Humanising the Information Age: CT'97

Colin SCHMIDT (coschmi@ext.jussieu.fr)
Fri, 8 Nov 1996 00:01:59 +0100

>
>SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS
>
>Second International Conference on Cognitive Technology, CT'97
>
>Humanising the Information Age
>
>
>
>25 - 28 August 1997
>Venue: The University of Aizu, Japan
>
>supported by:
>The University of Aizu, Japan
>Center for Research in Journalism and Mass
>Communication, University of North Carolina, USA, (host of CT'99)
>Cognitive Sciences Centre, University of Southampton, UK
>City University of Hong Kong (host of CT'95)
>
>
>
>
>COGNITIVE TECHNOLOGY
>
>Cognitive Technology (CT) is the study of the interaction between people and
>the objects they manipulate. It is concerned with how technologically
>constructed tools and aids (A) bear on dynamic changes in human perception,
>(B) affect natural human communication, and (C) act to control human
>cognitive adaptation.
>
>Cognitive systems must be understood not only in terms of their goals and
>computational constraints, but also in terms of the external physical and
>social environments that shape and afford cognition. Such an understanding
>can yield not only technological solutions to real world problems but also,
>and mainly, tools designed to be sensitive to the cognitive capabilities and
>affective characteristics of their users.
>
>CT takes a broader view of human capability than current research in Human
>Computer Interface (HCI) and emphasises putting more of the human into the
>interface without succumbing to the pretence that this can be achieved
>simply by simulating human features on machines. It aims to redirect
>progress in the Information Age away from mere advancements in Information
>Technology and proposes to study human-tool interaction to increase,
>primarily, human socio-cognitive awareness and to help people fulfil their
>cognitive and social needs.
>
>CT should appeal to researchers across disciplines, especially those who are
>interested in the psychological and socio-cultural implications of
>developments in the interface between technology and human cognition. Any
>technology which provides a tool has implications for CT; computer
>technology has special importance because of its particular capacity to
>provide multi-sensory stimuli and emulate human cognitive processes.
>
>
>CONFERENCE THEME
>
>Problems and Praxis:
>Exploring and formulating methods for studying Cognitive Technology.
>
>STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
>
>The First International Conference on Cognitive Technology (Hong Kong, 1995)
>stressed the need for a radically new way of thinking about the impact
>computer technology has on humans, especially on the human mind. Our main
>aim at that time was a consideration of these effects with respect to
>rendering the interface between people and computers more humane.
>
>Participants in the upcoming Second International Conference will expand on
>that effort by exploring a number of related areas in greater detail. Of
>primary concern is the need to establish clear and precise methods for
>studying how environmental characteristics condition the processes of
>cognitive formation. Within such a framework, empirical CT inquiries can be
>directed towards specific areas of problems, the more important ones of
>which are listed below.
>
>CONFERENCE SUB-THEMES
>
>Papers may be submitted for inclusion in any of the following thematic
>subgroups. They should focus on addressing the issues from a Cognitive
>Technology perspective and ought to include methodological considerations.
>
>1. Rethinking Progress: Towards a manifesto for the Information Age
>
>There is a perceived need to change from a 'more is better', product-driven
>approach to technological development to a 'better is better' approach which
>responds to, rather than dictates, human need. Papers are invited which
>provide a theoretical consideration of how a Cognitive Technology approach
>may be formulated and applied in order to resolve problems in the following
>areas:
>
>o the relationship between current approaches to technological
> development and other issues (ecological, socio-political,
> psychological, and epistemological) which relate to ensuring/
> improving the quality of human life
>
>o the identification and evaluation of the goal structures implied
> in various approaches to technological development
>
>o the reconciliation of technological development with the demands
> of environmentalism.
>
>
>2. Cognising at the Interface
>
>It is important to ensure that technological developments are oriented
>towards affording cognition and not merely the provision of information.
>Papers which are practically oriented towards methods of design and/or
>demonstration of systems whose features reflect Cognitive Technology
>principles, are particularly welcome. Areas to be addressed include:
>
>o global networking
>o multi-media
>o virtual reality
>o robotics
>o computer graphics
>o databases.
>
>3. Empowering Humans
>
>Another concern is how Cognitive Technology can be applied to predict the
>impact, positive or negative, of technological development on the processes
>by which social groupings provide their members with opportunities for
>growth. Areas of particular interest are:
>
>o the design of national information infrastructures
>o the provision of technology access.
>
>4. Rethinking Education
>
>We need to apply Cognitive Technology methods to the building of a
>technology infrastructure for education, one which optimises human
>development/benefit within the current context of changing educational
>systems. Papers are invited which explore this idea within the context of
>any of the following areas:
>
>o computer-aided collaborative learning
>o the design of self-access learning resources
>o technological facilitation of student-teacher interactions
>o the design of multifaceted online learning environments
>o humanising and increasing the relevance of formal education
>o facilitating interdisciplinary communication
>o the impact of information tools on the construction of knowledge
> within academic disciplines.
>
>
>CALL FOR PAPERS
>
>If you are interested in considering these issues (or other similar ones)
>and want to share your thoughts and hopes with like-minded people, please
>submit either 6 hard copies of an extended abstract (approximately 1500
>words) or send it by email with attached files (preferably in Word 6.0) to:
>
>Jonathon Marsh
>The Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching
>The University of Hong Kong
>Pok Fu Lam Road
>Hong Kong.
>(TEL) 852 2859 8995
>(FAX) 852 2540 9941
>(EMAIL) JPMARSH@HKUCC.HKU.HK
>
>All abstracts will be refereed by an independent panel of experts. The
>opinions of the referees will determine the list of 30 papers to be
>presented at the conference.
>
>Deadline for abstracts: 1 March 1997
>Notification of acceptance: 15 April 1997
>Full paper 31 May 1997
>Registration fee: before 1 July 1997: US$ (to be announced)
> after 1 July 1997: US$ (to be announced)
>
>Further information can be obtained from:
>Tosiyasu L. Kunii kunii@u-aizu.ac.jp
>Jacob L. Mey jam@language.ou.dk
>Barbara Gorayska csgoray@cityu.edu.hk
>Jonathon Marsh jpmarsh@hkucc.hku.hk
>
>
>INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
>
>Honorary President of Conference
>
>Tosiyasu L. Kunii The University of Aizu, Japan
>
>Co-chairs of Conference
>
>Barbara Gorayska City University of Hong Kong, HK
>Jacob L. Mey Odense University, Denmark
>
>
>International Program Committee Members
>
>The preceding, and
>
>Hugh Applewhite Piltdown Technologies, USA
>Frank Biocca The University of North Carolina, USA
>Bruce L. Blum Johns Hopkins University, USA
>Betty Lindsay Carter Novell Corporation, USA
>Ho Mun Chan City University of Hong Kong, HK
>Orville L. Clubb City University of Hong Kong, HK
>Chris Colbourn The University of Southampton, UK
>Kevin Cox City University of Hong Kong, HK
>Will Fitzgerald IntellAgent Systems, USA
>Laurence Goldstein Hong Kong University, HK
>David Good Cambridge University, UK
>Hartmut Haberland Roskilde University, Denmark
>Stevan Harnad The University of Southampton, UK
>Richard Janney The University of Munich, Germany
>Benny Karpatschoff Copenhagen University, Denmark
>Alex Kass Northwestern University, USA
>Reinhard Keil-Slawik University of Paderborn, Germany
>Robert M. Krauss Columbia University, USA
>Myron W. Krueger Artificial Reality Corporation, USA
>C.K. Leong University of Saskatchewan, Canada
>Roger Lindsay Oxford-Brookes University, UK
>Alec McHoul Murdoch University, Australia
>Jonathon Marsh Hong Kong University, HK
>John Nealon Oxford-Brookes University, UK
>Rolf Pfeifer University Zurich-Irchel, Switzerland
>Herbert Pick The University of Minnesota, USA
>Tony Roberts The University of Southampton, UK
>Roger Schank Institute for the Learning Sciences, USA
>Colin T. Schmidt Sorbonne University, France
>John Sillince The University of London, UK
>John Spinks Hong Kong University, HK
>Hiroshi Tamura Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan
>Peter Thomas The University of the West of England, UK
>Steven Tripp The University of Aizu, Japan
>Jacques J. Vidal The University of California at Los Angeles,
> USA, & The University of Aizu, Japan
>William S. Y. Wang City University of Hong Kong, HK
>Yorick Wilks Sheffield University, UK
>Albert Yonas The University of Minnesota, USA
>
>



Colin T. SCHMIDT
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