al, 2007b). interface developers face many challenges, such as the design of the content which should be presented for users with different culture profiles.…”

“…The On-line Help Assistant is a web system to support continuing education about workplace safety issues, where the learner can ask a doubt about a certain concept in natural language and the system gives him back the formal definition and some analogies coming from common sense of that employee community to explain the concept (Anacleto et al, 2007b). In order to build the analogies, the system uses the function get_analogy() mentioned in section 3.3 of this chapter.…”

Common sense-based applications to advance personalized learning

“…This algorithm uses a ConceptNet as basis domain and an ExpertNet as target domain, returning literal similarities. Details about the algorithm can be found in [14]. In the same way it can be found details about the other common sense inference procedures used in OMCS-Br in [8].…”

Learning activities on health care supported by common sense knowledge

“…In this context, common sense can be defined as the knowledge that is shared by the vast majority of people who live in a particular culture [1], [2]. For example, simple statements as "ice is cold", knowledge about the world as "Brazil is in Latin America", habits like "people take the shoes off when they arrive at home" and (possibly controversial) beliefs as "North Americans are the best soccer players in the world" are included.…”