Subject: ELSNET Bullet course on Designing and Testing Spoken Dialogue Systems

From: elsnet-list@let.ruu.nl
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 12:38:27 GMT
To: elsnet-list@cogsci.ed.ac.uk

ELSNET Bullet course on

Designing and Testing Spoken Dialogue Systems

April 16 - 18, 1997

Utrecht, The Netherlands

For spoken-dialogue systems to be effective in real-world use,
dialogues need to be expertly designed and carefully
tested. ELSNET's first bullet course will equip participants with
skills in this area. It will provide them with  basic knowledge of
interaction design, which will enable them to develop new
applications; and practical knowledge emerging from field experience,
which will enable them to create dialogues that work.  

Course content:
- Principles of interaction and context in designing dialogues. 
- Fundamentals of the dialogue design process, including the
application of dialogue theory to specific domains.
- Dialogue management techniques. 
- Design and acceptance testing. 
- Real-world experience with dialogue systems.

Key points will be illustrated through the building of a prototype
dialogue system; this way participants will gain concrete experience,
getting expert feedback in the process.

Lecturers 
Harald Aust, Philips Research (Germany) 
Norman Fraser, Vocalis (UK)
David G. Novick, EURISCO (France) 

Who should attend? 
The course is intended for potential users of state-of-the-art
technology in Spoken Dialogue Systems. These include technology
providers as well as companies who want to make their services more
efficient or cost-effective (e.g. call centres). The course is geared
particularly towards personnel at (sub) management level for whom it
is useful to get acquainted with the possibilities (and limitations)
of spoken dialogue technologies.

Course Format 
This is an international three-day course, consisting of seven 3-hour
sessions, starting at lunch time on day one. The course language will
be English. Participation will be limited to 25 people. 

Course site 
The course will be held at the conference centre Oud London near
Utrecht, the Netherlands. 

Fee 
The fee for the course, which includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch
and dinner, and documentation is HFL 2950,- (1375 ECU). ELSNET members
are offered a 10% reduction. The topic for this course was selected on
the basis of a questionnaire distributed to ELSNET  members earlier
this year. Those who replied to this questionnaire will get a 15%
reduction.

Registration deadline 
March 3, 1997

Contact: 
E-mail: elsnet@let.ruu.nl
WEB: http://www.elsnet.org/training/bulletDialog.html