A multi-tiered agent-based architecture for a cooperative learning environment

In this paper the problem of educational resource management in a cooperative learning environment is discussed. A task model was elaborated to determine both functional and level-of-service requirements. Among the former we salient: (1) the remote control of classroom hardware devices, and (2) the accessibility to course materials. Among the later we emphasize scalability, extensibility and reliability. A multi-tiered agent-based software architecture is proposed and a distributed deployment is presented in order to satisfy all the requirements. High-level resource management services are the key components that distinguish our architecture from others as well as prepare the proposed system for future evolution.