When chatbots first appeared on the digital scene in 2016, people were not too sure whether this AI technology would last. However, when we fast forward a little to the current times, we can see that chatbots are becoming ever more popular. This AI technology is here to stay and is being used in many different industries.
One of the industries where chatbots have made a huge impact is the education industry. From the admission process to answering queries and also acting as teachers’ virtual assistants, this technology has revolutionized the way in which the education system works.
The use of this contactless technology has increased after the pandemic. In fact, many educational institutes made use of this technology in order to enhance student participation in virtual classrooms.
Table of Contents
Why AI chatbots are a powerful tool for education.
The potential of AI chatbots to personalize learning
One of the most powerful potentials of AI chatbots is their ability to personalize learning experiences for students. By tracking data points like student performance, interests, and demographics, AI chatbots can customize content and delivery to each individual learner. This type of individualized attention has the potential to boost student engagement and motivation, as well as improve academic outcomes.
The ability of AI chatbots to engage students in active learning
In addition to personalized content, AI chatbots can also be used to engage students in active learning experiences. By asking questions and giving feedback, chatbots can guide students through problem-solving activities and help them reflect on their learning. This type of interactive learning has been shown to promote deeper understanding and retention of information.
Finding the right platform for your chatbot
When it comes to creating an AI chatbot for education, the first step is finding the right platform. There are a number of different platforms available, each with its own set of features and capabilities. The best way to find the right platform for your chatbot is to experiment with a few different options and see which one works best for you.
There are a number of different factors to consider when choosing a chatbot platform, including:
1. Ease of use: The platform should be easy to use, with an intuitive interface that makes it simple to create and edit your chatbot’s conversations.
2. Flexibility: The platform should offer a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to customize your chatbot’s behavior to match your specific needs.
3. Capabilities: The platform should offer all the features and capabilities you need to create a powerful AI chatbot for education. Some of the key capabilities you should look for include natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and integrations with educational content providers.
Best practices for using AI chatbots in education.
Incorporating chatbots into your lesson plans
When incorporating a chatbot into your lesson plan, it is important to consider how the chatbot will fit into the overall structure of the lesson. For example, will the chatbot be used as an introduction to the topic, or as a way to review what was learned? Will students be working with the chatbot individually, or in groups? By considering how the chatbot will be used in relation to other activities in the lesson, you can ensure that the chatbot enhances student learning rather than interrupts it.
In addition to considering how the chatbot will be used within a lesson, it is also important to think about how you will introduce the chatbot to students. Some educators like to show students a demo of the chatbot before they start using it, while others prefer to let students explore on their own. Whichever approach you take, make sure that you explain any features of the chatbot that students should be aware of, such as its ability to understand natural language or remember past conversations.
Encouraging students to interact with your chatbot
One of the best ways to encourage students to interact with your chatbot is by making it engaging and fun for them. This can be done by adding personality traits to your chatbot or incorporating games and quizzes into its conversation flow. You can also use rewards and badges to motivate students; for example, you could give students a badge for completing a certain number of tasks with your chatbot. Whatever approach you take, make sure that your goal is always to keep students engaged and excited about using your chatbot.
Assessing student learning with AI chatbots
AI chatbots can be a valuable tool for assessing student learning because they allow educators to track student progress over time and identify areas where additional support may be needed. When designing your assessment strategy, start by thinking about what information you want to collect from students and how often you need it. For example, do you want daily progress reports or weekly summaries? Once you have decided on an assessment schedule, determine which parts of the conversation flow will be used for assessment purposes and design accordingly. For example, you may want to include quiz questions at specific points in the conversation flow or ask students open-ended questions at regular intervals throughout their interaction with the chatbot. By carefully planning how you will assess student learning, you can ensure that your chatbot is providing valuable data that can be used to improve student outcomes.
Let us look at the top 10 chatbots meant for the education industry.
EduBot by Botspice
Features
- This chatbot is an innovative solution for the education industry
- It engages the students and teachers in a well-designed approach
- Bridges the communication gap between teachers and students
- The bot also helps in make many parts of the enrolment process simple and contact free
- Students get a personalized, one on one learning experience
- EduBot can be programmed to answer a vast variety of questions that the students may need to be answered
- The best part about this bot is that it employs rich and contextualized media to make learning fun
Mongoose Harmony by Drift
Features
- Mongoose Harmony guides the website visitors to the relevant content.
- It also captures lead information and directs queries to the right staff.
- A website is the face of an educational institution. With the help of this bot, you can lend it a voice.
- It provides visitors with very personalized and intelligent communication.
- This bot is totally customizable and hence you can also use it intelligently to enhance your brand image.
QnABot by Amazon
Features
- Amazon has created this bot to be able to answer the questions put forth by the students.
- It also allows them to sift through information easy to get what they are looking for.
- This bot allows the educational institute to add functionality and features according to their requirement.
- The students can also provide feedback and this feedback is used to make the student experience better.
- This bot is especially a boon during the enrolment process.
Watson by IBM
Features
- This chatbot has been used in the western world including the UK, Europe, and the United States.
- This chatbot uses a technology that allows the students to expedite responses to the students
- They can also download and provide documents if required.
- Watson is very interactive and also provides answers to specific questions
- IBM ensures that developing the chatbot is simple for any institution
HubBot by HubSpot
Features
- HubBot too is a chatbot similar to Watson and QnABot
- The additional feature of HubBot is that you can also book meetings with it
- It also allows you to ask basic questions according to a pre-loaded script
- This bot can be used to automate conversation and provide the best possible imitation of a live human interaction
- The process for students as well as staff of educational institutes find this bot to be quite straightforward and use friendly
Iggy
Features
- The name Iggy itself speaks of youth and is an excellent option for educational institutions that want to enhance their student’s experience on their website
- With Iggy, the students or their parents can have a verbal conversation or even use text messages to communicate
- The students can learn about campus visits and plans for orientation
- As this chatbot can answer questions from a loaded pool of questions and answers it can also act as an assistant to the teachers and professors
WotNot
Features
- These are conversational bots that provide universities and colleges the chance to streamline support, automate processes and increase admissions
- This bot is not just useful during admission time but is always available for students who need to consult the administrative staff for anything pertaining to the college
- For instance, it provides personalized assistance to students regarding the courses offered by your institution
- It also acts as a teacher’s assistant by offering answers to students’ academic questions
- It enables the students to learn on their own and they learn better in this manner
Aivo
Features
- Machine learning has been evolving for quite some time, and now the use of AI has taken the world of education by storm
- Aivo can be used to enhance an institution’s student recruitment capabilities
- The application process is also made simpler with the help of this bot
- The university gets the benefit by saving time for the staff
- Institutes can carry on their work efficiently with the help of the Aivo bot. Hence they are able to reduce their employee numbers saving them a lot in terms of salaries.
Botcore
Features
- Botcore provides different types of chatbots for the education industry which enhance the student experience in machine learning
- The teacher’s efficiency is also made better by these bots because they answer a lot of the questions put forth by students
- The best part is that you do not require knowledge about advanced technology in order to be able to use these bots for different purposes
- Botcore chatbots make the day-to-day activities of the administrative staff quite simple saving a lot of effort and time
Botsify
Features
- The information and conversation offered by the Botsify chatbot are short and snappy but valuable and complete
- Chatbots meant for the education industry as made by Botsify are designed to engage students even through Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and other social media apps
- These bots make learning fun and eliminate the requirement for a large number of portals and email accounts
- The automated tutoring system created by Botsify is the most useful and sought-after bot which enhances the interaction between the AI system and the students
- The students are able to get information about their assignments, deadlines, activity clubs, etc. which are important in student life
Conclusion
Whether you want a chatbot for a large university or a small tuition center, there is something for everyone in the growing market of chatbots. The prices of the education chatbots also vary widely making them feasible for educational institutes of varying scales.
AI is here to stay and the education industry has wholeheartedly and definitely adopted this innovative and useful technology. These chatbots provide a win-win solution for educational institutes and students.
In today’s technology-driven world universities, colleges, and tuition centers in almost all developed, and several developing countries have invested in employing AI technology. Chatbots have shown up as a crucial part of the education industry and are fast becoming a vital component of the digital world.