Gonzalo Méndez

Intelligent virtual environments for training: an agent-based approach

In this paper we propose an architecture for the development of Intelligent Virtual Environments for Training, which is based on a collection of cooperative software agents. The first level of the architecture is an extension of the classical Intelligent Tutoring System architecture that adds to the expert, student, tutoring and communication modules a new module which is called World Module. Several software agents compose each module. Moreover, the proposed architecture includes agents able to simulate the behavior of human students and tutors, as well as agents able to plan the procedures to be taught (given an initial state and a desired final state) prior to the tutoring process.

Steve meets jack: The integration of an intelligent tutor and a virtual environment with planning capabilities

In this paper, we describe how we have integrated Steve, an intelligent tutor based on Soar, and HeSPI, a human simulation tool for planning and simulating maintenance tasks in nuclear power plants. The objectives of this integration were to test Steve’s flexibility to be used in different applications and environments and to extend HeSPI to use it as a virtual environment for training. We discuss the problems encountered and the solutions we have designed to solve them.

A SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE FOR INTELLIGENT VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS APPLIED TO EDUCATION

This paper describes the software architecture that has been designed as a model for the application of Intelligent Virtual Environments to training activities. CORBA has been used as the middleware to integrate a graphical and interactive environment developed in OpenGL and Visual C++, with a cooperative multi-agent system developed on top of the JADE platform.

A Multiagent Extension for Virtual Reality Based Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Applying virtual reality (VR) in combination with intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) is a promising approach to computer based learning and training. However, the classical structure of ITSs has not been conceived to deal with the new sources of information and interaction provided by VR environments. The resulting structures combining both technologies often renounce to the traditional modular separation of ITSs in pursuit of increasing efficiency, but making very difficult the reusing of their components. In this paper it is described the extension of the classical ITS structure proposed in the MAEVIF model to build reusable and adaptable VR based ITSs.

ANÁLISIS FACTORIAL CONFIRMATORIO. RECOMENDACIONES SOBRE MÍNIMOS CUADRADOS NO PONDERADOS EN FUNCIÓN DEL ERROR TIPO I DE JI-CUADRADO Y RMSEA

In order to obtain evidences about construct validity through Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Social Sciences, working with skewed ordinal variables has been usual. In this simulation study the performance of Unweighted Least Squares (ULS) method in Likert scales according to Likelihood Ratio Test (C2) and RMSEA indices is analysed through Type I error. For this purpose, four experimental factors have been manipulated: the number of factors or dimensions (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), the number of response points (3, 4, 5, 6), the degree of skewness of the responses distribution (symmetric, moderately and severely asymmetric) and the sample size (100, 150, 250, 450, 650, 850) of the simulated models. According to the main results, C2 index always shows a bigger Type I error than RMSEA, regardless of the experimental factors analysed. Finally, different action alternatives are discussed and future research lines are presented.

Schemas for Narrative Generation Mined from Existing Descriptions of Plot

Computational generation of literary artifacts very often resorts to template-like schemas that can be instantiated into complex structures. With this view in mind, the present paper reviews a number of existing attempts to provide an elementary set of patterns for basic plots. An attempt is made to formulate these descriptions of possible plots in terms of character functions, an abstraction of plot-bearing elements of a story originally formulated by Vladimir Propp. These character functions act as the building blocks of the Propper system, an existing framework for computational story generation. The paper explores the set of extensions required to the original set of character functions to allow for a basic representation of the analysed schemata, and a solution for automatic generation of stories based on this formulation of the narrative schemas. This solution uncovers important insights on the relative expressive power of the representation of narrative in terms of character functions, and their impact on the generative potential of the framework is discussed.

A Modifiable Agent-Based Software Architecture for Intelligent Virtual Environments for Training

During the last years, intelligent virtual environments for training have become a quite popular application of computer science to education. However, little attention is being paid to software engineering issues, and most systems are developed in an ad-hoc way that does not allow the reuse of their components or an easy modification of the application, even though some authors claim that the use of agents makes systems be more modifiable. We describe an agent-based software architecture that is intended to be easily extended and modified. This architecture is a redesign of a previous one using more formal principles and methods of software architecture design.

SIAPAS: a case study on the use of a GPS-Based parking system

GPS-based applications have become very popular during the last years, specially among drivers, who use them to find the best way to their destination However, their use is still far from taking advantage of the wide range of possibilities that GPS offers The SIAPAS application goes one step further by adding new functionality to the typical GPS-based map SIAPAS runs on a PDA and it allows drivers to find a parking space that suits their needs inside a parking lot This paper describes how the system has been designed and implemented, and shows the results of some experiments that have been carried out to test its utility and usability.

An Overview of the Use of Mobile Agents in Virtual Environments

In the field of agents, there are a wide variety of them, such as learning agents, planning agents or communicative agents. One of the youngest members in the family are mobile agents, which provide us with the interesting feature of mobility in order to perform their tasks in different machines. In this paper, we will see some of the current uses of mobile agents and we will suggest how we could use these agents along with Virtual Environments in order to enhance them and open a new world of possibilities for the users of these applications.

How Do Agents Affect Modifiability? A Comparison between Two Architectures for Intelligent Virtual Environments for Training

The use of agents is spreading as a means to develop different kinds of software systems, among which we can find Intelligent Virtual Environments for Training. The agent community has already started to pay attention to software engineering issues to develop agent-oriented systems, but they are mainly focused on methodologies and, to some extent, design patterns. However, not much attention has been paid to software architecture for the moment. We compare two agent-based software architectures for Intelligent Virtual Environments for Training that are intended to be easily extended and modified. The first one was designed using an organizational approach recommended by some agent oriented methodologies. The second one is a redesign of the first architecture using more formal principles and methods of software architecture design. A comparison between both architectures highlights the need to pay more attention to software architecture design in this field.