Role of AI chatbots in education: systematic literature review Full Text

Chatbots integrate feedback mechanisms into routine interactions to gather real-time insights from students and educators, providing a constant stream of data on the effectiveness of teaching methods and materials. This approach leverages symbolic AI to provide a more conversational approach to customer service. It uses natural language technology to understand the intent of a customer query. It provides full visibility into the rules that machines use to gain knowledge, with human oversight to adjust the learning models. A chatbot system uses conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology to simulate a discussion (or a chat) with a user in natural language via messaging applications, websites, mobile apps or the telephone. It uses rule-based language applications to perform live chat functions in response to real-time user interactions.

Through this comprehensive support, chatbots help create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment, benefiting students, educators, and educational institutions alike. Personalization in the online education system is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity for effective learning. Education chatbots excel in this area by using machine learning to analyze data from student interactions to tailor educational content and responses. If a student frequently struggles with a particular concept, the chatbot can offer revised explanations, additional resources, or slower-paced guidance. Education chatbots facilitate various processes by serving as virtual teaching assistants, evaluating papers, retrieving alumni data, updating curriculums, and streamlining admissions. These tools, powered AI, are transforming how educational institutions, from EdTech startups to universities, engage with students and staff.

Okonkwo and Ade-Ibijola (2021) analyzed the main benefits and challenges of implementing chatbots in an educational setting. The adoption of educational chatbots is on the rise due to their ability to provide a cost-effective method to engage students and provide a personalized learning experience (Benotti et al., 2018). Chatbot adoption is especially crucial in online classes that include many students where individual support from educators to students is challenging (Winkler & Söllner, 2018). Chatbot interaction is achieved by applying text, speech, graphics, haptics, gestures, and other modes of communication to assist learners in performing educational tasks. Much more than a customer service add-on, chatbots in education are revolutionizing communication channels, streamlining inquiries and personalizing the learning experience for users. For institutions already familiar with the conversational sales and support landscapes, harnessing the potential of chatbots could catapult their educational services to the next level.

Educational institutions can start by identifying areas where chatbots could have the most impact, such as customer service, admissions, or student support. ChatBot offers the University Template that can be customized to meet specific needs. Yes, chatbots significantly improve administrative efficiency by automating routine tasks such as admissions processing, scheduling, and handling FAQs.

AI Chatbots in this digital chessboard are your knights – versatile, impactful, and strategic. Contact Liaison today to learn how our innovative solutions can help your institution stay ahead of the curve. IBM Consulting brings deep industry and functional expertise across HR and technology to co-design a strategy and execution plan with you that works best for your HR activities. https://chat.openai.com/ Whatever the case or project, here are five best practices and tips for selecting a chatbot platform. The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

A chatbot can turn a history lesson into an interactive story in which students make decisions that influence the outcome. Active studying makes learning more engaging and helps students understand the material’s real-world application. Chatbots in education create interactive learning sessions that can engage students more deeply.

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• With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots are becoming a crucial part of educational frameworks globally.
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• Education chatbots are interactive artificial intelligence (AI) applications utilized by EdTech companies, universities, schools, and other educational institutions.

With a lack of proper input data, there is the ongoing risk of “hallucinations,” delivering inaccurate or irrelevant answers that require the customer to escalate the conversation to another channel. To help illustrate the distinctions, imagine that a user is curious about tomorrow’s weather. With a traditional chatbot, the user can use the specific phrase “tell me the weather forecast.” The chatbot says it will rain. With an AI chatbot, the user can ask, “What’s tomorrow’s weather lookin’ like? With a virtual agent, the user can ask, “What’s tomorrow’s weather lookin’ like? ”—and the virtual agent not only predicts tomorrow’s rain, but also offers to set an earlier alarm to account for rain delays in the morning commute.

Data-driven insights

It can provide a new first line of support, supplement support during peak periods, or offload tedious repetitive questions so human agents can focus on more complex issues. Chatbots can help reduce the number of users requiring human assistance, helping businesses more efficient scale up staff to meet increased demand or off-hours requests. Artificial intelligence can also be a powerful tool for developing conversational marketing strategies. Through turns of conversation, a chatbot can guide, advise, and remedy questions and concerns on any topic. These guided conversations can help users search for resources in more abstract ways than via a search bar and also provide a more personable and customized experience based on each user’s background and needs.

Five articles (13.88%) presented desktop-based chatbots, which were utilized for various purposes. For example, one chatbot focused on the students’ learning styles and personality features (Redondo-Hernández & Pérez-Marín, 2011). As another example, the SimStudent chatbot is a teachable agent that students can teach (Matsuda et al., 2013). Recently, chatbots have been utilized in various fields (Ramesh et al., 2017). Most importantly, chatbots played a critical role in the education field, in which most researchers (12 articles; 33.33%) developed chatbots used to teach computer science topics (Fig. 4).

However, after OpenAI clarified the data privacy issues with Italian data protection authority, ChatGPT returned to Italy. To avoid cheating on school homework and assignments, ChatGPT was also blocked in all New York school devices and networks so that students and teachers could no longer access it (Elsen-Rooney, 2023; Li et al., 2023). These examples highlight the lack of readiness to embrace recently developed AI tools. There are numerous concerns that must be addressed in order to gain broader acceptance and understanding. Chatbot use in education can provide benefits to both the student and the teacher. Chatbots have been shown to be capable of providing students with immediate feedback, quick access to information, increasing engagement and interest, and creating course material individualized to the learner.

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Every chatbot is different, and depends largely on how much content you put in and how robust a conversation you want to design. As a rule of thumb, it takes one person about a month to make a chatbot with 30 different outputs (ie, types of content you want the user to engage with). Feedback chatbots also afford a more informal, collegial environment for sharing concerns and successes in a course. This can be helpful when asking for feedback about more delicate topics like points of confusion or a sense of belonging. The more informal environment and gradual, directed questioning via turns of conversation can establish a more personable channel through which to share insights.

Exceptionally, a chatbot found in (D’mello & Graesser, 2013) is both a teaching and motivational agent. Unsurprisingly, most chatbots were web-based, probably because the web-based applications are operating system independent, do not require downloading, installing, or updating. According to an App Annie report, users spent 120 billion dollars on application stores Footnote 8. In our review process, we carefully adhered to the inclusion and exclusion criteria specified in Table 2.

These digital assistants streamline interactions between people and services, enhancing customer experience. At the same time, they offer companies new opportunities to streamline the customer’s engagement process for efficiency that can reduce traditional support costs. Conversational AI chatbots can remember conversations with users and incorporate this context into their interactions. When combined with automation capabilities including robotic process automation (RPA), users can accomplish complex tasks through the chatbot experience. And if a user is unhappy and needs to speak to a real person, the transfer can happen seamlessly.

Customers still value the ability to interact with live agents, particularly for more complex queries. Thus, keeping a human in the loop remains essential to the overall chatbot equation. They make it far easier (in most cases) to resolve outstanding customer issues and eliminate a significant amount of manual work for live support agents. With that said, they are not to be perceived as human replacements, but rather as human augmentation.

Moreover, chatbots will foster seamless communication between educators, students, and parents, promoting better engagement and learning outcomes. To summarize, incorporating AI chatbots in education brings personalized learning for students and time efficiency for educators. However, concerns arise regarding the accuracy of information, fair assessment practices, and ethical considerations. Striking a balance between these advantages and concerns is crucial for responsible integration in education. Drawing from extensive systematic literature reviews, as summarized in Table 1, AI chatbots possess the potential to profoundly influence diverse aspects of education. However, it is essential to address concerns regarding the irrational use of technology and the challenges that education systems encounter while striving to harness its capacity and make the best use of it.

Oftentimes reflections that students share with the bot are shared with the class without identifiable information, as a starting point for social learning. None of the articles explicitly relied on usability heuristics and guidelines in designing the chatbots, though some authors stressed a few usability principles such as consistency and subjective satisfaction. Further, none of the articles discussed or assessed a distinct personality of the chatbots though research shows that chatbot personality affects users’ subjective satisfaction. Concerning the design principles behind the chatbots, slightly less than a third of the chatbots used personalized learning, which tailored the educational content based on learning weaknesses, style, and needs.

This choice can be explained by the flexibility the web platform offers as it potentially supports multiple devices, including laptops, mobile phones, etc. In general, the followed approach with these chatbots is asking the students questions to teach students certain content. Moreover, it has been found that teaching agents use various techniques to engage students. After defining the criteria, our search query was performed in the selected databases to begin the inclusion and exclusion process. Initially, the total of studies resulting from the databases was 1208 studies.

The integration of AI with human cognition and emotion marks the beginning of a new era — one where machines not only enhance certain human abilities but also may alter others. Such risks have the potential to damage brand loyalty and customer trust, ultimately sabotaging both the top line and the bottom line, while creating significant externalities on a human level. Drawing inspiration from brain architecture, neural networks in AI feature layered nodes that respond to inputs and generate outputs.

Lack of Emotional Intelligence

The kitchen has a special place in homes, neighborhoods and cultures, so disrupting that venerable institution requires careful thinking to optimize benefits and reduce risks. Because humans are a key disease vector, robot cooks can improve food safety. Precision trimming and other automation can reduce food waste, along with A.I. Customized meals can be a benefit for nutrition and health, for example, in helping people avoid allergens and excess salt and sugar. Is capable of genuine creativity, particularly if that implies inspiration and intuition.

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With the integration of Conversational AI and Generative AI, chatbots enhance communication, offer 24/7 support, and cater to the unique needs of each student. Existing literature review studies attempted to summarize current efforts to apply chatbot technology in education. For example, Winkler and Söllner (2018) focused on chatbots used for improving learning outcomes. On the other hand, Cunningham-Nelson et al. (2019) discussed how chatbots could be applied to enhance the student’s learning experience. The study by Pérez et al. (2020) reviewed the existing types of educational chatbots and the learning results expected from them. Smutny and Schreiberova (2020) examined chatbots as a learning aid for Facebook Messenger.

Interestingly, the only peer agent that allowed for a free-style conversation was the one described in (Fryer et al., 2017), which could be helpful in the context of learning a language. Several studies have found that educational chatbots improve students’ learning experience. For instance, Okonkwo and Ade-Ibijola (2021) found out that chatbots motivate students, keep them engaged, and grant them immediate assistance, particularly online. Additionally, Wollny et al. (2021) argued that educational chatbots make education more available and easily accessible.

However, there are potential difficulties in fully replicating the human educator experience with chatbots. While they can provide customized instruction, chatbots may not match human instructors’ emotional support and mentorship. Understanding the importance of human engagement and expertise in education is crucial. They offer students Chat GPT guidance, motivation, and emotional support—elements that AI cannot completely replicate. From the viewpoint of educators, integrating AI chatbots in education brings significant advantages. Educators can improve their pedagogy by leveraging AI chatbots to augment their instruction and offer personalized support to students.

They manage thousands of student interactions simultaneously without any drop in performance. During peak times, such as the beginning of the school year or during exams, their capability to provide information at scale outperforms any human. Multilingual chatbots democratize education by providing services in multiple languages, ensuring no student is left behind because of language barriers. benefits of chatbots in education This feature is particularly beneficial in diverse educational environments where students come from various linguistic backgrounds. Chatbots are also equipped to handle personal data securely, ensuring that students’ information is processed in compliance with privacy regulations. This is crucial in building trust and reliability in digital interactions within educational settings.

Integrating blockchain technology with AI can offer secure, verifiable digital credentials for applicants, ensuring the authenticity of academic records and simplifying the verification process during admissions. AI-powered chatbots can help automate assessment processes by accessing examination data and learner responses. These indispensable assistants generate specific scorecards and provide insights into learning gaps. Timely and structured delivery of such results aids students in understanding their progress, showing the areas for improvement. Only one study pointed to high usefulness and subjective satisfaction (Lee et al., 2020), while the others reported low to moderate subjective satisfaction (Table 13).

To better prepare students and teachers, education on chatbot use should be integrated into the current curriculums as more research is conducted on best practices. It’s designed specifically to enhance student engagement and simplify admissions, helping you provide a seamless experience for prospective students. The potential of AI and chatbots to transform educational systems is immense. As technology advances, these tools are set to redefine the traditional educational models, making learning more personalized, accessible, and efficient. Finally, chatbots play a crucial role in fostering inclusivity within education.

LLMs are AI models trained using large quantities of text, generating comprehensive human-like text, unlike previous chatbot iterations (Birhane et al., 2023). Imagine a student preparing for an exam late at night and needing clarification on a complex topic. Normally, they’d have to wait until the next day for help, risking a break in study momentum and added stress. These education chatbots provide answers at any hour, supporting students continuously and making learning stress-free.

Do chatbots have special qualities that are suited for out-in-the-world learning?

This limitation could impact the overall effectiveness of such tools in promoting creative learning approaches. For example, Georgia Tech has created an adaptive learning platform for its computer science master’s program. This platform uses AI to personalize the learning experience for each student. Similarly, Stanford has its own AI Laboratory, where researchers work on cutting-edge AI projects.

This results in a more efficient, engaging, and tailored learning experience. A chatbot can enhance and engage customer interactions with less human intervention. It removes the barriers to customer support that can occur when demand outpaces resources.

Subsequently, the assessment of specific topics is presented where the user is expected to fill out values, and the chatbot responds with feedback. The level of the assessment becomes more challenging as the student makes progress. A slightly different interaction is explained in (Winkler et al., 2020), where the chatbot challenges the students with a question. If they answer incorrectly, they are explained why the answer is incorrect and then get asked a scaffolding question.

Selecting the right chatbot platform can have a significant payoff for both businesses and users. Users benefit from immediate, always-on support while businesses can better meet expectations without costly staff overhauls. Instructors can read through anonymous conversations to get a sense of how the chatbot is being utilized and the nature of inquiries coming into the chatbot. This can also be a type of temperature check for any common misunderstandings or concerns among learners.

Education chatbots help students navigate course materials, access library resources, and even connect them with human tutors if their queries are too complex. If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, we can help you explore your options. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. Our Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E or Chapter 31) program can help with learning new skills, finding a new job, starting a business, getting educational counseling, or returning to your former job. Chatbots offer solutions for various sectors, from healthcare to banking, assisting in tasks ranging from managing appointments to processing complex applications.

Authors are thankful to all the teaching staff from the Regional Center for Education and Training Professions of Souss Massa (CRMEF-SM) for their help in the evaluation, and all of the participants who took part in this study. Since different researchers with diverse research experience participated in this study, article classification may have been somewhat inaccurate. As such, we mitigated this risk by cross-checking the work done by each reviewer to ensure that no relevant article was erroneously excluded. We also discussed and clarified all doubts and gray areas after analyzing each selected article. This limitation was necessary to allow us to practically begin the analysis of articles, which took several months. We potentially missed other interesting articles that could be valuable for this study at the date of submission.

Further, we excluded tutorials, technical reports, posters, and Ph.D. thesis since they are not peer-reviewed. It’s important to note that some papers raise concerns about excessive reliance on AI-generated information, potentially leading to a negative impact on student’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills (Kasneci et al., 2023). For instance, if students consistently receive solutions or information effortlessly through AI assistance, they might not engage deeply in understanding the topic. It is expected that as these models become more widely available for commercial use, research on the benefits of their use will also increase.

Motivational agents

Overloaded due to tight scheduling and plenty of daily duties, educators often face challenges. Invaluable teaching assistants can give a hand with automation tasks like tests, assessments, and assignment tracking. EdWeek reports that, according to Impact Research, nearly 50% of teachers utilized ChatGPT for lesson planning and generated creative ideas for their classes. SPACE10 (IKEA’s research and design lab) published a fascinating survey asking people what characteristics they would like to see in a virtual AI assistant. Beyond gender and form of the bot, the survey revealed many open questions in the growing field of human-robot interaction (HRI).

Various design principles, including pedagogical ones, have been used in the selected studies (Table 8, Fig. 8). Pérez et al. (2020) identified various technologies used to implement chatbots such as Dialogflow Footnote 4, FreeLing (Padró and Stanilovsky, 2012), and ChatFuel Footnote 5. The study investigated the effect of the technologies used on performance and quality of chatbots. Concerning the platform, chatbots can be deployed via messaging apps such as Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Slack (Car et al., 2020), standalone web or phone applications, or integrated into smart devices such as television sets.

Chatbot technology is changing how institutions in the education industry interact with students, streamline processes, and deliver personalized learning experiences. These AI-powered assistants are vital in fostering a more engaging and effective educational environment. There are different approaches and tools that you can use when building chatbots. Depending on the use case you want to address, some technologies are more appropriate than others.

Conversational Pedagogical Agents (CPA) are a subgroup of pedagogical agents. They are characterized by engaging learners in a dialog-based conversation using AI (Gulz et al., 2011). The design of CPAs must consider social, emotional, cognitive, and pedagogical aspects (Gulz et al., 2011; King, 2002). These FAQ-type chatbots are commonly used for automating customer service processes like booking a car service appointment or receiving help from a phone service provider. Alternatively, ChatGPT is powered by the large language models (LLMs), GPT-3.5, and GPT-4 (OpenAI, 2023b).

There are multiple business dimensions in the education industry where chatbots are gaining popularity, such as online tutors, student support, teacher’s assistant, administrative tool, assessing and generating results. In the images below you can see two sections of the flowchart of one of my chatbots. In the first one you can see that the chatbot is asking the person how they are feeling, and responding differently according to their answer. A scripted chatbot, also called a rule-based chatbot, can engage in conversations by following a decision tree that has been mapped out by the chatbot designer, and follow an if/then logic. In contrast, NLP chatbots, which use Artificial Intelligence, make sense of what the person writes and respond accordingly (NLP stands for Natural Language Processing).

They serve as virtual assistants, aiding in student instruction, paper assessments, data retrieval for both students and alumni, curriculum updates, and coordinating admission processes. The purpose of this work was to conduct a systematic review of the educational chatbots to understand their fields of applications, platforms, interaction styles, design principles, empirical evidence, and limitations. Most peer agent chatbots allowed students to ask for specific help on demand.

While the benefits of chatbots in education are significant, there are challenges to consider. Before you start designing your chatbot, you need to have a clear understanding of your audience. Understanding your users is vital to designing a chatbot that they will engage with. Developing a chatbot for educational services is as much about the frontend design as it is about the backend logic.

With over 100 plug-and-play integrations, one-click wonders are a tangible reality, enabling your business to soar by blending the prowess of automation and live agent support. Yellow.ai affirms a reassuring “no problem,” crafting pathways even when built-in APIs are absent, building bridges where needed, and ensuring that your chatbot is not an isolated entity but an integrated, invaluable asset. Creating a frictionless journey from selection to sale is paramount in the digital marketplace, where a hefty 70.19% of shopping carts are abandoned. AI chatbots, such as those crafted by Yellow.ai, elegantly streamline this process, transforming potential drop-offs into delightful conversions by providing a simplified, conversational checkout experience.