Interactive computer generation of jokes for language skill development

1
Interactive computer generation of jokes for
language skill development

• Applied Computing, University of DundeeAnnalu
  WallerDave OMara
• Informatics, University of EdinburghGraeme
  RitchieHelen PainRuli Manurung

also Alistair Low, Lucia Trujillo-Dennis
2
Outline

• Motivation
• STANDUP project
• JAPE
• Two extensions to JAPE
• Low (2003)
• Trujillo-Dennis (2003)
• STANDUP revisited
• Summary

3
Humour and language impaired children

• Use of humour enhances childrens linguistic
  conversational skills, social interaction (Waller
  et al 2001)
• Language-impaired children (LIC) have limited
  opportunities for language-play humour
• Thus, LIC have significantly poorer comprehension
  of humour
• Understanding of humour from LIC aged 13-15
  working on 5-7 curriculum (OMara et al 2002)
• This suggests that LIC have ability to use jokes
  if more accessible

4
STANDUP Project

• Build support tool that enables LIC to experience
  language play (through humour)
• Current LIC tools are primarily functional,
  focusing on needs-based communication
• Existing computer based tools text prediction,
  improving syntax, second language learning,
  discussion skills

5
Automated humour

• JAPE (Binsted Ritchie 1994, 1997) is capable of
  producing punning riddles such as
• Whats the difference between leaves and a car?
• One you brush and rake, the other you rush and
  brake.
• What do you get when you cross a monkey and a
  peach?
• An ape-ricot.
• What do you call a murderer with fibre?
• A cereal killer.
• It searches a general purpose dictionary to find
  words that fit pre-defined structures called
  schemas and templates.

6
JAPEExample
What do you call a strange market ?
7
JAPEExample
What do you call a strange market ?
A bizarre bazaar.
8
JAPEExample
What do you call a strange market ?
A bizarre bazaar.
homophone
9
JAPEExample
What do you call a strange market ?
describes
A bizarre bazaar.
homophone
10
JAPEExample
synonym
What do you call a strange market ?
describes
A bizarre bazaar.
homophone
11
JAPEExample
synonym
What do you call a strange market ?
describes
A bizarre bazaar.
homophone
synonym
12
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
A
B
synonym
synonym
C
D
TEMPLATE
13
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bizarre
synonym
synonym
TEMPLATE
14
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bizarre
bazaar
synonym
synonym
TEMPLATE
15
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bizarre
bazaar
synonym
synonym
strange
TEMPLATE
16
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bizarre
bazaar
synonym
synonym
strange
market
TEMPLATE
17
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bizarre
bazaar
synonym
synonym
strange
market
TEMPLATE
18
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bare
synonym
synonym
TEMPLATE
19
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bare
bear
synonym
synonym
TEMPLATE
20
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bare
bear
synonym
synonym
nude
TEMPLATE
21
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bare
bear
synonym
synonym
nude
animal
TEMPLATE
22
JAPEHow it works
SCHEMA
homophone
bare
bear
synonym
synonym
nude
animal
TEMPLATE
23
JAPE (cont.)

• Suitable joke experts found JAPEs better jokes
  comparably funny to those in childrens joke
  books (Binsted et al. 1997)
• Limitations
• Slow tries out all the words in the dictionary!
• Unguidable mechanism exhaustive search
• How do we adapt this for interactive usage?

24
Extensions to JAPE (1)

• Low (2003) developed a graphical user interface
  (GUI) for JAPE, with added functionality
• Creating jokes
• Riddle-solving
• Joke library
• Topic database
• Lexical support
• Still slow, interface fairly complex

25
Added functionality
Interactivity
26
Customizability
27
Extensions to JAPE (2)

• Trujillo-Dennis (2003) developed UI for
• children with speech impairments
• (possibly) motor disabilities
• no cognitive disabilities
• Explores several aspects of the user interface
• Simple language and visual layout
• Adaptable colour schemes
• Speech output
• Single switch scanning interface
• Not tested on actual target users

28
Accessibility (scanning interface)
29
STANDUP Revisited

• To build a tool that aids LIC in creating jokes
• Interactive speed, efficiency
• Customizable extensible
• User-centred design for LIC-specific interface
• Appropriateness
• What do you get when you cross a vitellus and a
  saddlery?
• A yolk yoke.
• What do you call a capable seed?
• An able semen.

30
Summary

• Humour enhances childrens conversation and
  social interaction
• Support LIC with wordplay software
• Starting point JAPE, various extensions
• Interactivity and customizability
• User-centred design

email ruli.manurung_at_ed.ac.uk