User modelling as an aid for human web assistants

Abstract

This paper explores how user modelling can work as an aid for human assistants in a user support system for web sites. Information about the user can facilitate for the assistant the tailoring of the consultation to the individual needs of the user. Such information can be represented and structured in a user model made available for the assistant. A user modelling approach has been implemented and deployed in a real web environment as part of a user support system. Following the deployment we have analysed consultation dialogue logs and answers to a questionnaire for participating assistants. The initial results show that assistants consider user modelling to be helpful and that consultation dialogues can be an important source for user model data collection.