Engineering Heterogeneous Distributed Learning Environments Using Tuple Spaces as an Architectural Platform

To support the development of distributed learning environments with components programmed in different languages a blackboard architecture based on tuple spaces is proposed. The specific implementation in terms of the "Colmid" middleware supports inter-language communication by adding a Prolog interface to the Java based TSpaces platform. This approach is exemplified by a collaborative discussion environment coupled with an action analyzer written in Prolog.