Artificial intelligence is trying to make computer systems mimic the human brain. On the other hand, chatbots are infused programs on your websites and apps. Chatbots use Natural Language Processing to respond and detect a human voice. Just like evolution in humans, chatbots get smarter with time. They learn by analyzing past data and information. Data scientists feed chatbots with a huge pile of relevant information so as it learns better.
But how do we know learners find this technology useful? Interestingly, the BI data suggests 59% of US millennials and 60% of US Gen Xers have used chatbots in the messaging app.
This data implies, students not only use chatbots for learning but also for searching for relevant information. As you read further you’ll get to know how AI chatbots can be a way to tackle the challenges in the Edtech industry.
Providing Equitable Learning Opportunities
One of the sustainable development goals aims to ensure equitable access to learning opportunities for every student across the globe. AI chatbots can be a breath of fresh air for the students of marginalized communities, students with disabilities, refugees as well as those living in isolated communities. The chatbot can present the students with the opportunity to explore and learn without any bias. For instance, chatbots can assist a hospitalized student to prepare for his exams by charting a plan according to his learning abilities.
Moreover, the AI chatbot ensures there are no discontinuities in the learning process. Since it gives instant answers to the doubts. Sometimes even faster than the subject matter expert.
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Encouraging Collaborative Learning
The corona crisis has transformed the education sector in several ways. One of the challenges to this shift has been decreasing collaborative learning. Learning is not limited to a curriculum. In fact, sharing ideas and topic discussions facilitate curiosity and eagerness in students.
With respect to chatbot-supported collaborative learning, online asynchronous discussion groups is a great space for sharing ideas. In an asynchronous discussion group, a student posts questions and responds to colleagues by logging in to the site. To clarify, a popular question and answer site, Reddit can be utilized for asynchronous discussions.
The course instructor structures the comments and posts. They may provide the students to comment in the groups as an assignment. Furthermore, AI systems monitor the group discussions with the help of machine learning and shallow text processing.
Equally important, the AI system assesses the discussion to give a detailed analysis of student’s engagement in the discussion. As a result, teachers save their time on mundane tasks and can focus on teaching with new techniques.
Personalized Feedback Generator
China has started a unique initiative with an AI strategy for education as an important part of its mission. The authoritarian rule helps adopt innovation at an accelerated pace. A Chinese digital education company is developing image and voice recognition software. The software understands student facial expressions to provide detailed and personalized feedback online.
Moreover, the software is capable of teaching 600,000 students at the cost of a single subject matter expert. With the addition of new functionalities, the software will be able to answer 500 million simultaneous questions from students preparing for the Gaokao university entrance examination.
In the Final Analysis
The boom of AI chatbots has altered every arena of virtual social interaction. On the contrary, the development of advanced chatbots requires expensive infrastructure and the environment of thriving innovators. The developing countries are still lagging in terms of the adoption of new technologies.
Uniquely, Buckminster R. Fuller, an inventor, and a futurist had a vision about education utopia. He predicted, in 1962, that selective subject matter experts could record their lectures and new technology will distribute the lecture worldwide. Years and a global pandemic later, we are shifting the education system online. The words of Mr. Fuller still stay relevant and may come true after all these years.
