Original author(s) Written in Java | Development status Active Available in Multilingual | |
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Developer(s) University of Oxford Modelling4All Project Operating system | ||
The Behaviour Composer is a web-based tool for creating and running NetLogo agent-based models.
Contents
Overview
The Behaviour Composer was developed at the University of Oxford in England by the Modelling4All Project to enable students and researchers to build agent-based models directly in a browser. Models are composed by combining and customising micro-behaviours. Among the five publications on the Behaviour Composer The Modelling4All Project -- A web-based modelling tool embedded in Web 2.0 is the best overview.
Usage in teaching
The Behaviour Composer has been used in teaching agent-based modelling in general as well as zoology and business school courses.
Usage in outreach
A customisation of the Behaviour Composer called the Epidemic Game Maker was exhibited at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. During the ten-day exhibition over one thousand models/games of an epidemic were created by visitors.
An Open Educational Resources model of the Spanish Flu Pandemic was built in the Behaviour Composer.
Usage in research
Researchers have built serious models in archeology, anthropology, political science, economics, epidemics, oncology, fishing, and farming.
Technical details
The Behaviour Composer is an open source Java program. It was built using the Google Web Toolkit and runs on the Google App Engine. Models can be constructed in any modern web browser and run as a Java applet, downloaded to NetLogo, or using the BC2NetLogo tool.
Components of models called micro-behaviours (modular code fragments) can be hosted as pages on any web server. Models are stored on the server and can be accessed and shared via URLs.