Artificial Intelligence has now become a reality, and AI technologies are being utilized across industries for uses including predictive analytics, machine learning and facial recognition.
It takes time and patience to respond to questions from current students and staff. However, answering inquiries quickly or providing satisfactory responses can make someone feel welcome at your institution and leave them with a good impression of it.
Virtual assistants in schools would be ideal to handle repetitive and mundane tasks so teachers and staff could focus their energy on other essential activities.
AI-powered Chatbots can be invaluable resources. Acting as virtual personal assistants, these bots can offer various educational advantages.
AI and chatbots have many benefits for education, providing examples of how they have enhanced both students’ experience and teachers.1. Answering Your Queries 24/7.
Implementing a chatbot into the school or college website ensures that key information such as admissions, policies, and facilities are readily accessible to anyone searching for details about your institution.
Not only others but your own students can benefit from chatbots, too! Especially new students who have lots of questions about life on campus. Utilizing a chatbot as the answer provider is far superior to digging through an FAQ section for answers.
Chatbots provide students with an additional advantage by understanding natural language, which enables them to interact with them as though talking directly to a human being. Moreover, the bot can respond to questions without being judgmental about the number or content of inquiries.
2. Teaching Assistance
Virtual assistants are also useful in the teaching field. Georgia Tech’s ‘Jill Watson,’ an AI-based teaching assistant built on the IBM Watson platform, is a well-known example. Jill Watson answered many of the questions posted by students on a forum for an ‘Online Artificial Intelligence’ class.
Grading assignments and exams is another routine task that consumes a lot of time for teachers. AI chatbots can support the grading process, which would reduce teachers’ workloads. For example, the grading process for multiple-choice tests can be automated. However, grading essays and written work is more challenging and requires machine learning solutions. In China, schools are testing new technology that uses AI to grade students’ written work.
3. Personalized Learning
An adaptive learning approach tailors learning experiences specifically to each student’s individual needs and capabilities. AI helps guide students through unique learning experiences that match their specific needs. This allows teachers to give more individual attention to students.
Content Technologies, a company that develops solutions in education, uses tools such as Palitt and Cram101 to deliver knowledge efficiently, speeding up the learning process.
Carnegie Learning focuses on improving students’ learning experiences by transforming math classes. They use tools and approaches that give teachers greater control over student progress. Software such as MATHiaU and Zulama, for example, leverages cognitive science to provide personalized learning experiences.
4. Chatbots and AI Examples in Education
Here are a few examples of how educators around the world are employing chatbots and AI:
- Deakin University At Columbia College Chicago, they received the 2018 Digital Edge 50 Award for creating Genie: an AI-powered student personal assistant that provides tailored experiences to students by helping them discover campus events, remember assignment due dates, and more.
- Hubert, a chatbot, makes the process of giving and analyzing feedback much more enjoyable. Students can chat about their impressions of a class or teacher. Hubert sends reminders if necessary and interprets the feedback. The chatbot then generates a report to send to the teacher, and the results are instantly analyzed, with an email sent to the teacher’s mailbox.
- Georgia State University used AI and a chatbot to combat Summer Melt, a phenomenon where students are admitted to college but do not show up. GSU utilized a student portal that guided students through the steps to prepare for their first day of class. AI chatbot, available 24/7 via text message, answered students’ questions, reducing Summer Melt by 22%.
- IBM Watson Education offers AI-based solutions to help students achieve better learning outcomes. Deakin University became the inaugural university worldwide to utilize IBM Watson when they established an online, 24/7/365 student advisory service that allows students to pose queries and get instantaneous, accurate advice instantly online.
Conclusion
AI chatbots bring numerous advantages to the education sector, from providing 24/7 support for both students and teachers to tailoring learning experiences and reducing administrative tasks. As this sector develops further, educators and developers will continue incorporating chatbots and AI into learning environments to further enrich both teaching experiences.