From PuppyIR to Sven: The history of Children Information Retrieval

Speaker: Sole Pera, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Abstract:
Information Retrieval (IR) is embedded in our daily lives. However, since the 1960s, advancements in this area have primarily impacted mainstream audiences. In this talk, we will examine IR research in which children are the main stakeholders. Beginning with Yahooligans! (late 1990s) and PuppyIR (early 2000s), and continuing through more contemporary works—some of which even feature Sven—we will embark on a journey through the history of children IR. We will highlight user studies and algorithms that serve as the foundation for children IR. Along the way, we will discuss how and why children IR differs from traditional IR, as well as obstacles faced by researchers (and practitioners) in the area and open research directions.

Biography:
Dr Sole Pera is an Associate Professor at the Web Information Systems group of EEMCS/EWI at Delft University of Technology. Her main area of expertise is Information Retrieval; with a particular interest in how it relates to user groups typically underserved. Sole’s current research works focus on understanding the limitations and designing algorithmic support so that search and recommender systems can more effectively serve children in different contexts (such as the classroom).
Prior to joining TU Delft, Sole completed a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Brigham Young University in 2014. She then joined the Computer Science Department at Boise State University where she served as co-director of the People and Information Research Team (Piret) and was a co-PI in the ongoing NSF-funded project CAST (Child Adaptive Search Tool).

Host: Prof. Monica Landoni