Modelling Human Behaviour using Mobile and Social Media Data

We constantly generate digital traces in our online and offline lives, for example by using our smartphones, by interacting with everyday devices and the technological infrastructure of our cities or simply by posting content on online social media platforms. This information can be used to model and possibly predict human behaviour in real-time, at a scale and granularity that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

In this series of lectures, I will discuss the key concepts concerning the development and evaluation of models of human behaviour using these “digital traces” with a specific focus on mobile and social network data. I will also provide an overview of the methodological, algorithmic, and systems issues related to the development of solutions that rely on the online analysis and modelling of this type of data. Finally, I will examine the open challenges and opportunities in this research area.

Assessment: presentation & discussion of a research paper or software/tool.