The education sector in India stands dynamic and is swiftly evolving like any other sector. At its helm we recognises the game changing force of Artificial Intelligence. There has been a surge in demand for remote learning along with the necessity of secure and dependable assessment strategies which has thrust AI into the spotlight. 

Chatbots have been used for educational purposes for a quite long time. Such chatbots can be categorised into two, those with education intentionality and those without. Those without education intentionality are used in administrative tasks such as student guidance and assistance. Chatbots with educational intentionality are used to foster teaching and learning. 

Benefits of chatbots in educational purposes 

Within this category, there are Chatbots which provide the framework of the learning process, that is, select and arrange contents to fit the students’ needs and speed, and help in reflection and learning motivation. These bots act as a learning companion which provides dialogue, collaboration and reflection. Furthermore, there are exercise and practice Chatbots that present a stimulus in question form, to which the student provides an answer that is assessed by the Chatbot which then provides feedback. 

Chatbots enhance dialogic learning as it is based on a communicative exchange between the bot and the student. The research paper, “Adoption of AI-Chatbots to Enhance Student Learning Experience in Higher Education in India” says, according to Fleming, the interaction between the chatbot and the student consists of the following elements: initiation, response, and feedback (IRF). The chatbot initiates the conversation by asking questions and based on the response the student gives, the chatbot provides feedback. These chatbots also provide interaction among students and this interaction has an additional element of discussion (D) and thus we have IDRF. The Chatbot initiates a conversation by asking a question, the students discuss the question and give a response, and the bot provides feedback. 

The Chatbots in education perform different tasks such as handling FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), administrative and management tasks, student mentoring, motivation, student learning assessments, simulations, training specific skills and abilities, and providing reflection and metacognitive strategies.

The traditional system vs The AI bot system 

Teacher-centred learning/ Traditional system 

• The focus is on the instructor.
• The system is built on what the instructor knows about language forms and structures.
• Depends on passive learning.
• Students rely on the teacher.
• The tutor is responsible for the student’s excellence.
• Online platforms are just repository areas. 
• The learning environment is centred on the curriculum.
• The student’s behaviour is not a factor in the formulation of the pedagogical model.
• The learning environment is not adaptive. 

AI-Bot System 

• The centre focus is on both the student and tutor.
• The system focuses on how the student will use the language.
• Incorporates both active and passive learning styles.
• There is interdependence between the teacher and the student.
• The student is solely responsible for his/her excellence.
• Online platforms accommodate interaction and experimentation.
• The learning environment is centred on the student’s profile, learning experiences and needs.
• The student’s behaviour is modulated to tailor the pedagogical model to the learner’s model.
• There is an implementation of adaptive learning environments. 

Technological developments have paved the way for organisations to run their daily businesses in a more effective way. The information and communication technology are being adopted to provide effective and timely delivery of services in various public and private sectors in Indian like the higher education. It is established that chatbot advancements can enhance learning, communication and productivity at the same time, offer efficient teaching assistance and reduce uncertainty. 

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338868551_Adoption_of_AI-Chatbots_to_Enhance_Student_Learning_Experience_in_Higher_Education_in_India/link/5e30cd4aa6fdccd965733186/download
• Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash