Towards Situated Explanation

explain in a dynamic environment. Related to earlier work on goal-directed diagnosis (?), a major issue being addressed in this research is how contextual changes influence the ongoing explanation process. As an example of the issues to address consider the following scenario implemented in our system. The planner is trying to achieve the goal of catching a plane and generates two possible plans: driving to the airport or taking a taxi. Choosing the option of driving, the plan steps are executed in a simulated world and it is detected that the car does not start. In trying to determine why the car will not start our model of the ensuing explanation process involves: ffl Situated reasoning. The explanation process responds to two types of situational changes: 1. Changes in the external environment: For example, due to time constraints the explanation effort could be curtailed and the system might choose the alternative plan of taking a taxi