| In life-long learning, learners should be able to assemble their own learning route from a variety of options on offer. For that, they should be able to pinpoint their current position in order to identify their starting point; they should to be able to trace out the path to the achievement of their learning objectives (navigate); and, en route, they should be able to carry out a variety of learning activities and receive pertinent support. Facilitating life-long learners in this way requires a quite sophisticated infrastructure. This applies in particular to the efforts that go into supporting learners engaged in learning activities. The present project seeks to alleviate the support task by involving software agents in it. Agent support will be elaborated in the context of Learning Networks. Learning Networks are the programme s answer to the various problems with which life-long learning confronts us. A change model of how support takes place in Learning Networks and how agents may participate in it will be built. Prototypes of agents will be developed actually to be employed in student support activities. Finally, experiments will be carried out to assess their efficiency and effectiveness. Outcomes a change model of how tutors will be supported in their support activities for the Activity Nodes in a Learning Network, including a design of the principles of the operation of the agent technologies prototypical software agents that qualify as generic support agents for tutors; their generality refers to their ability to be trained to operate in a variety of knowledge domains a model of how agents operate within the context of a design specified in IMS-LD. This may require the elaboration of a specification that should elaborate how agents can best be used in conjunction with the Learning Design specification. |
