A framework for designing closed domain virtual assistants

An investigation into the efficacy of avatar-based systems for student advice

“…The University of Granada [3] developed a virtual assistant for their university website, to provide help for users in finding "not only the information that they are looking for, but also some related information which could be of the highest interest". Their argument was that users often waste time looking through websites when using traditional menu or keyboard methods.…”

“…Their argument was that users often waste time looking through websites when using traditional menu or keyboard methods. According to [3], the need for some sort of intelligent agent to help users to locate relevant information on the web was already recognized in the mid-nineties. Their findings, based on six months use of a virtual assistant, were very promising, but the team acknowledged that further work was required, including addressing the issue of the virtual assistant's facial expressions.…”

“…The Microsoft Office agent 'Clippit' was introduced in the 1990s [15], [3]. This character was intended to act as the users' personal assistant by speaking and acting on voice commands.…”

“…Some rapid advances have been made in technology in recent years, but many challenges remain and one of these is the use of natural language with agents; this requires in-depth understanding of linguistics and semantics in order to create a truly intelligent system [3]. Siri, the voice recognition app and intelligent digital assistant from Apple, uses natural language to help users to find answers to their queries.…”

“…There is usually a great volume of static information, together with a few dynamic pages for making appointments or similar. Students often have difficulty in finding the answer to a specific question when trying to navigate these pages [3], [4]. The ideal situation is a face-to-face dialogue with an expert, who can guide the student towards the desired outcome.…”