The best AI chatbots for education

Scientific studies find that both student engagement and learners’ personality impact students’ online learning experience and outcomes. The challenge is how to engage with each student and deeply personalize their learning experience at scale to boost their learning outcomes. I believe the most powerful learning moments happen beyond the walls of the classroom and outside of the time boxes of our course schedules. Authentic learning happens when a person is trying to do or figure out something that they care about — much more so than the problem sets or design challenges that we give them as part of their coursework. It’s in those moments that learners could benefit from a timely piece of advice or feedback, or a suggested “move” or method to try.

• Such solutions lead to efficient learning and administrative supervision.
• Renowned brands such as Duolingo and Mondly are employing these AI bots creatively, enhancing learner engagement and facilitating faster comprehension of concepts.
• Through interactive conversations, thought-provoking questions, and the delivery of intriguing information, chatbots in education captivate students’ attention, making learning an exciting and rewarding adventure.
• The inclusion and exclusion criteria allowed us to reduce the number of articles unrelated to our research questions.

Unfortunately, in many public schools in the United States and internationally, printed textbooks, and lecturing to large groups of students are the only available teaching methods. But Stretch will have one very different feature than most other chatbots. Instead of absorbing information from the entire internet to train its artificially intelligent brain, Stretch is only learning on materials that have been developed or vetted by ISTE and ASCD.

Use structured conversation flows with clear options and avoid jargon that might confuse the user. In the fast-paced educational environment, providing instant assistance is crucial. Chatbots excel at offering immediate support on a 24/7 basis, helping students with queries, and directing them to the appropriate resources. Moreover, this will provide opportunities for mentorship and collaboration between current attendees and alums.

Let’s see why chatbots are becoming so popular in the education industry. Chatbots ease administrative processes, serving as an efficient interface between students and departments. They help in obtaining information on fee structures, course details, scholarships, and school events. By digitizing enrollment processes and simplifying communication channels, bots reduce the workload for staff. The streamlined evaluation process offers precise evaluations of student performance.

Chatbots can assist enrolled students with a variety of services, including academic support, campus information, and extracurricular activities, enhancing the overall educational experience. By analyzing conversation data, educational institutions can gain insights into user preferences, pain points, and popular inquiries, informing decision-making and strategy. Chatbots for educational institutions may establish connections with alumni.

In comparison, 88% of the students in (Daud et al., 2020) found the tool highly useful. The remaining articles (13 articles; 36.11%) present chatbot-driven chatbots that used an intent-based approach. The idea is the chatbot matches what the user says with a premade response. Chatbots have been found to play various roles in educational contexts, which can be divided into four roles (teaching agents, peer agents, teachable agents, and peer agents), with varying degrees of success (Table 6, Fig. 6).

AI chatbots offer a multitude of applications in education, transforming the learning experience. They can act as virtual tutors, providing personalized learning paths and assisting students with queries on academic subjects. Additionally, chatbots streamline administrative tasks, such as admissions and enrollment processes, automating repetitive tasks and reducing response times for improved efficiency. 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. In terms of the educational role, slightly more than half of the studies used teaching agents, while 13 studies (36.11%) used peer agents.

What Are Educational Chatbots All About?

When the user provides answers compatible with the flow, the interaction feels smooth. Furthermore, tech solutions like conversational AI, are being deployed over every platform on the internet, be it social media or business websites and applications. Tech-savvy students, parents, and teachers are experiencing the privilege of interacting with the chatbots and in turn, institutions are observing satisfied students and happier staff. 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.

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.

Advantages for students

Other authors, such as (Daud et al., 2020), used a slightly different approach where the chatbot guides the learners to select the topic they would like to learn. 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. AI and chatbots have a huge potential to transform the way students interact with learning.

Finally, researchers should explore EUD tools that allow non-programmer educators to design and develop educational chatbots to facilitate the development of educational chatbots. Adopting EUD tools to build chatbots would accelerate the adoption of the technology in various fields. A chatbot in the education industry is an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to interact with students, teachers, and other stakeholders in the educational ecosystem.

Addressing the main restrictions can lead to more robust and efficient chatbot implementations. The authors declare that this research paper did not receive any funding from external organizations. The study was conducted independently and without financial support from any source. The authors have no financial interests or affiliations that could have influenced the design, execution, analysis, or reporting of the research.

Facebook has also followed the Bill Gates’s example and joined the world-famous Summit Learning project. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for educational methods and practices. Thirty years ago, when students wanted a break from study, they would listen to music on cassette players. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. Alternatively, they would use landline telephones and pagers to arrange dates. What’s more, unlike other large language models, Stretch cites its sources, giving it another layer of accountability, Culatta said.

The vast majority of selected articles were written or co-written by researchers from American universities. However, the research that emerged from all European universities combined was the highest in the number of articles (19 articles). Asian universities have contributed 10 articles, while American universities contributed 9 articles. Finally, universities from Africa and Australia contributed 4 articles (2 articles each). In terms of the evaluation methods used to establish the validity of the articles, two related studies (Pérez et al., 2020; Smutny & Schreiberova, 2020) discussed the evaluation methods in some detail. However, this study contributes more comprehensive evaluation details such as the number of participants, statistical values, findings, etc.

We have extensive information on chatbot-related topics, such as how to automate contact information collection and how to maximize customer service potential. It is a superfast virtual agent that can accurately reply to customer inquiries. To ensure this, you only need to make sure you train it with your knowledge sources, such as course catalogs and syllabi, policies and procedures.

Real-life examples of chatbots helping in the learning process

Instead, they complement educators by automating administrative tasks, providing instant support, and offering personalized learning experiences. Teachers’ expertise and human touch are indispensable for fostering critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and meaningful connections with students. Chatbots for education work collaboratively with teachers, optimizing the online learning process and creating an enriched educational ecosystem. Incorporating AI chatbots in education offers several key advantages from students’ perspectives. AI-powered chatbots provide valuable homework and study assistance by offering detailed feedback on assignments, guiding students through complex problems, and providing step-by-step solutions.

AI aids researchers in developing systems that can collect student feedback by measuring how much students are able to understand the study material and be attentive during a study session. The way AI technology is booming in every sphere of life, the day when quality education will be more easily accessible is not far. By leveraging this valuable feedback, teachers can continuously improve their teaching methods, ensuring that students grasp concepts effectively and ultimately succeed in their academic pursuits.

I borrowed the term “proudly artificial” from Lauren Kunze, the CEO of the chatbot platform Pandorabots. It would be unethical to use a chatbot to interact with students under false pretenses. It is very important that they understand from the beginning that they are not chatting with a human. At the same time, they should also be told who is the teacher who has designed the chatbot and, most importantly, that the information they share with the chatbot will be seen by the teacher.

MIT is also heavily invested in AI with its MIT Intelligence Quest (MIT IQ) and MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab initiatives, exploring the potential of AI in various fields. Involving AI assistants in administrative tasks raises the overall efficiency of educational institutions, reducing wait times for students. This efficiency contributes to higher satisfaction levels among educatee and staff, positively impacting the institution’s credibility. Educational chatbots serve as personal assistants, offering individual guidance to everyone. Through intelligent tutoring systems, these models analyze responses, learning patterns, and overall performance, fostering tailored teaching. Bots are particularly beneficial for neurodivergent people, as they address individual comprehension disabilities and adapt study plans accordingly.

Chatbots can facilitate online discussions, group projects, and collaborative learning experiences, allowing students to engage with peers and share ideas, fostering community and active participation. To maximize the benefits and mitigate the challenges of chatbots, schools should combine their use with guidance and supervision from teachers. This blended approach ensures a well-rounded education experience that combines the strengths of both AI and human interaction. The students found the tool helpful and efficient, albeit they wanted more features such as more information about courses and departments.

Chatbot as a teaching tool

This limitation could impact the overall effectiveness of such tools in promoting creative learning approaches. 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). Based on my initial explorations of the current capabilities and limitations of both types of chatbots, I opted for scripted chatbots.

There are numerous concerns that must be addressed in order to gain broader acceptance and understanding. Drawing from extensive systematic literature reviews, as summarized in Table 1, AI chatbots possess the potential to profoundly influence diverse aspects of education. They contribute to advancements in both teaching and learning processes. 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. More recently, more sophisticated and capable chatbots amazed the world with their abilities.

It should be noted that sometimes chatbots fabricate information, a process called “hallucination,” so, at least for the time being, references and citations should be carefully verified. In an experiment in which the chatbot is asked to design a trendy women’s shoe, it offers several possible alternatives and then, when asked, serially and skillfully refines the design. The first article describes how a new AI model, Pangu-Weather, can predict worldwide weekly weather patterns much more rapidly than traditional forecasting methods but with comparable accuracy. The second demonstrates how a deep-learning algorithm was able to predict extreme rainfall more accurately and more quickly than other methods.

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 metadata of the studies containing; title, abstract, type of article (conference, journal, short paper), language, and keywords were extracted in a file format (e.g., bib file format). Subsequently, it was imported into the Rayyan tool Footnote 6, which allowed for reviewing, including, excluding, and filtering the articles collaboratively by the authors.

By harnessing the power of generative AI, chatbots can efficiently handle a multitude of conversations with students simultaneously. The technology’s ability to generate human-like responses in real-time allows these AI chatbots to engage with numerous students without compromising the quality of their interactions. This scalability ensures that every learner receives prompt and personalized support, no matter how many students are using the chatbot at the same time. A chatbot for education is a specialized type of artificial intelligence (AI) software designed to simulate conversation with users, providing them with automated responses to their inquiries. In the context of the education sector, these chatbots are tailored to meet the specific needs of students, educators, and administrative staff.

Universities should address these concerns and establish ethical guidelines for the responsible use of AI technologies. Chatbots’ responses can vary in accuracy, and there is a risk of conveying incorrect or biased information. Universities must ensure quality control mechanisms to verify the accuracy and reliability of the AI-generated content.

User-driven chatbots fit language learning as students may benefit from an unguided conversation. The authors in (Ruan et al., 2021) used a similar approach where students freely speak a foreign language. The chatbot assesses the quality of the transcribed text and provides constructive feedback.

This gives transparent and structured assessment outcomes to educatee, faculty, and stakeholders. Students’ perception of institutional support for chatbot integration influences their acceptance. https://chat.openai.com/ If someone feels inadequate support or lacks institutional backing for bot usage in their academic journey, it could result in reluctance or skepticism towards engaging with these tools.

Effective tutors may use questioning techniques, collaborative problem-solving, and personalized instruction to support their students. While Stanford provides a range of tutoring services, not all students use them regularly; students might use AI chatbots as a supplement to tutoring services. For example, users can prompt chatbots to generate explanations and analogies for concepts based on your or your students’ interests or to ask open-ended questions that encourage further thinking. Chatbots may be better at tutoring certain subjects than others, so be sure to try it out first to assess the helpfulness of the responses. Since 2001, politicians, school principals and teachers have been telling us that no child should be left behind.

In this approach, the agent acts as a novice and asks students to guide them along a learning route. Rather than directly contributing to the learning process, motivational agents serve as companions to students and encourage positive behavior and learning (Baylor, 2011). An agent could serve as a teaching or peer agent and a motivational one. Multilingual chatbots act as friendly language ambassadors, breaking down barriers for students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Their ability to communicate in various languages fosters inclusivity, ensuring that all students can learn and engage effectively, irrespective of their native language. Through this multilingual support, chatbots promote a more interconnected and enriching educational experience for a globally diverse student body.

The data is captured digitally in a format that can be analyzed manually or by using algorithms that can detect themes, patterns, and connections. In effect the teacher can “interact” with and learn from multiple learners at the same time (in theory an infinite number of them). Tutoring, which focuses on skill-building in small groups or one-on-one settings, can benefit learning (Kraft, Schueler, Loeb, & Robinson, 2021).

The implications of the research findings for policymakers and researchers are extensive, shaping the future integration of chatbots in education. The findings emphasize the need to establish guidelines and regulations ensuring the ethical development and deployment of AI chatbots in education. Policies should specifically focus on data privacy, accuracy, and transparency to mitigate potential risks and build trust within the educational community. Additionally, investing in research and development to enhance AI chatbot capabilities and address identified concerns is crucial for a seamless integration into educational systems. Researchers are strongly encouraged to fill the identified research gaps through rigorous studies that delve deeper into the impact of chatbots on education.

More generalized feedback chatbots have the advantage of reuse from session-to-session or year-to-year. Users should stay informed about the latest developments and best practices in AI ethics. They should strive to understand the limitations and capabilities of chatbots and contribute to the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies. Users should be aware of potential biases in the training data that chatbots are based on and take measures to mitigate the amplification of biases in the generated content.

Okonkwo and Ade-Ibijola (2021) discussed challenges and limitations of chatbots including ethical, programming, and maintenance issues. 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. Regular testing with real users and incorporating their feedback is critical to the success of your chatbot. Each iteration should aim to improve the user experience and streamline communication further.

We recommend using respond.io, an AI-powered customer conversation management software. You can start with a free trial and later upgrade to the plan that best suits your business needs. Like creating PowerPoint slides, you can manually define a main chat flow or ask AI to auto-generate one.

Pedagogical agents, also known as intelligent tutoring systems, are virtual characters that guide users in learning environments (Seel, 2011). 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). The chatbot used pattern matching to emulate a psychotherapist conversing with a human patient.

Hands-on experience using a chatbot can help you to better understand the capabilities and limitations of these tools. Try completing some of the following tasks, or the example educational use cases above, to practice using a chatbot. Bing Chat, an AI chatbot developed by Microsoft, also uses the GPT large language model.

To summarize, the journey through educational chatbots has uncovered a field of possibilities. These AI tools amplify engagement, offer personalized content, and ensure uninterrupted support. Yet, the limitations of these bots, such as lack of emotional intelligence, demand further attention.

It is that tool that will help them to grow, learn and use their skills in the best possible way. They engage in a dialogue with each student and determine the areas where they are falling behind. Then, chatbots use this data to compose an entirely personalized learning program that focuses on troubling subjects. Their job is also to follow the students’ advancement from the first chatbot for education to the last lesson, check their assumptions, and guide them through the curriculum. Although chatbots can provide information, they should not act as a substitute for, instead of spurring the development of students’ critical thinking and analytical skills. Universities need to emphasize the importance of independent research, critical evaluation, and synthesis of knowledge.

The first question identifies the fields of the proposed educational chatbots, while the second question presents the platforms the chatbots operate on, such as web or phone-based platforms. The third question discusses the roles chatbots play when interacting with students. The fourth question sheds light on the interaction styles used in the chatbots, such as flow-based or AI-powered. The fifth question addresses the principles used to design the proposed chatbots. Examples of such principles could be collaborative and personalized learning.

Meanwhile, North Korea, China, and Russia, in particular, contended that the U.S. might employ ChatGPT for disseminating misinformation. Italy became the first Western country to ban ChatGPT (Browne, 2023) after the country’s data protection authority called on OpenAI to stop processing Italian residents’ data. They claimed that ChatGPT did not comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation.

For example, you might prompt a chatbot to act as a novice learner and ask you questions about a topic. Try different prompts and refine them so the chatbot responds in a helpful way. We know timely formative feedback can help students learn (Metcalfe, 2017). However, providing frequent quality feedback requires much time and effort from you and your teaching team.

As you begin to explore, think about what you already know and the opinions you may already hold about the educational aspects of AI chatbots. This metacognitive exercise can help you identify what you want to explore and what you already understand. Making connections to what you already know can deepen your learning and support your engagement with these modules (Santascoy, 2021). AtlasRTX provides chatbots, or digital assistants, to colleges and K-12, and recently partnered with Instructure to provide chatbot support for users of the company’s popular Canvas LMS.

Consider asking the chatbot to take on a particular perspective or identity. The input you provide largely determines the chatbots’ predictive responses. The more context, details, and nuances you give the chatbot the more it has to work with to generate responses.

Their experiment aided 3,000 participants, and 98% of those who received support achieved a grade of C or higher. Follow this step-to-step guide to enable chatbot Q&A for intended users, e.g., students or instructors. 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. As you can see, the answers are predetermined and encoded in the flowchart.

Navigating the expansive world of educational chatbots reveals a realm where technology meets academia, fostering student engagement, and offering support. These AI-driven programs, tailored for educational settings, aim to provide enriched learning experiences. It’s incredible, but chatbots have been used in education since the early 1970s. In terms of application, chatbots Chat PG are primarily used in education to teach various subjects, including but not limited to mathematics, computer science, foreign languages, and engineering. While many chatbots follow predetermined conversational paths, some employ personalized learning approaches tailored to individual student needs, incorporating experiential and collaborative learning principles.

The use of chatbots raises concerns about academic integrity and plagiarism. Universities must establish clear guidelines and policies to ensure that students use AI tools appropriately and give proper credit to original sources. 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.