From adaptive hypermedia to the adaptive web

Abstract

Web systems suffer from an inability to satisfy heterogeneous needs of many users. A remedy for the negative effects of the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach is to develop systems with an ability to adapt their behavior to the goals, tasks, interests, and other features of individual users and groups of users. Adaptive Web is a relatively young research area. Started in with a few pioneering works on adaptive hypertext in early 1990, it now attracts many researchers from different communities such as hypertext, user modeling, machine learning, natural language generation, information retrieval, intelligent tutoring systems, cognitive science, and Web-based education. Currently, the established application areas of adaptive Web systems are education, information retrieval, and kiosk-style information systems. A number of more recent projects are also exploring new application areas such as e-commerce, medicine, and tourism. While research-level systems constitute the majority of adaptive Web systems, a few successful industrial systems show the commercial potential of the field. This talk will review a number of adaptation techniques that have been developed and evaluated in the field of adaptive hypermedia and applied in adaptive Web systems. It will also present several examples of adaptive Web systems in different application areas. To answer the conference motto “interaction in motion” the talk will specially address the issue of developing adaptive systems for ubiquitous computing and mobile Web. It will discuss the needs and challenges of “adaptation in motion” and present some known success stories.