F-SMILE: An Intelligent Multi-Agent Learning Environment

This paper describes a multi-agent, intelligent learning environment. The system is called F-SMILE and is meant to help novice users learn how to manipulate their file store. F-SMILE consists of a User Modelling (UM) Agent, an Advising Agent, a Tutoring Agent and a Speech-driven Agent. The UM Agent constantly observes the learner and in case it suspects that the user is involved in a problematic situation it generates spontaneous advice. The generation of advice is done by searching for similar actions to the one issued by the learner. These alternative actions are sent to the Advising Agent, which is responsible for selecting the most appropriate one for the particular user. The selection of the best alternative is based on the information about the user that the UM Agent has collected and a cognitive theory. The information collected about each user is also used by the Tutoring Agent in order to generate adaptively the lesson for the particular user. When the advice and the corresponding lesson are ready, they are sent to the Speech-driven Agent, which is responsible for rendering the interaction with the user more human-like.