Learning Paradigms and Applications: Agent-based Approach (LP:ABA)

URL: http://amsta-14.kesinternational.org/cmsISdisplay.php

Organized within the framework of the
6th International Conference on Agent and Multi-Agent Systems:
Technologies and Applications (KES-AMSTA-14)

Chania, Greece, 18 - 20 June, 2014
http://amsta-14.kesinternational.org/index.php
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SCOPE & TOPICS
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Software agents are defined as computer systems situated in an environment and that are able to achieve their objectives by: (i) acting autonomously, i.e. by deciding themselves what to do, and (ii) being sociable, i.e. by interacting with other software agents. Research interests in agent systems are spanning various topics like modeling, design and development of advanced software systems that are appealing for a number of computer applications.

E-learning represents a collection of e-services that employ digital media and ICT for supporting educational processes. E-learning is interdisciplinary area, encompassing many aspects of the educational technologies that cover instruction, training, teaching, learning, pedagogy, communication and collaboration.

During the last decade, agent technologies were proposed to enhance e-learning systems across at least two dimensions:
(i) agents as a modeling and design paradigm for advanced human-computer interaction and
(ii) agents for smart functional decomposition of complex systems.

Firstly, agents have been described as entities that exhibit several interesting properties that are very appealing for the modeling and design of advanced user interfaces encountered in e-learning systems: teachers, tutors and students.

Secondly, generic agent types proven to be effective for the appropriate functional decomposition of e-learning systems. Dynamic and interoperability characteristics of agents are very suitable for supporting maintainability and extensibility of e-learning systems.

Last but not least, yet another facet of agent-based approaches for e-learning is brought by the application of intelligent agent technologies in educational settings. Agents are often seen as incarnations of various forms of artificial intelligence including machine learning, reasoning and data mining.

We do believe that e-learning and software agents are orthogonal technologies and their integration is beneficial for designing better e-learning systems.

Submissions are expected from, but not limited to the following topics:

* Modeling and application in educational domains of various types of adaptation and personalization.
* Personal agents that support users during their activities of educational processes.
* Specialized task agents for harvesting and composition of e-learning resources according to the teaching, as well as learning needs.
* Middle-agents, brokers and recommenders as mediation between the user preferences and resource capabilities, according to different criteria (the knowledge level of the student or the educational domain of the course).
* Pedagogical, emotional and affective agents and their influence on e-learning processes.
* Machine learning and data mining in e-learning systems: advanced facilities like understanding students behavior, learning user preferences, or semantic matching between student profiles and educational resources.
* Collaboration and student teamwork in e-learning.
* Agent-based educational project management.
* Agent-based e-learning platforms and systems.


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PAPER SUBMISSION
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* Papers will be refereed and accepted on the basis of their scientific merit and relevance to the conference.
* The papers will be scheduled for presentation either orally or by poster, depending on their attributes, author preferences and referee recommendations. Please note that poster presentations are regarded as being of equal importance to oral presentations.
* The required paper length is 7 to 10 pages in publisher format. Papers longer than this may be subject to an additional charge. Papers much longer or shorter than the required length may be rejected, at the decision of the organisers.


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IMPORTANT DATES
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* Paper submission: January 27, 2014
* Acceptance notification: February 24, 2014
* Final paper submission: March 10, 2014
* Conference: June 18 - 20, 2014


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WORKSHOP CHAIRS
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* Mirjana Ivanovic, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
(http://perun.dmi.rs/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=41, mira@dmi.uns.ac.rs)

* Prof. Zoran Budimac University of Novi Sad, Serbia
(http://perun.pmf.uns.ac.rs/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=41, zjb@dmi.uns.ac.rs)

* Prof. Costin Badica, University of Craiova, Romania
(http://software.ucv.ro/~cbadica/, costin.badica@software.ucv.ro)

* Prof. Lakhmi Jain, University of South Australia, Australia
(http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/Homepage.asp?Name=lakhmi.jain, Lakhmi.Jain@unisa.edu.au)