TOPICS: Chatbot for University    Chatbot Trends   

University Chatbot - When And Why Should Universities Use Chat Bots?

In recent years, we’ve been hearing a lot about AI-based developments that promise to revolutionize both teaching and learning. But these futuristic entities aren’t the only education chatbot examples you can find. There are several very realistic applications of chatbots in universities, and whether you offer online courses or run an institute with a brick-and-mortar campus, you can make good use of them.

Securing a higher number of course registrations with a chatbot:

The key to understanding how chatbots can benefit universities and colleges lies in understanding what sets your target audience apart. Students, at every stage of their academic lives, are a concerned lot. They’re making pivotal decisions in their lives, decisions that will pave the way for their future. They want to be sure that the course they finally choose is the best fit for their academic and professional interests, their budget, and other logistical preferences. And they have a hundred different university websites to consider.



Let’s imagine one such student, a science major looking to pursue higher studies in applied sciences, but unsure about the exact course or subject they should specialize in. They can visit your website as part of their research, glance through all the courses you offer, and browse your website FAQs. But they’ve already done that on all the other websites they’ve visited.

Instead, you could take a different route and help the student feel comfortable on your website.This is where your education chatbot comes in. The AI bot greets the student, asks them about their background, and sends them details of the science programs they’re eligible for via email. The student, in turn, can ask the chatbot how long a certain course is, the subjects it covers, or whether it includes an internship, and get instant answers.

You can even go a step further and create a chatbot that takes custom inquiries from the student, and passes these on to your experts who can then send the student an email with clarifications. In any of these cases, the chatbot gives the student the experience of being able to talk to someone, which feels like a welcome change after weeks of solo research.

Besides generating solid leads for your education website, this kind of personalized live support will help your institute make a favorable impression on potential applicants. So with the right chatbot development, your institute or online course can see a higher number of student registrations.

Online chatbots to show your students the ropes:

Some prominent universities around the world use online chatbots on their websites and other messaging platforms.These bots are programmed to answer questions that are asked every year by the newest batch of students. New students can get quick answers to things like, “Where’s Lecture Hall 14?” or “What time is my Freshers’ Orientation?” and so on. They can thus familiarize themselves with the campus quickly, start feeling at home, and have much lower chances of dropping out after those first few weeks.

Chatbots for universities and colleges can also be used in similar ways on online course platforms. Students registered for your online courses can use them to find out about an upcoming test or webinar, check their fee payment status, scores, and so on. The more streamlined their experience, the greater their chances of continuing with your online course.

Automated quizzes, course feedback, and more:

There are several other ways in which you can create an education chatbot to improve the user experience of your institute website or e-learning platform. Such AI bots have already been used to hand out practice tests and quizzes. Students have found them to be excellent academic resources, which they can access instantly and at their own convenience. Other automated tasks such as sending out test results and collecting course feedback from students, can also be carried out by chatbots, thus letting both teachers and students save time and effort.