Notes for W-MIT Source A-1.2.1

1. " How software can act as an assistant to the user rather than a tool, by learning from interaction and by proactively anticipating the user's needs."

My comments 

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a. I can abstract a few structures here

~ Structure 1: "software act as an assistant"

~ Structure 2: "by learning from interaction"

~ Structure 3: "by proactively anticipating the user's needs"

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b. Then I can apply the structures into my project's context, basically, I add the detail of learning-design to each structure.

~ Application 1: learning-design software act as an assistant for users' learning design

~ Application 2: by learning from interaction with the user, in terms of solving learning design problems.

(Here, I can be do more detailed analysis on my visions of the interaction; I am happy that people have started systematically research about it, and I can learn a lot)

~ Application 3: by proactively anticipating the user's learning-design needs.

Learners vary greatly in terms of their learning needs, it is difficult for a teacher to identify each learner's needs in a classroom; however, if a learner can identify her own learning needs with a 'digital-assistant', it is a more realistic goal. 

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c. the 'software-agent' need to learn from the interaction.

Here comes some interesting questions:

~ Does the 'software-agent' knows how to learn from the user?

~ Can the 'software-agent' interact with the user in a as scienfitic as possible way?

For me, it is about embedding learning-design functions into these software-agents.

Meanwhile, I realize there is something called machine-learning, I am interested in knowing more about it, analyze it, compare and contrast it with general learning sciences, to see what might happen

2. "Software agents are programs that act as assistants to a user of an interactive interface, in contrast to most conventional programs, which act as tools."

My comments

a. The structure abstracted is: 'Assistants to a user of an interactive interface'

b. With applying this structure into my case: it need to be assistants to a user of an interactive interface, in this interactive interface, the user can be assisted in their learning-design problem solving processes.

c. My works has focused on finding ways to create such type of interactive interface because there is little such type of interactive interface, or digital tools yet. 

3. "Software agents are typically long-lived, semi-autonomous, proactive, and adaptive."

My comments 

a. long-lived, semi-autonomous, proactive, and adaptive are the desirable features for my target software systems. I am interested in learning systematically about these feature.  

4. "This group builds prototype software agents in a wide variety of application domains, including text and graphical editing, Web browsing, matchmaking, electronic commerce, groupware, and more."

My comments

a. Could this group be interested in developing learning-design software agents? Or even innovating-design software agents?  I feel that there are some patterns of innovating that might benefit innovators in an explicit and systematical way. 

5. "We are looking for people with diverse backgrounds, not just straight-A computer scientists. The two core competencies are human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence, but we also encourage people with relevant backgrounds in such fields as graphics, cognitive science, mathematics, economics, library science, education, and the arts."

My comments

a. Based on my academic background, I have the backgroud of educational technology (which is about cognitive science, education, human-computer interaction), the backgrounds of mathematics and accounting (which is closely relevant to economics)

b. My works in last 4 years carry the nature of human-computer interaction, artifical intelligence, and graphics. Maybe from a different angle than most projects.

c. Tree-nets and Smart Analogy can facilitate the collaborations among people with diverse backgrounds, and can be powerful tools for people who want to become an inter-discipline experts.

6. "Above all, we are looking for people who are creative, who can think"out-of-the-box" about the future, then work hard to create it."

My comments

a. I am creative and work hard to create for my goals

b. I have found some patterns shared by creative people, and explore tools that can help people become more creative.

c. My exploring the possibility of developing an independent innovation science orginates from a vision: with right ways and tools, people can become more creative.  

d. With self-employed experience and working with an Angel Capital Organization, I think on how to help enterprenures to develop innovations and commercialize these innovations.

e. On a plane from China to US, I watched a movie called <Extraordinary Measures> a few times, which has inspired me in many ways. One thing I have learned from this movie is: a responsibility that scientists should consider more is: to turn research findings into practical innovations that can benefit needed people directly. 

f. The collective knowledge in learning sciences are innovations (innovative theories), the knowledge should benefit needed people (each learner) directly, in an accessible way to them.

7. " You should be self-motivated, without the need for day-by-day, step-by-step direction. You should be able to collaborate well with professors, fellow students, industry and academic colleagues. It is essential to have good programming, presentation, and writing skills."

My comments

a. I am highly self-motivated, self-regulated, and I explore a lot on how to create environments that support people's developing ownerships and self-regulation.

b. I took a course called interpersonal communication, I know another course called group dynamics, I realize that how most people can benefit greatly from systematically learning these courses, and applying these ideas in real life.  

c. With SIF (semi-structured illustrated function), I think that it will be more feasible to embed the training of soft skills into software, so that more people can explicitly learn and apply these skills.

d. I need improve my programming, presentation, and writing skills. And, I believe that one best way of learning is through designing and teaching.