Course Clarity On Demand: A Chatbot for Student Questions

Barbara Larson
Course Subject:Organizational Behavior
Student Level:Undergraduate, 3rd and 4th years
Number of Students:35
Developed by:Barbara Larson, Executive Professor, D’Amore-McKim School of Business

Supported by Hasnain Sikora, Graduate Student, Khoury College of Computer Science

What Students Will Do

Students will interact with a course-customized chatbot to get answers to their questions about the course and assignments including policies, requirements, grading criteria, and deadlines. Throughout the semester, they will also provide feedback on the effectiveness of this chatbot.

Purpose

The chatbot is being trained with the syllabus and assignment guidelines to answer student questions about the course and course assignments. The purpose is to improve student learning and performance in the course while reducing the time they (and the instructor) spend on communicating about administrative questions. Students will be able to immediately receive answers to their questions by dialoguing with the tool, any time of the day or night.

Assessment

Upon completion, the tool will be piloted with a group of students who will be instructed to try to “break” it. On the first day of class, they will have time to practice using the tool and record their initial experiences in a shared document. Throughout the semester, students will be prompted to provide feedback on the accuracy of the responses as well as any errors they might encounter. At the end of the semester, a survey will be deployed to determine student perceptions of the tool’s overall value and effectiveness.

Faculty Reflections

Start building your bot early to allow time for testing, and be prepared to encounter glitches or “hiccups.”


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