What is IWINK?

IWINK (Illinois Wesleyan Intelligent Network on Knowledge) is a long term interdisciplinary, student-faculty research project whose primary aim is to establish an undergraduate curriculum in cognitive science. We plan to achieve this goal by:

Creating instructional technology to complement undergraduate curricula in cognitive science. The most ambitious project is to construct an "artificial person" ("Shelley") with extensive AI and robotic capabilities;

Providing our students with challenging research opportunities in a variety of fields in cognitive science;

Creating an interactive, research-oriented cognitive science on campus Web site (and eventually on the WWW).

What are IWINK's Goals?

The more immediate, short term goals are more modest. We plan, over the next two years, first to start constructing "Shelley" and devising instructional technology which can be used in courses raising issues in cognitive science. This will be an interdisciplinary student/faculty team effort.

Second, we plan to incorporate "Shelley" and the instructional technology into courses in computer science, psychology, philosophy and mathematics. The hope is that by establishing a foothold for cognitive science in a series of courses from a number of disciplines, Illinois Wesleyan University will have an established minor in cognitive science.

Who is involved?

IWINK participants include faculty from a number of departments. There are several from psychology, computer science, philosophy, and mathematics. Students are also a part of this organization. Activities include demonstrations and biweekly discussion groups