Chatbots in Academic Literacy Exploring AI in Education

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a ubiquitous force in shaping the future of education. The use of AI in education has progressed in many parts of the world, especially in developed countries. It has the potential to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education as noted by Xu & Ouyang (2022). AI applications can support quality education by addressing significant challenges in the field of education, such as identifying students who are at risk of dropping out (Salas-Pilco & Yang, 2022).

AI-based chatbots have rapidly evolved and found applications in various fields, including Marketing, Supporting Systems, Education, Health Care, Cultural Heritage, and Entertainment (Adamopoulou & Moussiades, 2020). AI Chatbots can improve human interaction with machines by using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning techniques to simulate chats in various domains like science, education, and healthcare (Singh & Thakur, 2020). Chatbots in education can enhance student learning and improve services, with various currently used types and the potential for similar effects to human tutors (Pérez et al., 2020). It can revolutionize foreign language learning (Dokukina & Gumanova, 2020), enhance smart LMS by supporting 24-hour interactive learning processes (Murad et al., 2019), increase learning accomplishment by providing course alerts, grade books, attendance statistics, and assignment feedback (Chaiprasurt et al., 2022). Chatbots can improve the quality of education by aiding in achieving every student's potential and combining traditional and automated educational approaches in the digital age (Ouatu & Gifu, 2021).

These conversational agents can help students engage with academic content and develop literacy skills such as critical thinking and analysis, research skills, information literacy, writing and communication skills, and source evaluation. They can improve the academic research experience for university students by adapting emerging technologies and designing a positive user experience (Mckie & Narayan, 2019). In the context of academic literacy, they can support identifying students' misunderstandings and directing them to the parts of the course dealing with concepts they have not yet mastered (Gaglo et al., 2022). Thus, they can positively impact students' communication skills by expanding interactions, increasing motivation, and enhancing interest in learning English (N.-Y. Kim et al., 2019).

Many chatbots have been developed for various educational purposes. For example, chatbots like StudyBuddy can promote behavioral change in college students by providing study tips and assessments, breaking down assignments, and recommending academic resources (Tian et al., 2021). Similarly, “Ellie” is a well-designed AI chatbot that can encourage students to engage in conversation in EFL classes (Yang et al., 2022). Moreover, using concept mapping and probability distribution analysis, the AI-IESLS chatbot improves students' learning experience and enhances their thinking ability and expectations in higher education platforms (Liu et al., 2022). The FIT-EBot chatbot can improve higher education services, reduce labor costs, and create new innovative services by automatically answering students' questions on behalf of academics (Hien et al., 2018). Tashi-Bot, for example, can help applicants and university students acquire information on academic and administrative processes without human interaction (Carlos et al., 2021). Similarly, chatbots, based on Google DialogFlow, can enhance teaching assistant training courses by enhancing online and face-to-face content, addressing challenges faced in teaching (Gonda & Chu, 2019).