As a critical component of Human-Computer Interaction, conversational user interfaces (CUIs) can potentially revolutionize the way we interact with technology. This course is designed for graduate students who want to gain a deeper understanding of CUIs and their real-world applications. We will focus on the HCI side of conversational AI. Throughout the course, we will explore cutting-edge research and methodologies for designing, implementing, and evaluating CUIs. Various topics of conversational interfaces will be covered, including design principles, evaluation, human agency, etc.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (EN.601.490/690), at least one graduate-level computer science course in Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning (including NLP, Computer Vision, etc.) is preferred, or permission of the instructor. Students must be comfortable reading recent research papers and discussing key concepts and ideas.
The current class schedule is below. The schedule is subject to change, particularly the specific readings:
| Date | Topic | Readings | Work Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon Jan 22 | Course Overview - History and Evolution of Conversational User Interface [Slides] | No Required Reading | |
| Wed Jan 24 | From Text to Multimodal CUI [Slides] | No Required Reading | |
| Mon Jan 28 | Communication Principles [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12:00pm Monday | |
| Wed Jan 31 | Metaphors in Conversational User Interface [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm Wednesday | |
| Mon Feb 5 | Conversational Recommender Systems: Understanding Humans [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm Monday | |
| Wed Feb 7 | Conversational Search: Mixed-Initiative Interactions [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Feb 12 | CUI for Healthcare [Slides] | Anonymous course feedback and Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Feb 14 | LLMs I: Building LLM-based CUI [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Feb 19 | LLMs II: Building CUI with LLM [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm; Project Brainstorm Results by 11:59 pm | |
| Wed Feb 21 | LLMs III: Responsible Use of LLMs in CUI [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Feb 26 | Project Proposal |
|
Proposal Slides by 3pm |
| Wed Feb 28 | Project Proposal |
|
|
| Mon Mar 4 | Evaluation I: Measurement Theory [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Mar 6 | Evaluation II: Benchmarks [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm; Project Proposal by Mar 8th, 11:59 pm | |
| Mon Mar 11 | Evaluation III: Controlled Experiments [Slides] | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Mar 13 | Evaluation IV: Conversation Analysis |
|
Reading Responses by 12pm |
| Mon Mar 18 | Spring Break | ||
| Wed Mar 20 | Spring Break | ||
| Mon Mar 25 | Human Agency in CUI I: Anthropomorphism I - The Good | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Mar 27 | Human Agency in CUI II: Anthropomorphism II - The Ugly | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Apr 1 | Human Agency in CUI III: Privacy | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Apr 3 | Beyond Dyadic CUI | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Apr 8 | Designing Explainability for CUI | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Wed Apr 10 | Natural Language Interface beyond CUI | Reading Responses by 12pm | |
| Mon Apr 15 | Conversational UI for Social Good |
|
Reading Responses by 12pm |
| Wed Apr 17 | User Simulation for Evaluation |
|
Reading Responses by 12pm |
| Mon Apr 22 | Project Final Presentation | ||
| Wed Apr 24 | Project Final Presentation | ||
| Mon Apr 30 | No Class - Reading Days | ||
| Wed May 2 | No Class - Reading Days |
Attendance policy This is a graduate-level course revolving around in-person discussion. Students are expected to attend class and may notify instructors if there are extenuating circumstances.
Course Conduct This is a discussion class focused on cutting-edge research. All students are expected to respect everyone's perspective and input and to contribute towards creating a welcoming and inclusive climate. We the instructors will strive to make this classroom an inclusive space for all students, and we welcome feedback on ways to improve.
Academic Integrity This course will have a zero-tolerance philosophy regarding plagiarism or other forms of cheating, and incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported. A student who has doubts about how the Honor Code applies to this course should obtain specific guidance from the course instructor before submitting the respective assignment.
Discrimination and Harrasment The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, military status, immigration status or other legally protected characteristic. The University's Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures provides information on how to report or file a complaint of discrimination or harassment based on any of the protected statuses listed in the earlier sentence, and the University’s prompt and equitable response to such complaints.
Personal Well-being Take care of yourself! Being a student can be challenging and your physical and mental health is important. If you need support, please seek it out. Here are several of the many helpful resources on campus: