Research Knowledge Management

Research Knowledge Management

Build a small Expert System

Assignment: Create a small expert system on a topic of your choice.

For the purposes of this assignment, an ‘expert system’ is an information system, or application, that dynamically simulates the advice that would be given by a human expert when asked about a ‘problem’ related to their field of expertise. For example, an expert HR consultant might be asked by a business executive how much severance needs to be paid to an employee being dismissed. The HR consultant would ask the ‘client’ a series of questions such as … is there a union contract? Is the company governed by provincial or federal employment standards? How long has the employee worked for the company? How much money does the employee make? What is their job title or level? Why are they being let go? … and so on. At the end of the series of questions, the human expert would answer the executive’s original question. He or she, for example, might say … “Well, given the circumstances you’ve indicated, I would recommend a severance payment of six months salary.” A good expert system would ask a user the same kind of questions and provide the same kind of answer or advice as a human expert.

In doing this assignment you should start, therefore, with a problem to be solved. It should be the kind of problem someone might discuss with an expert. For example:

What kind of skateboard should I buy? (ask an expert skater)

i.e. Purpose of skating, weather, street or park, etc.

What make-up or fabric colours look best on me? (ask a fashion consultant / expert)

i.e. Skin tones, shape of face, body, etc.[unique_solution]

How should I dress for a meeting with the Queen? (ask an expert in etiquette or protocol)

i.e. Is it a dinner or ceremony, morning or evening, formal or informal, etc.

Assume that a human ‘user’ will ask this question of your ‘expert system’. Your job, then, is to create a series of questions that will result in the system answering the question. The ‘answer’ of course, will vary depending on the answers provided by the user. That is, the expert solution will change if different users answer the questions differently.

Steps:

1. Form a group with four or five other students.
2. Design and build a web-based expert system as a series of hyperlinked pages. You can use HTML, XML, MS Word … or any other tool you know how to use (e.g., Adobe Dreamweaver, CorelDRAW, etc.) to develop your web-based expert system. You may also use an app based expert systems development tool, if you have access to one. Each individual question or outcome must be on a separate page. The minimum number of webpages required is 80. The pages should be linked and organized in a file or folder (e.g. a USB memory stick) that can be easily read by a web browser.
3. During the second-to-last class (the last class prior to the final exam), prepare a six-minute class presentation during which you will explain what your expert system does … and what problem it is designed to solve. You will be expected to demo your system using members of the audience as ‘users’ and answer questions. You will also need to hand in a USB memory stick or a CD with a copy of your system. It will be returned on the day of the final exam. If you’ve developed your expert system on-line, you will only need to provide the URL.
4. By midnight, the night before you deliver your class presentation and do your demo, ONE member of your group should submit your written report on Blackboard. The report should have 1.5 line spacing and use the following format:

• Cover page – It is important to list the name of every member of your group.
• Executive Summary – an overview and summary of your report.
• Introduction – What is the problem you are trying to solve? Why did you pick that problem? Where did your idea come from? Is it an important or serious problem? Why? Do other expert systems exist which are similar to yours?
• Knowledge Engineering – Who was the human expert whose knowledge you used to create your system? How did you go about documenting this knowledge? Did you need to do any additional research? How do you know your expert’s solutions are correct? Did you test them or validate them in any way? Did you talk with more than one expert?
• Methodology – How did your team manage the project of creating the system, preparing the presentation and writing this report? Include a work breakdown summary and a GANTT Chart.
• Technical Overview – Provide an outline of your system. How was it built? What tools were used? How was it tested? If there were problems, how were they fixed?
• Benefits – What are the pros and cons of your system? That is, its strengths and weaknesses?
• Next Steps – If you continued this project, what would you do to make your system better? How would you improve it?
• Conclusions – What did you learn? What are your observations and conclusions about developing an expert system? What advice do you have for anyone else doing a similar project? What is likely to happen with expert systems in the future?
• Works Cited – This is an academic assignment … remember to properly cite and credit your sources. If you’re not sure how to do this, see me or talk with someone in the library.

Not counting the cover page and the GANTT Chart, the written report should be at least 10 and no more than 15 pages – and should include ALL of the above sections.

The apparent level of effort, thoroughness, completeness and creativity when designing the expert system, including the webpages, will be an important element in the evaluation of your submission.

Option TWO: Social Business

Build a small Wiki

Assignment: Create a small wiki on a topic of your choice.

For the purposes of this assignment, a ‘wiki’ is an information system, or application, that allows users to rapidly publish and access information and knowledge. For example, employees might use such a system to quickly obtain information on their firm’s HR policies and procedure, or on its products and services. A wiki might be used by knowledge workers to share information about a manufacturing process or by designers to quickly access an historical database of industry practices.

A fashion designer might use a Wiki to quickly access information on, for example, features and design specifications for different kinds of skirts, past and present: e.g. bell, box-pleated, bubble, cornet, dirndl, empire, godet, peg-top, prairie, skirt, trumpet, zouave, etc.

In doing this assignment you should start, therefore, with a problem to be solved. It should be the kind of problem that can be solved by creating a database in the form of a wiki. For example:

Sewing Machines: What kind are there? What are their features?

A Sports Team or Industry (as a business): History? Ownership? Profits? Issues?

Toronto Designers: Who are they? What do we know about them?

Your job, then, is to create a detailed wiki that will allow users to access the information they need. It should be possible for users to update or correct the data … and add to it. A wiki is a collaborative system.

Steps:

1. Form a group with four or five other students.
2. Design and build a web-based wiki as a series of hyperlinked pages. You can use HTML, XML, MS Word … or any other tool you know how to use (e.g., Adobe Dreamweaver, CorelDRAW, etc.) to develop your web-based wiki. There are wiki development tools available on the internet. You may also use one of those systems development tools, if you wish. The minimum number of webpages required is 80. The pages should be linked and organized in a file or folder (e.g. a USB memory stick) that can be easily read by a web browser.
3. During the second-to-last class (the last class prior to the final exam), prepare a six-minute class presentation during which you will explain what your wiki does … and what problem it is designed to solve. You will be expected to demo your system using members of the audience as ‘users’ and answer questions. You will also need to provide a copy of your wiki on a CD or USB memory stick. You will get it back the day of the exam. If you develop it on line … you will only need to provide the URL.
4. Immediately before you deliver your class presentation, and do your demo, one member of your group should submit your written report on Blackboard. The report should have 1.5 line spacing and follow the following format:

• Cover page – It is important to list the name of every member of your group.
• Executive Summary – an overview and summary of your report.
• Introduction – What is the problem you are trying to solve? Why did you pick that problem? Where did your idea come from? Is it an important or series problem? Why? Do other wikis exist which are similar to yours?
• Knowledge – Where did you get the information used to create your wiki? How did you go about documenting this knowledge? Did you need to do any additional research? How do you know your wiki’s information is correct? Did you test it or validate it in any way? How?
• Methodology – How did your team manage the project of creating the wiki, the presentation and writing this report? Include a work breakdown summary and a GANTT Chart.
• Technical Overview – Provide an outline of your wiki. How was it built? What tools were used? How was it tested? If there were problems, how were they fixed?
• Benefits – What are the pros and cons of your wiki? That is, its strengths and weaknesses?
• Next Steps – If you continued this project, what would you do to make your wiki better? How would you improve it?
• Conclusions – What did you learn? What are your observations and conclusions about developing a wiki? What advice do you have for anyone else doing a similar project? What is likely to happen with wikis in the future?
• Works Cited – This is an academic assignment … remember to properly cite and credit your sources. If you’re not sure how to do this, see me or talk with someone in the library.

Not counting the cover page and the GANTT Chart, the written report should be at least 10 and no more than 15 pages – and should include ALL of the above sections.

The apparent level of effort, thoroughness, completeness and creativity when designing the expert system, including the webpages, will be an important element in the evaluation of your submission.