The Merlin Project: Malaysian Students’ Acceptance of an Ai Chatbot in Their Learning Process

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the educational landscape of institutions of higher education, which were predominantly face-to-face. In Malaysia, many universities converted their courses into online courses to keep up with the challenges of working from home during the pandemic, using web technologies and blended learning approaches. However, there are challenges in ensuring students’ attention and retention rates are maintained and enough support and scaffolding are provided to them when they are learning online. As such, the MERLIN Project was undertaken to develop a virtual learning assistant that would provide online support to students outside of their online classes. The project used Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology with Natural Language Processing (NLP) features to develop a chatbot that simulated human-like conversation between chatbot and students. Content in the learning environment was media-rich and mapped to Mayer’s 12 Multimedia Learning Principles. Data from 102 students was collected to gauge their perceptions and feedback. Results showed that students found the chatbot to be helpful in their learning process and improved their understanding of the course material. A conceptual learning framework for the use of AI chatbots as learning assistants is proposed to improve students’ online learning experiences in the new normal.

Exploring the dynamics of ChatGPT: Students and lecturers perspectives at an open distance e-learning university

“…The study's findings on the heightened accessibility and convenience of ChatGPT align with the established benefits of AI-driven chatbots (Hew et al, 2023;Mai, 2022), contributing to the increased social presence within the CoI framework (Garrison et al, 2000;Garrison & Vaughan, 2008;Zuo et al, 2022). The 24/7 availability and personalised responses of ChatGPT can potentially bolster social interaction among students.…”

“…The theme of increased student engagement resonates with existing literature highlighting ChatGPT as a motivational tool (Hew et al, 2023;Mai, 2022). However, within the CoI framework, this speaks directly to the cognitive presence, wherein the study brings forth concerns about external motivation potentially overshadowing intrinsic drive, a crucial aspect emphasised by Garrison et al (2000).…”

“…This finding prompts a deeper exploration within the CoI framework, emphasising how this supportive environment might influence the cognitive and social dimensions of presence. Potential hindrance to the development of resilience and constructive criticism handling, both integral to CoI (Mai, 2022), becomes a crucial consideration.…”

Application of the Chatbot in University Education: A Systematic Review on the Acceptance and Impact on Learning

“…Chatbot interface 81.4% of students were satisfied with the interaction of the interface TO (Neo, 2022) 70% of students were attracted to the chatbot interface, so they used it again for their medical learning TO (Al Kahf et al, 2023) Nursing students were satisfied with the chatbot interface, obtaining a mean of 4.19 and a standard deviation of 0.72. NTO (Chang et al, 2022) Undergraduate students were satisfied with the chatbot interface, which helped them in their learning in finance.…”

“…Retention 70.6% of undergraduate students show an increase in their learning retention from online courses through the use of the chatbot. (Neo, 2022) Communication Through the chatbot, 93.3% of undergraduate students improved their lack of oral communication in English.…”