124 Int. J. Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems, Vol. 1, Nos. 3/4, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. A probabilistic agent to support collaboration in a medical learning environment Elisa Boff* Computer Science Department, Caxias do Sul University (UCS), CEP 95.001-970, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil E-mail: eboff@ucs.br *Corresponding author Rosa Maria Vicari and Moser Silva Fagundes Computer Science Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), P.O. Box 15.064 – 91.501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil E-mail: rosa@inf.ufrgs.br E-mail: msfagundes@inf.ufrgs.br Eliseo Berni Reategui Postgraduate Program of Computers in Education (PGIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 90040-060, Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil E-mail: eliseoreategui@gmail.com Abstract: Social relationships are highly complex activities that are very difficult to model computationally. In order to represent these relationships, we may consider various aspects of the individual, such as affective state, psychological issues and cognition. We may also consider social aspects, as how people relate to each other and to what group they belong. Intelligent tutoring systems, multi-agent systems and affective computing are research areas which our research group have been investigating in order to improve individual and collaborative learning. This paper focuses on a Social Agent which has been modelled using probabilistic networks and acts in an educational application. Using the Social Agent as a testbed, we present a way to perform the deliberation process in BDI and Bayesian networks. The assemblage of mental states and Bayesian networks is done by viewing beliefs as networks and desires and intentions as particular chance variable states that agents pursue. In this work, we are particularly concerned with the deliberation about which states of affairs the agent will intend. The focus of this paper is on how to build a real application by using the deliberation process developed in one of our previous work. Keywords: deliberation; probabilistic systems; BDI; social interaction; collaboration; medical learning environment; reasoning-based intelligent systems. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Boff, E., Vicari, R.M., Fagundes, M.S. and Reategui, E.B. (2009) ‘A probabilistic agent to support collaboration in a medical learning environment’, Int. J. Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems, Vol. 1, Nos. 3/4, pp.124–131. Biographical notes: E. Boff received her PhD in Computer Science from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She is an Assistant Professor at Caxias do Sul University (UCS), Brazil. Her current research interest includes probabilistic networks, knowledge modelling, collaborative systems, human-computer interaction and distance learning. R.M. Vicari received her PhD in Computer Science from University of Coimbra. She is an Associate Professor at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. Her current research interest includes artificial intelligence, affective computing and intelligent tutoring systems. M.S. Fagundes received his MSc in Computer Science from Federal University of Rio Grande Sul, Brazil. His current research interest includes artificial intelligence, BDI and ontologies. E. Reategui received his PhD in Computer Science from London University. He is an Assistant Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. His current research interests include artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence in education.