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Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

SARA: Smart Agent-Based Resource for Virtual Advising

SARA: Smart Agent-Based Resource for Virtual Advising
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Author(s): John R. Durrett (Texas Tech University, USA), Lisa J. Burnell (Texas Christian University, USA)and John W. Priest (University of Texas, USA)
Copyright: 2002
Pages: 4
Source title: Issues & Trends of Information Technology Management in Contemporary Organizations
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-930708-39-6.ch115
ISBN13: 9781930708396
EISBN13: 9781466641358

Abstract

Few tools are available for managing distributed educational support processes, from answering “quick” student questions, to degree planning and course scheduling. The dual purpose of our work is to analyze the viability of synthesizing two well-established paradigms (Agent-based systems and Information Processing Theory) to create a distributed web-based support system for a virtual university. Currently we are developing a smart agent-based resource for advising (SARA) that will serve different departments at multiple universities. This effort allows the investigation of distributed advising systems in a truly virtual university, along with providing a platform for investigating utilization of brick-and-mortar research on coordination and control of human employees in a completely virtual world. In this article, we present SARA and argue for the benefits derived from integrating agent-based systems development and information-processing theory for creating rapidly customizable web-based support systems for virtual universities.

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