The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling

the Center for Connected Learning (CCL)
and Computer-Based Modeling

affiliated with the departments of Learning Sciences and Computer Science
and the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems at Northwestern University

About CCL

Papers

Welcome to the EACH Project!

The EACH project was founded at the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling at Tufts University. Our goal is to explore complexity in evolution through multi-agent modeling (aka object-based parallel or agent-based modeling). Our focus is the Evolution of Altruistic and Cooperative Behavior. EACH is an acronym for Evolution of Altruistic and Cooperative Habits. The EACH project is a curricular initiative under the auspices of two National Science Foundation Projects: Making Sense of Complex Phenomena through Building Object-Based Parallel Models and Participatory Simulations

We have developed a number of models in the StarLogoT modeling language that explore traditional evolutionary concepts such as "success" and "fitness" as emergent phenomena. Thus far, we have developed an "Altruism" model that demonstrates a plausible account of the evolutionary success of altruistic agents in competition with selfish conspecifics. We have also developed, in collaboration with students, a cooperation model that uses the notion of population viscosity to demonstrate conditions under which cooperative agents would have an evolutionary advantage over greedy agents.

Other models are a "Divide-the-Cake" model, and a "Selective Altruism" model, still in development.

Information about these models is on the Models page, as are links to download them and the StarLogoT modeling language.

Please visit the Activities and Papers pages to read about our current research, and check out the Links page to find out about a number of interesting sites.

Acknowledgements

The EACH project gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Science Foundation (AAT and REPP programs), and is supported under NSF grant numbers REC-9632612 and REC-9814682. Work on the project originally began under the title CONNECTED MATHEMATICS: MAKING SENSE OF COMPLEX PHENOMENON THROUGH BUILDING COMPUTATIONAL MODELS.