1) The document describes a talk given at the 9th International Conference on Frontiers in Education: Computer Science and Computer Engineering about using an extended Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) agent model in NetLogo to teach undergraduate students artificial intelligence concepts. 2) A NetLogo model was developed to simulate fractional reserve banking using BDI agents to represent banks, debtors, and depositors. 3) The model was further extended by students in undergraduate research projects to refine the BDI agent architecture and allow dynamic intention management. This provided hands-on learning opportunities for students in AI courses.

1. WORLDCOMP 2013
Using BDI-extended NetLogo Agents
in Undergraduate CS
Research and Teaching
Jonathan Wiens
Dagmar Monett
Talk at the 9th International Conference on Frontiers in Education:
Computer Science and Computer Engineering, FECS 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013

2. How could we change that future?
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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3. Topics
J. Wiens / D. Monett
The paper’s word cloud
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013 was created with Tagxedo

4. J. Wiens / D. Monett
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5. BDI agents
Mental attitudes:
 Beliefs = assumptions
about the world
 Desires = goals, agent’s
purpose
 Intentions = actions needed
to fulfill the goals
Focus: reasoning of
resource bounded agents in
(complex) environments
Image © StuartMil
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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6. J. Wiens / D. Monett
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7. Multi-agent programmable modeling environment
Simulation tool for concurrent, autonomous agents
Excellent for teaching: used as an educational tool
in numerous university courses worldwide
Used in our AI courses since 2006; topic of several
student research projects at the BSEL
NetLogo, icons, images: © 1999-2013 by Uri Wilensky
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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8. J. Wiens / D. Monett
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9. Fractional reserve banking
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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10. Topic from:
Agent-based Computational Economics
Fractional reserve banking
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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11. Topic from:
Agent-based Computational Economics
Fractional reserve banking
Fractional reserve banking:
The bank keeps only a fraction of the received deposits
(or reserves) and lends the remaining to borrowers
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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12. J. Wiens / D. Monett
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13. NetLogo model
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14. NetLogo model
Concurrent activities
within a tick cycle
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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15. NetLogo model
The bank agent:
- mediates between depositor and debtor
- makes profit through interest rates
Image © jscreationzs
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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16. NetLogo model
The debtor and the depositor agents:
- similar deliberation processes (DP)
- DP depends on individual rationality
and algorithm for acting.
Image © sixninepixels
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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17. NetLogo model
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18. J. Wiens / D. Monett
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19. J. Wiens / D. Monett
Deliberation process for the depositor
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20. Evaluation of beliefs
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Deliberation process for the depositor
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21. Intentions
(future actions)
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Deliberation process for the depositor
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23. Goals (1)
Simplified model for
fractional reserve banking
+ BDI = MAS
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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24. Goals (2)
BDI
extension
by Ilias Sakellariou
Petros Kefalas
Ioanna Stamatopoulou
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Belief management
[["coffee" "hot"]
["coffee" "strong"]]
Intention management
Stack with intentions
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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25. Goals (2)
BDI
extension
by Ilias Sakellariou
Petros Kefalas
Ioanna Stamatopoulou
Belief management
[["coffee" "hot"]
["coffee" "strong"]]
Intention management
Stack with intentions
Which components cannot be modeled?
Extensions needed?
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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26. Goals (3)
Undergraduate Research Project
(minor capstone project)
Extensions to the
BDI
extension
Design, implement, test and evaluate in
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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27. Goals (4)
Artificial Intelligence course
Undergraduate teaching
Course projects
Students support
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29. What is new?
Agent’s plans
 Plans = sequence of intentions
 Dynamic adding of intentions
 Deleting single or multiple intentions at a time
Redefinition of intentions
 Calls by reference
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31.  Accredited Artificial Intelligence course
 Optional module in the 5th study semester (7-ECTS)
 Sub-module: Autonomous agents and multi-agent
systems
 Small-sized group (
20 students )
 Project-based learning
(ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System,
1 credit point = 30 hours of study)
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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32. Schedule of a student’s talk
Duration in
minutes
2
Motivation, Agenda
3
3
8
10
12
15
Theory: BDI and BDI logic
5
Theory: BDI architectures
Video, Discussion
Practical part: exercises
5 Practical part: BDI in NetLogo
3 Literature, advice for projects
70 min.
2
Sandwich
=
passive
+
active
learning
units
Conclusions
Image © digitalart
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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33. Course project in
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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34. Conclusions
Case study in the field of Agent-Based
Computational Economics: Fractional Reserve
Banking
Extension to the NetLogo BDI Library
Undergraduate research supports AI classroom
teaching
J. Wiens / D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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35. Ongoing and Future Work
 Further evaluation of the new BDI library: student
research project of two new undergraduate students
 Dynamic prioritizing of competing plans
 Simulation of real world scenarios using FRB and
BDI
- E.g. for modeling bank crises and their behavior
over time
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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36. Change your students’ future.
Let them be researches, developers and teachers
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
at the same time!