Enhancing Students’ Online Learning Experiences with Artificial Intelligence (AI): The MERLIN Project

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to all institutions of education having to transition to fully online learning almost immediately. However, research showed that online learning still lacked adequate interactions with students. This is even more problematic when students are online learning on their own, when adequate online scaffolding activities are absent. This study investigated the impact of chatbots as a scaffolding agent to assist student learning during their independent online learning times. A total of 62 Diploma level students participated in this mixed method research study and presented with a multimedia-based AI chatbot named MERLIN. Data was collected on their attitudes towards using it. Results showed that students were motivated to learn more using MERLIN, improved their learning, and wanted more chatbots in their other courses. These findings have important implications for using AI chatbots as a scaffolding and instructional tool in 21 st -century learning environments.

Investigating the Support Provided by Chatbots to Educational Institutions and Their Students: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Furthermore, they implied the customization of important learning factors to modify the function of the agent so it can motivate students in the learning process. Relevant to motivation, students using an educational chatbot in the study of Neo et al [49] were able to utilize the ECA more if they considered the learning interaction pleasant and the ECA motivated them. The students evaluating the application of Wambsganss et al [50] expressed the need for variations of the UI of the system, so they can choose the one they like more, and the need for a faster response generation.…”

“…Ability to motivate the students to learn [48,49] Ability to respond to the most searched educational topics of the students [42] Help students monitor their learning progress [43] Presentation of the educational material in small detailed segments [46] Provision of basic usage tutorial information [47] Provision of educational material from authorized legitimate scientific sources with proper citation of them [45] Provision of general information and specific details about the organization and the summary of a course [37] Provision of interesting learning activities and tasks by the ECA that utilize motivating techniques like competition [51] Provision of quizzes with unpredictable answers [45] Support students in information seeking while not affecting the development of the students' critical thinking skills [45] The ECA should not allow students to utilize the provided material to cheat or complete their course assignments using it, without doing any work [45] The provision rate of educational material by the ECA should match the student's learning pace [38] Table 9. Recommended conversational traits of an ECA for supporting the learning process.…”

“…In another research, students have expressed that they do not like the repetitiveness of some learning items, and they have expressed the desire to be able to backtrack to previous learning items [38]. The application, based on a learning framework by Neo et al [49], showed that students value an educational tutor when it helps them study by saving time they would spend searching information and providing good explanations. Moreover, Wan Hamzah et al [42] implemented an ECA that was evaluated by 47 students.…”

A Review of AI Techniques in Fruit Detection and Classification: Analyzing Data, Features and AI Models Used in Agricultural Industry

“…Therefore, there is a need to use modern technologies and tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle these issues and challenges. Some of the applications of AI include earthquake occurrence estimation (Nugroho, Subiantoro, and Kusumoputro, 2023), online learning enhancement (Neo et al, 2022), and GDP forecasting (Lomakin et al, 2022).…”

Investigating the Implementation of ChatGPT in English Language Education

“…From its humble beginnings in online teaching systems, artificial intelligence (AI) has grown into an integral part of today's classrooms. For example, research by Neo et al (2022) shows that chatbots like MERLIN, which are powered by AI, can improve both student motivation and their learning outcomes. Various areas will feel the effects of AI on classroom instruction.…”