An Agent Service Grid for Supporting Open and Distance Learning

This chapter describes ExpertGrid, a software infrastructure for the development of decision support tools to train crisis managers. The system handles a rich variety of realistic critical scenarios addressed by the trainees, who, by means of the system, will develop effective countermeasures. ExpertGrid is based on agent oriented technology to be dynamic, flexible, and open, and it relies on a distributed computing grid to support large scale scenario computations and incorporate a larger body of knowledge. This contribution presents the design of the system together with its prototypal implementation and initial results