Norman Alm

School of Computing, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.

I am a lecturer and researcher in the School of Computing at Dundee University, teaching on programming, artificial intelligence, and database systems courses.

Courses I teach

These are the courses I usually teach on :

My research interests

For some time I have been part of a team here working on ideas for improving computer-based communication systems for people who are non-speaking through a physical impairment.

My particular interest is in the application of conversational modelling to this problem, which leads to interests in computational linguistics and discourse/conversation analysis.

The ALADIN / REACT project built a new type of communication system for non-speaking people based on using scripts to negotiate everyday encounters. This was done with a consortium from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. It was funded through the EU Telematics Applications Programme. The project has just finished its first phase, and its work resulted in a product, ScripTalker, which is now being marketed by Kompagne BV in The Netherlands, and IGEL GmbH in Germany.

The UNICORN project, which was carried out jointly with a colleague at Kagawa University in Japan, developed a rapid multi-lingual communicator which employs techniques of conversation modelling and an interface which includes both icons and text.

In a joint project with Sheila Glasbey, a colleague at Birmingham University, we are trying to develop a conversational model that can account both for aided and non-aided communication.  We hope this will be helpful in improving communication systems for non-speaking people, and also may give some insights into what happens when multimedia can be incorporated into person-person communication.

Also, along with two colleagues, Peter Gregor and Ramanee Peiris, I have been investigating the use of computer-based interviews as a way of augmenting person-person contact in eliciting information. Surprisingly, the more sensitive the topic, the better this seems to work. We have developed and evaluated computer-based interviews in a wide variety of settings.  These include discovering any worries primary school children might have about the move up to secondary school, eliciting levels of alcohol abuse and alcohol related problems, anger management in a secure psychiatric hospital, and requirements gathering for a toilet of the future for disabled or frail elderly users.

I was involved in a  project to develop a communication system that can be used by patients who find themselves in an Intensive Care unit being artificially assisted with breathing, and are thus unable to communicate at a time when it is very important for them, their families, and the medical team. The ICU-Talk project was a highly-multidisciplinary one, closely involving intensive care medical staff, speech and language therapists, and software developers.

In a collaboration with colleagues in Japan, Ken Nakamura, and Mamoru Iwabuchi, we have been developing ideas for augmenting interpersonal communication by means of mobile multimedia systems.  This could provide some valuable help for people with severe disabilities, but also could have more general implications and applications.

Another research interest has been to investigate ways in which communication and information technology could be of help to older people, with problems such as dementia.  I received a Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland to spend a year exploring possibilities in this area.  The result was a number of research project ideas.  One area of work has been to investigate ways older learners are coping with mastering information technology.  I have been working closely with groups such as the award winning Airlie Cybercafe, who started in one person’s kitchen and now meet weekly in the village hall for sessions of  IT learning and socializing.  Their latest venture is regular two-way contacts around the world using their webcam.  I am a member of a multidisciplinary research group in Dundee, the Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, which is working on understanding, curing, and alleviating Alzheimer's disease from a number of different perspectives.  The CIRCA project, with a team drawn from psychology, design, and software engineering, has developed and evaluated a multimedia reminiscence aid to be used by people with dementia to support their communication with family and carers.  We are currently pursuing the commercialisation of the CIRCA system.  Following this project the same team has begun to work on an interactive entertainment system for people with dementia which they will be able to use on their own, without the assistance of a carer.  This project is called Living in the Moment.  The advisory group for the project consists of representatives from Alzheimer Scotland, Dundee City Social Work Department, and Rokpa Dundee Buddhist centre.

The work we have been doing here in the Applied Computing Division has so far led to the development of a number of commercial products, including

One of our research collaborators is Alan McGregor, a non-speaking person who has produced a half-hour video about his life and accomplishments called 'Speaking to You'. This is available in both PAL and NTSC formats. In tandem with a talented Dundee film-maker, he has just produced a multimedia presentation about the necessity for disabled people to be seen in public and in the media more.  He has given this presentation, which includes some of his own music compositions, to audiences in the UK and Europe.  He is keen to give the presentation to as many people as possible, particularly young people.  Details on how to book him for this can be obtained by contacting me in the first instance.

For more information on my research or anything else on this webpage, contact me.

Here's some links to other research sites into disability and augmented communication for non-vocal people.

Selected publications

Alm, N., Dye, R., Gowans, G., Campbell, J., Astell, A., Ellis, M. (2007) A communication support system for older people with dementia. IEEE Computer. Vol 40 No 5. pp 35-41.

 

Gowans, G., Dye, R., Alm. N., Vaughan, P., Astell, A., Ellis, M. (2007) Designing the interface between dementia patients, caregivers and computer-based intervention. The Design Journal. Vol 10 Issue 1. pp 12-23.

Newell, A., Gregor, P.,  Alm, N. (2006) HCI for older and disabled people in the Queen Mother Research Centre at Dundee University, Scotland. CHI 2006, pp.299-303.  Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 22-27 April 2006. 

Pullin, G., Alm, N. (2006) The speaking mobile phone: provoking new approaches to AAC design.  Proceedings of the International Conference on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Dusseldorf, 29 July - 3 August 2006. p72 (Extended version on CD-ROM).

Alm, N. (2006) Augmentative and alternative communication.  Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 2nd Ed. Edited by Keith Brown.  Elsevier: Oxford. Vol 1, pp 569-574.


Alm, N., Dye, R.,  Astell A., Ellis, M., Gowans, G., Campbell, J. (2005) Making software accessible to people with severe memory deficits.  Proceedings of Accessible Design in the Digital World, Dundee Scotland, 15-19 August 2005.

Alm, N., Dye, R., Astell, A., Ellis, M., Gowans, G., Campbell, J. (2005) A computer-based hypermedia conversation support for people with dementia. Proceedings of the CSUN Conference on Technology and Disability.  Los Angeles 14-19 March 2005.  Proceedings entirely online at : http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2005/proceedings/2200.htm

Panek, P., Edelmayer, G., Mayer, P., Zagler, W., Alm, N., Laiskos, J. (2005) User interface and control software of an intelligent assistive toilet system for all citizens.  Proceedings of INCLUDE 2005.  London: Royal College of Art.  p47.

Nakamura, K.,  Iwabuchi, M.,  Alm, N. (2005) What is information accessibility for all : Development of a new communication tool for people with severe disabilities using a mobile phone.  Proceedings of HCI International, Las Vegas 25-29 July 2005.

 

Alm, N., Dye, R.,  Astell, A., Ellis, M., Gowans, G., Campbell, J. (2005) Making software accessible to people with severe memory deficits.  Proceedings of Accessible Design in the Digital World, Dundee Scotland, 15-19 August 2005.

Alm, N., Astell, A., Ellis, M., Dye, R., Gowans, G., Campbell, J. (2004)  A cognitive prosthesis and communication support for people with dementia.  Journal of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. Vol 14(1&2)  pp 117-134.

Iwabuchi, M., Nakamura, K,. Burgstahler, S., Dawden, P., Alm, N. (2004)  A multimedia cellular phone-based intermediary system for communication difficulties.  CSUN Conference on Technology and Disability, Los Angeles, 15-20 March 2004.

 

Alm, N., Gowans, G., Campbell, J.,  Dye, R.,  Astell, A., Ellis, M. (2003) Multimedia communication support for people with dementia.  Proceedings of INCLUDE2003.  London: Royal College of Art.

 

Alm, N., Dye, R., Gowans, G., Campbell, J., Astell., Ellis, M. (2003) Designing an interface usable by people with dementia.  Proceedings of the ACM International Conference on Universal Usability, Vancouver, 10-11 November 2003.  p 156.

 

Joel, S., Alm, N., Egger de Campo, M., Gregor, P., Hands,  K., Hine, N.,  Panek, P. (2003) Eliciting sensitive information about toilet needs using a computer based interview. Presentation at the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe Conference. Dublin 30 Aug-3 Sep 2003.

 

Etchels, M.,  Macaulay, F.,  Judson, A.,   Ashraf, S.,  Ricketts, I., Waller, A.,  Alm, N., Warden, A., Gordon, B.,  Brodie, J.K.,  Shearer, A.J. (2003) ICU-Talk: The development of a computerized communication aid for patients in ICU.  Care of the Critically Ill, Vol 19 No 1. pp 4-9.


Iwabuchi, M., Nakamura, K., Fujiwara, Y., Alm, N., Burgstahler, C. (2003) An electronic name card system on a mobile device for people with disabilities and elderly people.  Proceedings of HCI International, 22-27 June 2003, Crete, Greece.  Heraklion: Crete University Press.  Adjunct Vol. pp 243-244.  Photo of authors Iwabuchi and Alm on site.

 

Todman, J.., Alm, N. (2003)  Modelling conversational pragmatics in communication aids. Journal of Pragmatics, Vol 35, pp523-538.

 

Newell, A.F., Carmichael, A., Gregor, P., Alm, N. (2003) Information technology for cognitive support.  In Jacko, J. and A. Sears (Eds.) The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook : Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications.  New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.  pp 464-481.

Alm, N., Gregor, P., Newell, A.F. (2002) Older people and information technology  are ideal partners.  Proceedings of the International Conference for Universal Design (UD2002), Yokohama, Japan.  8 pages.  Proceedings on CD-ROM. Download a copy of this paper.

Gowans, G., Alm, N.,  Astell, A., Campbell, J., Dye, R., Ellis, M. (2002) CIRCA (Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid).  Proceedings of 18th International Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International, Barcelona, Spain, October 23-26, 2002

Alm, N., Dobinson, L., Massie, P., Hewines, I. (2001) Computers as cognitive assistants for elderly people. Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT’01. Michitaka Hirose, Ed. Amsterdam: IOS Press. pp 692-693.

MacAulay, F., Etchels, M., Judson, A.,  Ashraf, S.,  Ricketts, I., Brodie, J., Waller, A., Warden, A., Alm, N., Shearer, A., Gordon, B. (2000) Developing ICU-Talk - A computer based communication aid for patients in intensive care. EUROMICRO 2000: 'Workshop on Medical Informatics', Maastricht, The Netherlands, Sept. 2000.

Peiris, R., Gregor, P., Alm, N. (2000) The effects of simulating human conversational style in a computer-based interview. Interacting with Computers, Vol 12 No 6, pp 635-650.

Alm, N., Neumann, H., van Balkom, H. (2000)  Scripts in an AAC system. Proceedings of the CSUN Conference on Technology and Disability, Los Angeles, 20-25 March 2000. Proceedings are entirely online.  Paper’s URL is : http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf2000/proceedings/0024Alm.html

Iwabuchi, M., Alm, N., Andreasen, P., Nakamura, K. (2000) The development of UNICORN -- a multi-lingual communicator for people with cross-language communication difficulties. Proceedings of the CSUN Conference on Technology and Disability, Los Angeles, 20-25 March 2000. Proceedings are entirely online.  Paper’s URL is :  http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf2000/proceedings/0025Alm.html

Alm, N., Ellis, K. (1999) Computer-assisted swearing. Communicating Together, Vol 16 No 2. pp 4-7.

Arnott, J.L., Alm, N., Waller, A. (1999) Cognitive prostheses: communication, rehabilitation and beyond. Proceedings of IEEE Systems Man and Cybernetics Conference, Tokyo. October 1999. Part VI pp 346-351.

Williams, B.P. , Peiris, D., Gregor, P. , Alm, N., Cumming S., Flockhart, G. and Groundwater, M. (1999) Computer-based interventions for assisting people who have suffered disabling trauma. New Technology in the Human Services Vol.12 No 1-2 pp 69-75.

Alm, N., Arnott, J.L.  (1998) Computer-assisted conversation for non-vocal people using pre-stored texts. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol 28 Part C No 3.

Dye, R. , Alm, N., Arnott, J.L., Harper, G., Morrison, A. (1998) A script-based AAC system for transactional interaction.  Natural Language Engineering, Vol 4 No 1, pp 57-71.

Nakamura, K., Newell, A.F., Alm, N., Waller, A. (1998) How do members of different language communities compose sentences with a picture-based communication system? -- A cross cultural study of picture-based sentences constructed by English and Japanese speakers. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Vol 14 No 2, pp 71-79.

Alm, N., Newell, A.F. (1996) Being an interesting conversation partner, in von Tetzchner, S. and Jensen, M. (Eds.) Augmentative and Alternative Communication : European Perspectives. London: Whurr Publishers. pp 171-181.

Peiris, D., Alm, N., Gregor, P.  (1995) Computer interviews -- an initial investigation using free text responses in People and Computers X,  M. Kirby, A. Dix and J. Finlay, Eds. --- Proceedings of HCI'95 : People and Computers. Huddersfield, August 1995. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp 281-288.

How to contact me

Room  211 (second floor, NE pod, and sail on until morning) in the Queen Mother Building

University telephone extension 85596

Telephone: +44 (0)1382 385596

Fax : +44 (0)1382 385509

Email: nalm at computing dot dundee dot ac dot uk

School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland DD1 4HN, UK

Last updated 11 March 2008

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