A Multi-Agent Architecture and Protocol for Knowledge Production: A Case Study for Participative Development of Learning Objects

In a distributed eLearning environment, the development of learning objects is a participative task. We consider learning objects as knowledge pieces, which are subject to the management processes of acquisition, delivery, creation and production. A multiple-tier architecture for participative knowledge production tasks is introduced, where knowledge-producing agents are arranged into knowledge domains or marts, and a distributed interaction protocol is used to consolidate knowledge that is produced in a mart. Knowledge consolidated in a given mart can be in turn negotiated in higher-level foreign marts. The proposed architecture and protocol are applied to coordinate the development of learning objects by a distributed group of authors.