People and Machine Communication

Many of us have heard or seen robots. Our life is affected virtually every day by them. However, some people don’t believe on their existing. In spite of that, scientists are well funded by their governments to build and design new intelligent robots. New design let robots work with high capability and reliability. In near future, robots maybe communicate with people in houses, workplaces and even meet them on streets. They may share our life, our facility and our society. Furthermore, the new generation of robots may have complex human communication skills allowing them participating in healthcare, space technology, security and many more.

All objections against going with robots technology are not clear and make people in contrasting. The people who don’t sustain with the robot technology think that all robots don’t have human communication skills. Consequently, robots can’t deal with human being as human. Also, they think that robots don’t have the ability to react as human. They can’t express about their emotions and their senses because they don’t have them. Thus, they will be ineffectual for human beings who depend totally on their feeling and emotion.

In fact, when we go in deep of robot technology we find great benefits behind it. Majority of people support the robots technology for their multi-purposes of using. Scientists had extensive experiments within this field. The ultimate robot is the new generation of robots. These kinds of robots can simulate and act as human beings. They used sophisticated applications which allow them understand most of the daily human activities.

Scientists in computer science try to develop and improve all existing technology such as artificial intelligent and expert systems. For example, Prolog language is a programming language that provides robot an intelligent brain. This type of programming gives robots unusual talents such as diagnostics and analysis. For example, a pharmacist robot is one of the famous robots use in medical fields. It is the abstract of expert systems and artificial intelligent. Simply, he performs the same job of pharmacist to communicate with patients by asking some questions about their symptoms. After that, he can resolve the situation of patients, and suggest them the appropriate medicine.

Security guard is one of the significant aptitudes in the field of safety and protection. At the present time, Honda Company uses the latest technology of robots to use them in banks security. ASIMO robot is the model of this kind. The powerful tools in this robot empower him to be a security guard. He can monitor all sides of bank by using the wireless cameras which located in different locations. He has 8 cameras on his head which allow him a wide vision on all directions. Rather than, his warning system is very strong and it is connected to the police center, once he records any strange movements he will communicate with the people in the police center and provide them with a live video from cameras which are located on his head and around the bank area.

Robots have great uses in the space technology for their abnormal abilities. These days, NASA experts use robots in most space experiments. For example, in 2003, they sent an intelligent robot to Mars for a complicated mission. This robot was able to communicate and interact with his surroundings and send live pictures to the earth. The robot had been sent to an active volcano, and the temperature was more than 300 Fahrenheit. However, he got all pictures from different angles and returned back without any damage.

Near future will lead us to exciting innovations of robot technology. Sooner or later, people will accept robots in their live and they will communicate and deal with them in different ways. Furthermore, robots will be a part of our life and a part of any activity. I strongly predict that robots will shift people to a special lifestyle, and definitely they will distinguish the future of human and machine communication.

Works Cited:

ASIMO. (2008, October 13). Retrieved October 17, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASIMO

Robovolc, a robot for volcano exploration. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2008, from Robovolc System: http://www.robovolc.diees.unict.it/system/system.htm

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is a technical term that describes the new Internet environment. Perhaps some may ask ‘Is there an old version’ and the answer is yes. In fact, Web 2.0 was developed in 2004, and it is a continuing of the old Web 1.0 version where it was all about text and line graphics. In my perspective, the main goal of development was to add value to the Internet world by opening the chance of participating, managing and handling web contents by people and users from different cultures and places. Obviously, these improvements on the Internet’s applications have created many new approaches, which truly changed the concept of the Internet.

In this blog, I would like to show the main three key elements of Web 2.0:

1. A Uniform Platform for All

It was a dream in the Web 1.0 environment that many electronic devices can work and interactive with each other. Simply, Web 1.0 was dealing only with computers; Web 2.0 has made this dream come true. Today, we can see how the convergence of various computers, laptops, PDAs, iPhones and many other devices work and share information within the same platform. Moreover, Web 2.0 has different channels, connections, services and protocols, such as voice over IP, broadcasting, live video and chatting.

2. Create a Social Network

We all know how technology has changed our social relationship. Web 2.0 has made the Internet environment more social and communal. The definition by Journal of the Canadian health library Association is “Web 2.0 is about the architecture of participation. And by using web 2.0 applications, we provide a service, not a product. We encourage user contribution, we create collective intelligence, we make it easy to reuse and remix content, and finally we create a feeling of belonging to a community.” Google, Facebook and Wikipedia are such examples of great social Web 2.0 networks.

3. Availability of Data-Transferring and Data-Sharing

In the past, sharing and transferring data took several hours to be completed, and nobody dream to upload home videos because of the low speed bandwidth, time spent, and resources required for uploading. Compare that to today’s Internet where the broadband is fast and available everywhere through different communication channels such as wireless connection. Moreover, many Internet websites provide uploading features for direct audio, video and graphics files. Therefore, Web 2.0 made the Internet more sharable and available with less effort and time.

Previously, I explained the main three key points of Web 2.0 in general. However, Web 2.0 can be described in business as specific term to define business cooperative tools. Web 2.0 in business is used to enhance the internal and external human communication. For example, internal blogs and wikis are used to increase the level of communication within the organization. Personal blogs and group project wikis describe the internal relationship. At the same time, the external blogs and wikis are used to find an outsider relationship with customers and dealers.

What is Information Renaissance?

In my previous blogs about European Renaissance, I mentioned the Dark Ages, and I explained why it was called “dark” because of the lack of information resources. As a simple definition, Information Renaissance is the expanding of information and knowledge resources and how making these resources reachable and available to the public.

For example, the paper age was where the printing press and newspapers were a medium of information movement, where there was an “Explosion of the dissemination of knowledge brought on by printing and the creation of new techniques in art, poetry, and architecture which led to a radical change in the style, and substance of the arts and letters.” (Wikipedia) This revolution during the paper age helped in augmenting people’s knowledge and understanding.

Today, technology popularity increases, the Internet has been playing a big role in changing the concept of information renaissance and created a new concept called Information Technology. The Internet has found a huge source of knowledge and formed encyclopedias in different fields of sciences. In my view, Information is an open source, the Internet environment permits people to access information from websites, emails, and search engines. In fact, the technological advancements have changed the way of information movement; not only to deliver information to the people, but also to deliver information from person to person and group to group. Web 2.0 is the new form of the Internet, which enhanced the information on the internet and added more values by its applications such as Blogs, Wikis, and Instant Messaging.

The new age of information is growing by people. Web 2.0 allows people to share information, knowledge, and learn cultural and social views. Finally, these facilities in the new age of information renaissance would deliver knowledge, information and people’s contributions to the whole world.

Human Communication Definition

Human Communication is the way information can be transmitted between two people or more, and how they interact and communicate with each other. In the process of information transmission, people may use different accents, sounds and gestures; at the same time, they may use different means and methods called the components of human communication.

The components of human communication are divided into two categories: 

1.Verbal means come in a form of speaking, volume, and tone. 2. Non-verbal means illustrate physical elements such as a body language, eye language, sign language, facial expression, writing, and many others. However, there are many skills based on level of personal aptitude make the process of communication more success such as observing emotions, analysis situations, finding relationships, discovering rational causes. Moreover, there are other factors may enhance the process of communication such as using common language, taking a right direction, understanding educational and cultural situations. These components assist people to convey their information, knowledge, context and meaning. “Human beings always represent reality symbolically… We can never “view” reality purely. Instead, we must use a set of concepts and symbols to define what we see.” Consequently, these components would lead to an obvious understanding and could make any message received by a receiver more accurate, clear and comprehensible. (Wikipedia).

However, human communication has many characterizations, and it is hard to find a standard definition. “The continuing problem in defining communication for scholarly or scientific purposes stems from the fact that the verb ‘to communicate’ is well established in the common lexicon and therefore is not easily captured for scientific use. Indeed, it is one of the most overworked terms in the English language.” Human communication has been defined as a dynamic concept by most researchers and scholars. They have found distinct explanations of human communication derived from their perception, view and field of study.

After all, human communication has countless definitions and concepts describe many ways and methods in conveying information among people. The variety of definitions has found different theories, perspectives, and views. “While there is not a right or wrong perspective, choices regarding [definitions] are not trivial. These perspectives launch scholars down different theoretical trajectories, predispose them to ask distinct questions, and set them up to conduct kinds of communication studies.”

References:

*Bernard Berelson and Gary Steiner, Human Behavior (New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1964), p.254.

*Dr.Gillette Class on August 25, 2008. At the Center for Information and Communication Sciences, Ball State University.

*Litlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2005). Theories of Human Communication. Thomson. pp. 4-5.

*Theodore Clevenger, Jr., “Can One Not Communicate? A Conflict of Models,” Communication Studies 42(1991):351.

*Peter A. Andersen, “What One Cannot Not Communicate: A Challenge to Motley’s Traditional Communication Postulates,” Communication Studies 42 (1991): 309.

What is Research?

From what I have learned, research is the act of expanding knowledge by conducting investigating a particular topic. One researcher or a group of researchers who share a common interest can participate in a research study. Bernard R. (2006), defined research methods as ways of knowing things. He stated that methods are “strategic choices, like whether to do participant observation fieldwork, dig up information from libraries and archives, do survey, or run an experiment” (p 3). Babbie E. (2007) stated that any research has three main elements: theory or hypothesis, operationalization, and observation. Theory is anything that has been investigated. A hypothesis is a new idea or assumption that needs to be explored and proven or disproven. However, before testing an existing theory or exploring a new hypothesis we need to operationalize it or, in other words, specify the meaning of all the variables that are related to the new concept. The last step is to look at our surroundings and observe our variables to measure them using an appropriate method.

In fact, we do not realize that we get involved in informal types of research every day. For example, we use different techniques to seek information, using libraries, databases, books, and resources to satisfy our information needs. However, we need to know how to analyze our collected data to represent them in a formal final report. There are different types of research which can be used based on a researcher’s goals. For example, experimental research is the most suitable type for scientific studies. In this type, a researcher can create different experiments and study the effect on investigative variables. Another category is correlation research, which is used to find out the relationships between two or more variables. This style needs the researchers to predict some sort of cause and effect to study and find relations between them. Survey research is another common type that is preferable because it is easy to conduct but not to design. This form is useful for understanding and discovering the characteristics of a group. For instance, when a department manager wants to know more about his or her employees’ opinions regarding the new policy, survey research can assist in giving a partial picture. Why not a complete picture?  Some employees may not answer all of the questions honestly, or maybe they hide some of the information for their benefit. In this case, the best way to investigate people’s feelings, emotions, behaviors, and performance is to use qualitative research. A good example is ethnographic research, where researchers concentrate on observing participants' actions, reactions, behaviors, motions and even body language. Researchers collect data through field observation, interviews, videotapes, audiotapes, self-report and more. Sometimes, they use different locations to observe participants. Two or more observers can be used as well as two or three cameras to record participants’ conduct from different angles. All of these methods are used to collect as much data as possible and then analyze them correctly. However, this type of research is very expensive and requires a lot of effort, time, and experience.

In my opinion, ethnographic research is the best way to investigate human behavior. Most researchers mix quantitative, which includes surveys and numbers, with qualitative data. By using this method, researchers can avoid bias when collecting quantitative data and eventually create a definitive final report. For my study, I am going to use the mixed method in order to study information seeking behavior among physicians in the medical emergency rooms.

References:

Babbie, E. (2007). The practices of social research. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth  

Brebard, R. (2006). Research methods in anthropology: qualitative and quantitative approaches. Oxford, United Kingdom: AltaMira Press.

Analytical Search Strategies

Analytical Search Strategies” was the title of chapter five in the Information Seeking in Electronic Environments book. The book was written by Gary Marchionin, and published in 1995 by Cambridge University press. In this chapter, the author highlights some of the factors that influence novice and expert users, adult and children searchers, high school, undergrad, and graduate students while they use electronic search systems. Marchionin (1995) states that a single information system may be utilized by different types of users. He added that information systems should give diverse search options in order to satisfy vast ranges of information searches and needs. Furthermore, he states that individual differences, level of experience, and nature of information task are the main factors that affect the usability level of search systems (Marchionin, 1995). At the same time, the frequent use of these systems and familiarity can be counted as another important factor. Novice searchers use information systems differently than experts. Also, adult, children, and students in different levels use different tactics with their searches. The author reveals that taking the advantage of analytical strategies and Boolean operators are difficult to be used and, therefore, most novice end users do not prefer them.

Marchionin (1995) found that giving a good training is essential for users to effectively apply different search strategies; consequently, this will allow users to complete their searches with accurate results. He added that good training along with basic understanding of the search and databases is imperative “to apply analytical strategies, users were required to learn at least a minimal set of search commands, simple Boolean logic, and some basic principles of databases organization” (p.86). Although a good training will enhance the search strategies for the users, writing a correct command without a mistake is still unavoidable. The author discusses an alternative solution to avoid syntax and command mistakes. Instead of typing search commands, a developed interface can facilitate this process by offering “precise instructions and help” (Meadow, 1992, as cited in Marchionin, 1995). The suggested interface was called front-ends. Marchionin found that these front-ends “help information seekers employ analytical strategies” (p.86). The main purpose of these systems is to simplify the process of the search by giving the user the option of using menus and form fill-ins. Thus, users are able to select analytical and Boolean strategies from lists instead of typing. Researchers found that users of these systems “conducted successful searches using the interface” (Meadow, Cherry, Borgman, & Case, 1989, as cited in Marchionin, 1995). In my opinion, users’ experience and prior knowledge are the main factors in applying a successful search that return a correct results. Even with these advanced systems, if the users do not understand the purpose of different strategies, he or she may not be able to use them appropriately. There is a deference between “And” and “Or”, “+” and “-”, and many other symbols that require users to be well-trained in order to use them remarkably.

Marchionini, Gary. 1995. Analytical search strategies. In Information seeking in electronic environments. New York: Cambridge University Press. [ch. 5: 76-99]

Expertise and evidence in the assessment of library service quality

Walters (2003) states that the lack of comprehensive understanding of the library collections and services cause undergraduate students an inability to give a valid assessment of the service quality. The author argues that undergraduate students are not expert users of library services and are unfamiliar with different services from other libraries. This, along with a lack of objectivity, confirms that most undergraduate students are not good LibQUAL+ survey participants.

Walters (2003) states that many students “haven’t been exposed to significant variations in quality, their expectations are conditioned by the level of service they’re accustomed to the level of service provided by their own college libraries” (p.99). This denotes that these students do not have experience with different services and systems and, therefore, cannot distinguish between good and bad services. Walters (2003) found that students have no valid grounds for determining the quality of services if the library has no clear and detailed standards. Students may evaluate given services from a different perspective than librarians. For example, Mendelsohn (1997, as cited in Walters, 2003) states “If the student thinks the job of the library is to supply him with the information he needs to do his project, then he may not feel that he ever gets quality service” (p.100). At the same time, if librarians think that good service is helping students be self-reliant and providing them with all needed information, then libraries will continue to offer a set of services without getting an accurate feedback from their users.

Walters (2003) suggests that faculty members are significantly more useful than students in evaluating the services due to their high expectations with diverse types of services. However, the author found that objective indicators, such as reliability and promptness, have a positive impact on evaluating the services. Librarians can measure the impact by tracking the cases that ended with unavailable items, such as a book, electronic resource, or database. Also, calculating the time of information retrieval, loan processes, book re-shelving, and other services is another objective meter.  Walters (2003) states that students play a big role in determining these influences, which helps librarians set standards for library services. However, the author states that “the evidence used to assess compliances with standards should be objective rather than subjective: real data rather than users’ perceptions” (p.101).

In my opinion, these suggestions are very effective because they will help service evaluators analyze true statistical data rather than analyzing users’ awareness and understanding of the services. As previously mentioned, students may give inaccurate evaluations due to their lack of understanding when determining whether a service is good or bad. However, the author concludes that “users survey provide valuable information about patrons’ perceptions, that information is no substitute for objective standards based on professional knowledge” (p.98).    

Walters, William H. (2003). Expertise and evidence in the assessment of library service quality. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 4(3): 98-102.