Goal-based autonomous social agents: Supporting adaptation and teaching in a distributed environment

This paper proposes a theoretical framework that allows goal-based agents attached to networked applications and learning environments to support users' work and learning. Users, learners, applications and learning environments are represented by autonomous goal-based social agents who communicate, cooperate, and compete in a multi-system and multi-user distributed environment. This allows for a uniform approach to support the user while working, by adaptation to the user's goals, preferences, level of experience and available resources; as well as teaching the user using various teaching paradigms (consrtuctivist or instructivist). In addition it allows one to take into account the user's/learner's motivation and affect; as well as enabling a coherent discussion of teaching strategies.