Masits – a Multi-agent Based Intelligent Tutoring System Development Methodology

During the last decades intelligent agents integrated in multi-agent systems are accepted as a suitable technology to implement mechanisms of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), so facilitating ITS development. Still, no adequate methodological support is available for agent based ITS development. Regardless of the fact that general agent-oriented software engineering methodologies are the most suitable for this purpose, ITSs have specific characteristics that need to be taken into consideration during the development process. Additionally, ITSs have their own field of research with important knowledge gained, that is useful during the ITS development. The paper presents the specific ITS development methodology named MASITS to support agent based ITS development. The methodology integrates results of ITS research into the most appropriate techniques used in agent-oriented software engineering methodologies. The paper presents also the corresponding tool for support of the methodology and gives a brief description of case study of the methodology and the tool.