AI is slowly taking over the world by storm. From manufacturing and business to the healthcare industry, AI has successfully integrated itself into many aspects of our lives. Chatbots are arguably among their most important contributions. In fact, in 2025, the chatbot market is expected to grow into a $1.25 billion industry—which is a testament to its potential as an alternative way for people to communicate with companies and institutions in the future.
However, as we know - and as you’ve probably experienced - chatbots are primarily seen in the business sector. Whether trying to buy from an online store or simply seeking customer support, chatbots are often used to provide efficient and quick responses. But did you know that AI chatbots are also making their way into the world of education?
That’s right! The use of AI chatbots in education is revolutionizing the way students learn and interact with educational institutions. In 2021, researchers reviewed 53 studies on the use of chatbots in education. The study found that most Chatbot applications in education are used for teaching and learning, administration, assessment, advisory, and research and development.
Moreover, the study found the benefits of using Chatbots in education, which include quicker access to information, motivation, engagement, and personalized learning. The study also found challenges that could limit the use of Chatbots in education, such as ethical and maintenance issues.
In this article, we’ll delve into the world of AI chatbots in education, exploring how they are used by educational institutions and their impact on the sector.
Whether you are a student, educator, or just interested in the eventual convergence of AI and education, we’ve got you covered. Let’s begin!
What are Chatbots?
According to IBM, chatbots are software applications that utilize natural language processing and artificial intelligence (AI) to comprehend customer inquiries and offer automated responses, mimicking human-like conversation. And although they’re not exactly like humans on a conversational level, they’re more than capable of handling simple tasks like basic customer support or inquiries.
This effectively minimizes the workload of human representatives so that they can focus on more complex tasks, usually at the customer's request. And since chatbots don’t need to eat or sleep, they’re ready to answer questions at a moment’s notice 24 hours a day, which makes business transactions and inquiries more efficient.
However, as mentioned above, chatbots aren’t exactly perfect since they’re only more suited to simple tasks. In a recent 2022 poll on customer satisfaction with chatbots, only 25% of respondents said they were happy or very happy with their chatbot experience, while 43% said they weren’t happy with their experience.
Although these numbers aren’t really something to be proud of, it’s worth noting that AI technology is rapidly advancing, and it’s only a matter of time before chatbots will be able to handle more complex tasks and provide better customer service. With the help of machine learning and data analysis, chatbots can improve their responses and become more personalized to meet customers' needs.
Chatbots in Education
Now that we’ve got the gist of what chatbots are, let’s explore how chatbots are used in education. As we’ve learned from the 2021 review above on the use of chatbots in education, chatbots are mainly used in learning, administration, assessment, advisory, and research and development.
So let’s dive into this in more detail.
Learning
Chatbots can be used in learning to provide personalized and adaptive learning experiences. For instance, chatbots can track students' progress, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and provide tailored feedback and recommendations to help them improve their learning outcomes.
Moreover, you can use chatbots to learn to deliver content in an engaging way. Chatbots can simulate human-like conversations with students, making learning more interactive and fun. They can also use multimedia elements such as images and videos to enhance the learning experience.
Chatbots can also be used as virtual tutors. Students can ask the chatbot questions, and it can provide instant and accurate answers. This can help students overcome learning obstacles and improve their understanding of a subject. In addition, chatbots can assist in language learning by providing language practice exercises, correcting pronunciation, and simulating real-life conversations with native speakers.
With all these impressive capabilities, chatbots can play a huge role in enhancing students' academic outcomes. Research has proven this to be the case in a 2021 study on the impact of a virtual teaching assistant on undergraduate students' academic performance. The researchers also tried to determine the students' views regarding interaction with the chatbot.
The students were divided into an experimental and a control group for this study. The experimental group used the chatbots as their instructor, while the control group did not. Both groups were tested before and after the experiment to determine the impact of chatbots on learning outcomes.
The study's results revealed that students who interacted with the chatbot performed better academically than those who interacted with the course instructor. The study also found that students were confident about the chatbot's integration into the course.
Administration
Aside from learning, chatbots can also serve as virtual assistants for a school’s administrative staff, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks while the chatbot handles routine administrative work. Chatbots can be programmed to provide personalized responses to inquiries, reducing the workload of administrative staff and providing students with immediate access to critical information.
For example, a chatbot can be programmed to assist students with the enrollment process, answering frequently asked questions about deadlines, required documentation, and available courses. It can also provide information about financial aid and scholarship opportunities and answer questions about institutional policies such as academic integrity or campus safety.
Chatbots can also provide administrative support to faculty members. For instance, people can use them to schedule meetings or appointments, manage course schedules, and provide information on institutional resources such as research grants or teaching resources.
And, as it turns out, educational institutions are slowly moving toward a direction where AI assistants could become a mainstay in administrative tasks.
In 2021, researchers reviewed existing scholarly articles on the role of Artificial Intelligence Applications (AIA) in assisting teachers in academic and administrative tasks. The review revealed that we could use AIA in a handful of organizational tasks to minimize teacher workload and streamline work.
The review cited that AIA offers assistance in the form of Learning Analytics, Virtual Reality, Grading/Assessments, and Admissions, allowing teachers to focus more on teaching and guiding their students.
Assessment
Traditionally, teachers conduct assessments by administering tests and exams and reviewing each test or exam after. Although this has been the most widely used assessment method for years, it can be time-consuming and may not provide timely feedback to students. Moreover, manual checking can be prone to errors, which could drastically affect a student’s grades.
However, with chatbots, teachers can say goodbye to these problems for good. Chatbots can be programmed to grade assignments and provide immediate feedback to students, saving instructors time and effort on all question types other than short-answer. Additionally, educators can use chatbots to conduct formative assessments, which provide ongoing feedback throughout the learning process.
Chatbots can also be used to give quizzes, ask questions, and quickly provide students feedback. This allows teachers and educators to monitor their students' progress and identify areas needing further study or assistance.
Another way chatbots are used for assessment is through natural language processing. For instance, chatbots can analyze students' written responses and provide grammar, syntax, and content feedback. This allows for more personalized feedback, which can improve students' English speaking and writing skills.
In fact, in 2021, researchers pooled and analyzed recent major research trends, models, and theories related to using chatbots in EFL (English as a foreign language) classes. The review revealed that current research on chatbots in university EFL settings focused on effectiveness, motivation, satisfaction, exposure, and assessment.
One of the highlighted topics in the article was assessment, and the researchers found that EFL teachers could use chatbots to assess learners' language skills and proficiency. Chatbots were found to be able to assist with automated assessment, short answers assessment, and language assessment, according to several studies. So, this study’s results make a case that chatbots are an effective tool for assessing learners' performance.
Advisory
Students often rely on their teachers for advice, such as how to perform better at school or more complex matters like the path they should take during their educational journey. Although this area of education is more suited for humans, chatbots have their place in it too.
For example, a chatbot can guide course selection by asking students about their interests, strengths, and weaknesses and suggesting courses that align with their academic goals. Similarly, a chatbot can assist students in developing effective study habits by giving them tips on time management, note-taking, and exam preparation.
Teachers and students can also use chatbots to remind themselves of important tasks and events like exams and meetings. However, when it comes to asking for advice that can significantly impact your future, there’s no doubt that humans are still the best source. That’s because the relationship we’ve built with our teachers can go a long way in helping us become better individuals.
For instance, in 2021, researchers reviewed various scientific literature and scholarly articles on how important it is for teachers to have good relationships with their students. The review ultimately concluded that emotional connections between teachers and students could significantly impact how well students do in school, more than just the teacher's skills or knowledge.
Not only that, but a student’s relationship with their teacher can also positively affect a student’s social, psychological, and cognitive development, particularly in inclusive learning environments. And it goes without saying, but you simply can’t have–or at least have the same degree of–a real emotional connection with chatbots.
As such, chatbots can only provide generic advice based on pre-programmed responses and data, while human advisors can consider individual circumstances and provide more personalized advice. Despite this limitation, chatbots can still be a valuable addition to the advisory aspect of education, especially in general information and guidance.
Research and Development
According to the 2021 review on the use of chatbots in education mentioned earlier, studies have found that they can help students with their academic research and development. The article cites that chatbot technology is being used to offer guidelines and support to students in their research work.
Some examples include a chatbot system that teaches STEM research concepts and another that helps retrieve information from sources like Wikipedia. Using chatbots like this can be helpful for students in various areas of study to gain practical knowledge of their profession. Moreover, this can also assist students in streamlining their research papers and theses.
However, it’s worth noting that although chatbots can easily find and analyze research topics, students still have to do their due diligence and verify the information provided by the chatbot. Additionally, it's crucial to use chatbots as a tool to supplement research and development. We should not rely on them entirely.
Unfortunately, due to the advanced capabilities of some chatbots, there will be a time when professors and educators will need help recognizing the legitimacy of research papers. A recent study has shown that ChatGPT can create a research study quite well—even well enough for good scientific journals.
In 2023, researchers studied the potential use of the AI chatbot ChatGPT in finance research. In this study, the researchers tried creating a research article on cryptocurrencies using the AI chatbot. The researchers found that ChatGPT can create research studies that seem real enough for good journals, especially with the help of private data and researcher input.
This result is impressive, given that the current ChatGPT is not as advanced as the upcoming GPT-4 model, which has more testing parameters and better algorithms. This study showed how future students could misuse and exploit AI's power.
Conclusion
As the adage goes, “The only constant thing in life is change.” There’s no doubt that the power of chatbots can substantially impact education in the coming years. Chatbots can provide quick and accessible support to students and educators, from personalized teaching and feedback to assistance with research and administrative tasks.
On the other hand, potential downsides include chatbots being used as a substitute for human interaction and connection or the risk of academic dishonesty and plagiarism facilitated by their capabilities. So, exercising caution and awareness when using chatbots in education is necessary.
As with any new technology, the use of chatbots in education requires careful consideration, and each one of us plays a big part in using them ethically and in a way that would benefit everyone. By doing this, we’re well on our way to helping equip future generations with the right tools and resources to succeed—and chatbots are definitely part of that equation.