Technology
campusreview.com.au
USING AI TO PROVIDE BETTER SUPPORT
AI in higher ed
Applying AI
technology
in every facet
of student
interaction.
By Mark Ellis
I
nnovative tertiary education providers are
using artificial intelligence to attract and
retain more students.
In today’s always-connected world, people
expect to be able to access all kinds of
information and services with a few taps on
their mobile device. This is particularly true
of the younger generation, who have never
known a world without the internet.
Students of all ages naturally demand the
same ease of interaction with their tertiary
education providers. They want at least one
touchpoint they can access at any time.
Education providers can meet some
of these needs by enabling students to
complete certain tasks online, like registering
for courses. However, this kind of digital
functionality may not always help students
with specific questions and does not make
them feel engaged with the provider. This is
where AI comes in.
CONTROLLING COSTS
Education providers can apply AI in every
facet of a student’s interactions with
them. For example, leading universities
are experimenting with chatbots that can
respond to enquiries about enrolments,
course inclusions and subject prerequisites.
These bots are programmed to deliver
responses to frequently asked questions,
and can understand those questions by
interpreting human speech or writing.
AI can also reduce staff costs, or allow staff
resources to be more effectively deployed.
According to Paul James, TechnologyOne’s
general manager (cloud), on average 70 per
cent of a tertiary institution’s budget goes
towards staff costs, which is also traditionally
one of the most difficult areas in which to
minimise spending.
OVERCOMING ATTRITION
Another benefit of AI is the increasing ability
of computers to ‘learn’ better responses
and solutions by analysing past questions
and answers. This allows tertiary education
providers to automate support for a broader
range of topics over time, and for that
support to become more nuanced the more
students access it.
In the US, for example, Georgia State
University used AI to address ‘summer melt’
– where students accept a university place in
summer but fail to show up for the autumn
enrolment. The university first identified
common obstacles to enrolment, such as
finding suitable, affordable accommodation,
and securing financial aid. It then used the
combination of a new student portal and an
AI-enhanced chatbot to answer thousands
of questions from incoming students, who
were accessing the support system.
The chatbot, nicknamed Pounce,
answered more than 200,000 online
questions during the summer months.
The result: a 22 per cent reduction in
the university’s enrolment drop-off rate
compared to the previous year. This
translated to an additional 324 students
turning up for class, who may have
otherwise been lost to the university. Better
still, the students typically couldn’t tell that
the chatbot wasn’t a real person.
In Australia this year, Deakin University
launched its intelligent virtual assistant app,
Genie. It uses a combination of chatbots,
AI, voice recognition and predictive analytics
to help students keep on track, stay
motivated and get the most out of Deakin’s
support services. The app acts as a personal
assistant and can remind the student that
they have an upcoming exam and need to
study, if they haven’t touched their course
material, for example.
Student retention has become a major issue
for universities, and institutions are now
analysing data to pinpoint when and why
students are at risk of dropping out. In doing
so, they are getting better at identifying
family problems and personal issues such as
depression, so they can provide support and
assistance as soon as possible.
Tertiary education providers can identify
these issues based on analysis of routine
information – including how often students
access their student management system,
visit the library or submit assignments. AI
algorithms then enable the tertiary institution
to analyse this information and prompt
engagement with troubled students, well
before they are close to failing a course or
dropping out. For example, the university
can identify students who are a potential
retention risk and proactively provide access
to the extra services they need, such as
tutoring, counselling or financial aid.
AI can also help tertiary education
providers become more multicultural,
globally involved learning centres.
Automated multilingual support systems
make it easier for international students
to communicate with their education
institutions in their preferred language, giving
them a competitive edge for attracting and
welcoming overseas students.
For these reasons and more, it is
imperative that education providers consider
implementing AI applications that help them
provide exceptional student support and stay
relevant in a fiercely competitive market.
BEATING THE COMPETITION
Tertiary institutions are often brilliant when
it comes to innovating in research and
education, but some are less so when
innovating within their business.
However, if education providers are to
remain relevant and competitive, they will
need to focus on developing the right
processes and technologies to meet
students’ expectations.
To achieve this, each tertiary provider’s
key decision-makers must work together
to agree on a suitable AI strategy for their
institution. Those that do not take advantage
of AI’s analytical and efficiency-driving
capabilities will be at a severe, perhaps
terminal, competitive disadvantage. ■
Mark Ellis is industry director (education)
at enterprise software company
TechnologyOne.
27