Project Based Learning with Multi-agent Simulation in Liberal Arts Education

Complexity science is a new field of science that help us to understand complex social phenomenon such as economies, traffics, wars, epidemics, mass actions, etc. On the other hand, multi-agents simulation (MAS) methods are useful and powerful tools for complex system science. They come to be applied to studies and analysis of complex systems along with the development of computers. It can be said that the perspectives of complex systems and the skills for MAS are very useful knowledge for students who should live and work in the complex modern society. Then the author tried to design and conduct an education program dealing with complex system science and MAS as liberal arts targeting at students from all faculties. It's a project-based learning program in which students investigated and discussed "What is complex systems?" and develop MAS. In general, it is difficult for students who haven't gained the any special knowledge of computing to build MAS. Then the author applied the generic multi-agent simulation platform "artisoc" to this program. With artisoc, students can build MAS easily. In this paper, the practical example of PBL program with artisoc and its result are introduced.