Understanding Interactive and Explainable Feedback for Supporting Non-Experts with Data Preparation for Building a Deep Learning Model

Understanding Interactive and Explainable Feedback for Supporting Non-Experts with Data Preparation for Building a Deep Learning Model

It is difficult for non-experts to build machine learning (ML) models at the level that satisfies their needs. Deep learning models are even more challenging because it is unclear how to improve the model, and a trial-and-error approach is not feasible since training these models are time-consuming. To assist these novice users, we examined how interactive and explainable feedback while training a deep learning network can contribute to model performance and users' satisfaction, focusing on the data preparation process. We conducted a user study with 31 participants without expertise, where they were asked to improve the accuracy of a deep learning model, varying feedback conditions. While no significant performance gain was observed, we identified potential barriers during the process and found that interactive and explainable feedback provide complementary benefits for improving users' understanding of ML. We conclude with implications for designing an interface for building ML models for novice users.