This presentation sets out a quantitative theory of the interaction among "subjects" which allows a description of the pragmatic aspects of communication. Within a system of interacting subjects each individual is described by a set of interaction parameters. In this way an interaction pattern relative to each subject can be defined. The model provides a "change law" which describes the evolution of individual patterns as a consequence of different communication events. This allows interaction deficiencies to be identified and suggests strategies for dealing with them. The theory was first developed in the area of clinical psychiatry and underwent two kinds of external verification: one psychometric-diagnostic, the other clinical. It was then applied to an economic environment in the behavioral study of decision-making processes. We suggest that it may be applied also in computerized environments for cooperation support.

1. User Modelling in Didactic
Applications: a Pragmatic Approach
Luigi Colazzo, Luisa Mich, Luca Silvestri
University of Trento
e-mail: luisa.mich@unitn.it
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
e-mail: luisa.mich@unitn.it

2. Schema
Goal
Assumptions
The EPM: Elementary pragmatic model
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
The EPM: Elementary pragmatic model
Applying the EPM to the web
communication

3. Goal
Define pragmatic user models of the
visitors of WWW sites
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan

4. Assumptions
The interactions of a visitor with a site are
modelled as a sequence of elementary
communicative acts
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
Each individual has a “relational pattern”
based on his/her experiences in life
A web site consists of a collection of
communicative acts and has a relational
pattern

5. The Elementary-Pragmatic
Model
Subject:
<world, mechanism>
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
<world, mechanism>
Elementary interaction:
<proposal, replay, result>

6. Example
<Shall we go to the cinema?, I don’t want to; Let’s go to the cinema>
Independence of the mechanism from the world
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
<1,0,1> -> World

7. Coordinates -> Mechanism:
Antifunction u1=P(<0,01>)
Acceptance u2=P(<0,1,1>)
Maintenance u3=P(<1,0,1>)
Cooperation u4=P(<1,1,1>)
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
Cooperation u4=P(<1,1,1>)
Relational pattern ->
f(xA,xB) = xA’
Probabilities of the 16 Boolean functions of 2
variables

8. Principle of maximum information
P(f0) = (1- u1)(1- u2)(1- u3)(1- u4) No, no, no, no, no …
P(f1) = (1- u1)(1- u2)(1- u3) u4 Our relation is based only on what we share
P(f2) = (1- u1)(1- u2) u3 (1- u4) I only accept what is exclusively mine
P(f3) = (1- u1)(1- u2) u3 u4 I maintain my worldview
P(f4) = (1- u1) u2 (1- u3)(1- u4) Only what is exclusively yours interest m
P(f5) = (1- u1) u2 (1- u3) u4 I enter your world with what we have in common
P(f6) = (1- u1) u2 u3 (1- u4) Everything in my world and in yours is part of our relationship as long
as it is not shared
P(f7) = (1- u1) u2 u3 u4 Our relationship is based on the union of our worlds
P(f ) = u (1- u )(1- u )(1- u ) I only have relationships with what is alien to me and to you
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
P(f8) = u1 (1- u2)(1- u3)(1- u4) I only have relationships with what is alien to me and to you
P(f9) = u1 (1- u2)(1- u3) u4 What we have in common and what we have that is alien
P(f10) = u1 (1- u2) u3 (1- u4) I am an argumentative person
P(f11) = u1 (1-u2) u3 u4 I’m interested in everything, also outside our relation, as
long as it is not specifically yours
P(f12) = u1 u2 (1- u3) ( 1-u4) What is important for me is your world exclusively, and external
elements
P(f13) = u1 u2 (1- u3) u4 I enter your world using external elements
P(f14) = u1 u2 u3 (1- u4) Everything, also what is alien interest me, except for what we share
P(f15) = u1 u2 u3 u4 Yes, yes, yes, yes …

9. Change of the mechanism:
A changes its mechanism according to the
formula:
f’A=fA(fA,fB) -> Paradox table
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
which allows to describe the potential
evolution of the relational patterns of
interacting subjects.

10. Applying the EPM to the web
communication
A web site contains a plurality of
elements, which can be interpreted as
messages: anchors, texts, images, audio-
video files, animated gifs for banners, etc.
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
video files, animated gifs for banners, etc.
To evaluate the relational pattern of a
site, all these components can be
interpreted as <proposal> to the
navigator and codified with <1>

11. It is possible to identify elementary
interactions between a user and a web
site observing the moves of the user
facing the proposals contained in a page
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
facing the proposals contained in a page
of the site itself

12. Definition of the user’s pattern from
elementary user-site interactions:
The bits exchanged between the user and
the site are aggregate in triples
<proposal, reply, result>
The cookie transmits to the server a
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
The cookie transmits to the server a
sequence that corresponds to an access
to the site.
Subsequent entries are considered not-
independent to calculate the coordinates
and the relational pattern of the user.

13. Example
Given the following sequences of moves:
11111010111011100111010110110010101000010011010101000000111111100100110110000000001…
We obtain the relational pattern:
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan

14. The highest values are given for functions f11
and f3 (usually the highest for “normal” subjects
- persistence of a pragmatic position)
Applying the EPM to the relationships between
this user and a web site, one could deduce that:
the user is visiting the site with an interest
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
the user is visiting the site with an interest
that does not depend on the topics of the
site, but she/he could be interested in aspects
that are marginal to its content. For ex., it
could be a matter in which the user is
interested in the graphics of the site.

15. Conclusions
The EPM should integrate traditional user
models based on semantics
A further goal is the development of a site able
to adapt its relational patterns to the student,
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
to adapt its relational patterns to the student,
depending on the user model
The use of pragmatic models for the evaluation
of the interactions of the students and the
didactic materials contained in a web site could
help the design of effective didactic site

16. References*
Altre applicazioni del modello della pragmatica:
L Mich, C Anesi, D Berry (2005) Applying a pragmatics-based
creativity fostering technique to requirements
elicitation, Requirements Engineering Journ. , 10(4 ) 262-275
doi 10.1007/s00766-005-0008-3
L Colazzo, L Mich, D Malinverni (1992) An application of the
ICCE'99 - 7th Int. Conference on Computer in Education - Nov. 4-7 Chiba - Japan
L Colazzo, L Mich, D Malinverni (1992) An application of the
Elementary Pragmatic Model to electronic communication,
Annali dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità. 28(2) 245-251
L Colazzo, D Malinverni, L Mich, T Schäl (1991) Interpretation of
human relations in computer supported communication: A
test with a Pragmatic Model, Proc. IFIP-TC8 Conf. on Work,
Collaborative Work, Social Communications and Information
Systems, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, pp. 77-92
* added 13/05/2014