Spatiotemporal models are emerging as a very important topic in several disciplines, including neurobiology and artificial neural networks. Many hard problems exist in this area. Examples include understanding the capabilities of nonlinear dynamical systems on a lattice and of networks of spiking neurons (both natural and artificial), training such systems, implementing them in hardware, understanding biological signals like the EEG, etc. Besides the state-of-the-art in the area of spatiotemporal models, the book also covers the neurobiological, and the artificial systems communities.

Epilepsy, one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affects approximately 1% (greater than 60 million) of the world's population. In an estimated 20 million of these patients, seizures are not controlled even by multiple anti-seizure drugs, and are extremely difficult to predict. Epilepsy: The Intersection of Neurosciences, Biology, Mathema

The theme of this book is Knowledge and Media in Learning Systems, and papers that explore the emerging roles of intelligent multimedia and distributed technologies as well as computer supported collaboration within that theme are included. The spread of topics is very wide encompassing both well- established areas such as student modelling as well as more novel topics such as distributed intelligent tutoring on the World Wide Web. Far from undermining the need to understand how learning and teaching interact, the newer media continue to emphasise the interdependence of these two processes. Collaboration and tools for collaboration are the major topics of interest. Understanding how human learners collaborate, how peer tutoring works and how the computer can play a useful role as either a more able of even a less able learning partner are all explored here.

Information modelling is the essential part of information system design. Design methods, specification languages, and tools tend to become application dependent, aiming at integration of methodologies stretching traditional database design to advanced knowledge bases, and including use of logical languages, and process oriented system description. The topics of the articles in this book cover a wide variety of themes in the domain of information modelling, specifications of information systems and knowledge bases, ranging from foundations and theories to systems construction and application studies. The contributions represent the following major themes: the use of ontologies in knowledge modelling concept modelling and conceptual modelling database modelling: applications of object-oriented modelling view integration and consistency checking modelling multimedia and multimedia models design methods process modelling formal systems.

Simulators are becoming standard equipment for interactive learning environments. They allow for attractive teaching with a large degree of freedom for the learner. However, without proper guidance, the learner easily gets lost in a simulation environment. Providing guidance requires an image of what the learner is doing. Acquiring this image by diagnosing the behaviour of the learner is a complex and resource-intensive task for which yet no general approach exists. In this book, we apply existing ideas and techniques from the field of model-based reasoning and diagnosis to interactive learning environments. We present a framework for subject matter modelling and diagnosis of learner behaviour. The framework defines generic techniques for automatically generating subject matter models from qualitative simulations. A generic model-based engine employs these models for diagnosing the learner's behaviour. The framework provides a powerful and reusable approach to individualising guidance in educational systems.