International Business Communication

This paper is presenting a generic ontology-based user modeling architecture, (OntobUM), applied in the context of a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Due to their powerful knowledge representation formalism and associated inference mechanisms, ontology-based systems are emerging as a natural choice for the next generation of KMSs operating in organizational, interorganizational as well as community contexts. User models, often addressed as user profiles, have been included in KMSs mainly as simple ways of capturing the user preferences and/or competencies. We extend this view by including other characteristics of the users relevant in the KM context and we explain the reason for doing this. The proposed user modeling system relies on a user ontology, using Semantic Web technologies, based on the IMS LIP specifications, and it is integrated in an ontology-based KMS called Ontologging. We are presenting a generic framework for implicit and explicit ontology-based user modeling.

In this paper, we present an agent-based system designed to support the adoption of knowledge sharing practices within communities. The system is based on a conceptual framework that, by modelling the adoption of knowledge management practices as a change process, identifies the pedagogical strategies best suited to support users through the various stages of the adoption process. Learning knowledge management practices is seen as a continuous process, taking place at individual and social level that includes the acquisition of information, as well as the contextual use of the information acquired.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to discuss new approaches for managing personal knowledge in the Web 2.0 era. The paper questions whether Web 2.0 technologies (social software) are a real panacea for the challenges associated with the management of knowledge. Can Web 2.0 reconcile the conflicting interests of managing organisational knowledge with personal objectives? Does Web 2.0 enable a more effective way of sharing and managing knowledge at the personal level? Design/methodology/approach -Theoretically deductive with illustrative examples. Findings -Web 2.0 plays a multifaceted role for communicating, collaborating, sharing and managing knowledge. Web 2.0 enables a new model of personal knowledge management (PKM) that includes formal and informal communication, collaboration and social networking tools. This new PKM model facilitates interaction, collaboration and knowledge exchanges on the web and in organisations. Practical implications -Based on these findings, professionals and scholars will gain a better understanding of the potential role of Web 2.0 technologies for harnessing and managing personal knowledge. The paper provides concrete examples of how Web 2.0 tools are currently used in organisations. Originality/value -As Web 2.0 has become integrated in our day-to-day activities, there is a need to further understand the relationship between Web 2.0 and PKM. ). The concept has evolved over time and now involves organising personal information, making sense of information, negotiating meaning, creating new ideas, developing networks, collaborating, sharing and interacting . PKM environments integrate individual work environments and infrastructures to support joint creation, distribution, sharing and application of knowledge . Web 2.0 (O' Reilly, 2005) or the Social Web has introduced new concepts and tools that are able to operationalise a more social-centric vision. Online social networking systems, such as LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook, allow people to manage their interaction with others on a massive scale. Blogs, microblogs (e.g. Twitter) and instant messaging tools (e.g. Skype) have provided new communication tools to interact more effectively with others in opened communities. Finally, radically new tools have emerged, such as Wikis (Wikipedia) and social bookmarking (Delicious), aimed at directly supporting PKM and fostering collective intelligence. This perspective has appeared so relevant and so promising that many specialists consider this approach to be the future of knowledge management, hoping that these new tools will contribute to realising the challenge of managing knowledge . Yet this perspective raises a number of questions related to the application of a vision that was born from the need to incorporate more of the social dimension and to better fit the individual needs of knowledge workers .

This paper describes an artificial agent system, designed to help people in organizations to learn and to adopt knowledge-sharing practices. The agent, a personal assistant, continuously analyses the actions of the user in order to build and maintain a "behavioural profile" reflecting the level of adoption of the "desired" behaviours. Using this profile, and relying on a model borrowed from change management theories, the agent provides customised guidance, mentoring, motivation and stimuli, supporting the gradual transformation of the user's behaviours.

Several challenges need to be met by a new generation of learning services. On the one hand they need to fit into a ubiquitous and serendipitous learning vision, to adapt to many different types of users with different backgrounds and needs. On the other hand they need to integrate modern pedagogical approaches of learning. These services will probably rely on the cooperation of different distributed, autonomous, goal-oriented entities and they can be grid or web-oriented. In this paper we show how core technologies can contribute to the development of a next generation of learning services. In particular, we focus our attention on personalized services delivery for learning by employing an ontological perspective and user modeling techniques. The paper presents some preliminary results obtained within Elegi FP6 project.

This chapter focuses on the role of user models and user modelling for enhanced, personalised user support within knowledge management systems (KMSs). Personalisation can bring a utility function as well as a conviviality function with "high touch" impact for the users. From this utility and conviviality perspective, various personalised services enable KMSs to adapt their functionality, structure, and content to match the needs and preferences of users based on a user model that is stored and updated dynamically. The chapter presents a set of examples, different types of adaptations and personalised services specific to KMSs.

In the last few years there has been a strong growth of interest in pedagogical agents. Typically, these agents are represented to learners as simulated beings (dogs, bugs, ants, humans) existing in some virtual environment. Along with this new way of communicating with children there has been a corresponding rise of interest in emotional agents, agents that manifest some behaviour based on an underlying simulation of emotional state and rules that govern transitions from one state to another. Combining these two concepts, we now have the notion of emotional pedagogical agents.

This paper presents a cognitive multi-agents architecture called Intelligent Cognitive Agents (InCA) that was elaborated for the design of Intelligent Adaptive Learning Systems. The InCA architecture relies on a personal agent that is aware of the user's characteristics, and that coordinates the intervention of a set of expert cognitive agents (such as story telling agents, assessment agents, stimulation agents or help agents). This InCA architecture has been applied for the design of K-InCA, an e-learning system aimed at helping people to learn and adopt knowledge-sharing management practices.

The paper elaborates on the role of user models and user modeling for enhanced support in Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs). User models in KMSs, often addressed as user profiles, include user's preferences and are often similar to competency definitions. We extend this view with other characteristics of the users (e.g. level of activity, level of knowledge sharing, type of activity etc.) and we explain the rationale for doing this. The proposed user model is defined as a user ontology based on Information Management System Learner Information Package (IMS LIP) specifications and it is integrated in an ontology-based user modeling system. The whole user modeling module is integrated in a ontology-based KMS called Ontologging.

In this paper we present an advanced e-custom system pilot designed to address strategic goals for future custom systems. Future custom systems will support simplified paperless trade procedures, prevent potential security threats and counterfeit tax related fraud while at the same time insure interoperability with other e-custom systems within and outside Europe. The focus is placed on the advantages of use of novel technologies for the implementation of advanced e-custom systems. In particular we highlight the use of service oriented architecture (SOA), web services and TREC (Tamper Resistant Embedded Controller) device in an integrated framework named EPCIS (Electronic Product Code for Information Systems). Among the advantages of the presented solution are: the ubiquitous access to the location of goods through its supply chain, the provision of evidence for import/export, the notification through alerts in case of exceptions (such as deviation from the planned trajectory, abnormal conditions for containers, etc.).

Web 2.0 has created new possibilities for students to engage, interact and collaborate in learning tasks that enhance learning processes and the overall learning experience. The challenge for educators is to design and integrate a new set of tools based on specific didactic principles associated with a specific domain of learning. This article discusses experiences and challenges of using a Web 2.0-based collaborative learning environment in case-based teaching of foreign languages. The cognitive processes underlying learning and in particular foreign language learning are assumed to be facilitated by means of collaborative Web 2.0 applications. Based on the notions of social constructivism and social constructionism, we argue that foreign language learning is an individual as well as collaborative process and cognitive processes underlying learning and in particular foreign language learning are facilitated by means of collaborative Web 2.0 tools. Preliminary experiments have indicated that collaborative learning processes that are embedded in an e-learning platform are supportive and conducive to successful problem-solving which leads to successful adult foreign language learning.

This paper focuses on the role of user modeling and semantically enhanced representations for personalization. This paper presents a generic Ontology-based User Modeling framework (OntobUMf), its components, and its associated user modeling processes. This framework models the behavior of the users and classifies its users according to their behavior. The user ontology is the backbone of OntobUMf and has been designed according to the Information Management System Learning Information Package (IMS LIP). The user ontology includes a Behavior concept that extends IMS LIP specification and defines characteristics of the users interacting with the system. Concrete examples of how OntobUMf is used in the context of a Knowledge Management (KM) System are provided. This paper discusses some of the implications of ontology-based user modeling for semantically enhanced KM and, in particular, for personal KM. The results of this research may contribute to the development of other frameworks for modeling user behavior, other semantically enhanced user modeling frameworks, or other semantically enhanced information systems.

Abstract. The Ontology-based modeling has become a topical subject in the last few years as ontology-based representations can result in better methodologies for conceptual design of data and knowledge bases, facilitating knowledge sharing and reuse. The focus of this paper is ontology-based user modeling and its concrete use in the context of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS). In particular, this paper presents the process of building a user ontology, its integration and use in an ontology-based user modeling framework.

Abstract. This article investigates several well-known social network applications such as Last. fm, Flickr and identifies social data portability as one of the main technical issues that need to be addressed in the future. We argue that this issue can be addressed by building social networks as Semantic Web applications with FOAF, SIOC, and Linked Data technologies, and prove it by implementing a prototype application using Java and core Semantic Web standards.

Abstract: This article investigates several well-known social network applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Last. fm, Flickr and identifies semantics and social data portability as the main technical issues that need to be addressed in the future.

On-line gaming became widespread in the last couple of years. The aim of the research presented in the paper is to figure out to what extent does game playing helps to strengthen weak ties and what additional factors influence this process. The approach is rather exploratory–some factors are grounded in theory, some are new.

Résumé. Il existe un besoin d'outils avancés d'apprentissage sur le Web. Le développement des nouvelles technologies comme le Web sémantique, le calcul sur grille et les services web ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives et défis pour la conception d'une nouvelle génération de systèmes d'apprentissage. Cette nouvelle génération peut être conçue comme des services distribués, autonomes, contextualisés, services web ou grille.

La nouvelle économie est dominée par les échanges de savoir et par la production de connaissances; on parle d'économie de l'immatériel (Zackland et Grundstein, 2001). La connaissance est un enjeu économique majeur de nos jours; c'est le raison pour laquelle les organisations essayent de gérer au mieux leurs ressources. Les systèmes de gestion des connaissances (SGC) sont destinés à capitaliser et à gérer le patrimoine des connaissances dans les organisations.

Abstract: This paper aims to elaborate on the role of user modelling for personalization and enhanced attention support. User modelling is an important element in the management of personal profiles and identity of users, but also a key element for providing adaptive features and personalized interaction. In this paper, we present personalization as the process consisting on the customization, and the adaptation of the interaction along the structure, the content, the modality, the presentation and the level of attention required.