CS 599 Dialogue Modelling  Fall 2005


Assignment 1: Testing dialogue systems
Due: In class August 29th

Your assignment is to use and analyze some dialogue systems. If possible, record the conversations for later analysis.

Part 1: Flight Information Systems:

Some simple tasks could easily be done in a number of ways. For example, to find out information about a flight, you could talk to a person or look it up on the web, or you could talk to a dialogue system. Imagine that your friend is coming home to LA today at 3pm from a vacation hiking in the mountains. Unfortunately you forgot to write down the airline (you think it was United or Delta), and whether she was flying from Salt Lake City or Denver.

Step 1: Call United flight Info: 1 (800) 824-6200. Try to find out which flight it might be and whether it is expected on time.

Step 2: Call Delta flight Info: 1 (800) 325-1999, and do the same.
 
Step 3: try to find out on the web.

Step 4: write a brief report on your experiences with each method. Write at least one paragraph on each and one comparing the methods. What seemed to work well and what not so well. How easy was it to accomplish the task?  Was the experience fun or frustrating? Would you use this system again (if you had a choice)?  How good was the understanding? Did it understand what you said? What happened when things went wrong? What kinds of techniques did the system use (if any) to try to prevent errors? Did they seem successful? Were you able to express what you wanted to to the system?

Part 2: Chatbots:

Some dialogue systems are not meant to help solve a task, but rather to talk to. Try to have conversations with two of the chatbots
on this page:
http://www.chatterboxchallenge.com/
 

Write a paragraph or two about your experiences. Was it fun to talk with the bot? Did it seem to understand you? Were you able to talk about what you wanted to? To what degree did it respond to the points you brought up?