Framework of a Real-Time Adaptive Hypermedia System

In this paper, we describe a framework for the design and development of a real-time adaptive hypermedia system. The framework leverages on the integration of conventional adaptive hypermedia techniques and ACT-R architecture which serves as the theoretical background for the cognitive model that monitors the interaction process between users and the system. The users’ information seeking skills in the hyperspace specified by their viewing patterns within the web pages and access patterns between the web pages are extracted from user tracing data. The user’s viewing patterns are discovered by analyzing their fixation sequences with eyePatterns. The user’s navigation strategies in the hyperspace are evaluated in terms of information foraging theory to serve as their access patterns. Both of these patterns are transformed into the knowledge stored in the cognitive model. Based on these interaction experiences between the user and the system, the cognitive model will re-arrange the presented information and the structure of the hyperspace in real time in order to facilitate the user to acquire valuable information as they perform information seeking tasks. Besides the flexible adaptability, this integration leads to the immediate feedback to assist the users’ cognitive process to accomplish their information seeking tasks. The effectiveness of a conventional adaptive hypermedia system has been enhanced to a great extent.