How to use AI chatbots in schools

AI chatbots are increasingly popular in the education sector, with up to one third of students currently using tools like ChatGPT.

Despite this, the technology remains controversial, with almost half of students concerned about its impact on learning.

Jane Martens, Head of Digital Pedagogy and Innovation at Mount Alvernia College, is navigating these concerns as she infuses the technology within her everyday teaching.

She says AI chatbots are a big hit with students and allow for a more nuanced assessment of their abilities.

“Students tell me the chatbot based homework I assign to them doesn’t feel like work – and we have seen some really good outcomes when it is used effectively,” she said.

So what exactly is Ms Martens’ approach to using chatbots in schools; and how do they work alongside more traditional teaching methods?

Help with the drafting process

AI Chatbots can help students understand lesson content before they begin drafting. In turn, this improves the back and forth iteration process between students and teachers.

“Students can learn a great deal from chatbots. The output can be used for generating feedback, which students can then use to modify and refine their work, encouraging metacognitive processes and critical evaluation, subsequently promoting students’ self-efficacy.”

As well as facilitating learning, this approach can also ease pressure on teachers’ workload.

“If the student is able to do that step before submitting a draft, it improves the quality of what they are submitting to you, because the bot has essentially given them that first layer of feedback.”

“The teacher then has an easier job in drafting subsequent versions – and the student receives more targeted feedback, enabling the fulfilment of higher-level achievement standards.”

Checking students’ understanding

Asking students to engage with chatbots can help teachers measure the extent to which they understand classroom material.

“The student has a virtual conversation with the bot, and an inbuilt data analytics tool assesses the sophistication of their knowledge.”

“It’s really easy to do and the student gets a green tick when they fulfil each of the learning objectives.”

“This is great, because it allows you to determine which aspects of the content you need to revisit and which aspects your students are grasping well.”

“And it’s particularly useful for homework and ongoing revision, when teachers are obviously not present to have those conversations in person,” Ms Martens said.

As a History Teacher, Ms Martens has used this function to assess her classes’ understanding of complex subject matter, such as the causes of World War One.

“You can design parameters and guardrails for the bot, so that it looks for a particular type of student response. It’s more sophisticated than a quiz and less cumbersome than a written assessment.”

By checking student understanding in this way, teachers can also isolate knowledge from writing capability, and get a more nuanced understanding of where they might need extra help.

“When we give written assessments, it’s not just the student’s knowledge that comes into play, it is also their writing abilities. Some students might have a sophisticated understanding of the subject matter, but formal writing exercises may not yet reflect this content knowledge when their literacy skills are developing. Conversing with chatbots allows the student to demonstrate their knowledge in a less formal and pressurised setting, again promoting students’ self-efficacy.”

Striking the balance

Despite this advantage, written assessments are still on the curriculum at Mount Alvernia College, with a view to broaden skills and prepare for exams.

“Written communication skills are still an important part of learning, and we obviously don’t want students to get to their written assessments or exams and have had no prior experience.”

“For us, chatbots are just a way of mixing things up and seeking out benefits that are harder to come by with traditional content retrieval and assessment methods.”

“But we do of course need to get that balance right and ensure we are fostering all the key skills students will need throughout their education and beyond.”

Improving student attitudes towards leaning

Pertaining to the talents and interests of young people, chatbots can also boost attitudes towards school and homework – and this in itself has the potential to improve learning outcomes, Ms Martens said.

“Young people are so in tune with online chatting these days, whether it’s texting or messaging via apps like Snapchat. In fact, it is very uncommon to find a Year 9 student who’s not already used to those kinds of platforms.

“And so, to them, chatting with a bot doesn’t feel as cumbersome as sitting down and spending long periods of time on a paragraph or a worksheet. It’s a lighter, more enjoyable, way to engage with classroom material.”

Further insight

Talking more about AI in schools, Jane Martens will present at the upcoming AI in Education Conference, where she will discuss how to design and personalise AI chatbots to check student understanding and generate feedback.

This event – held in Brisbane on 28th November – follows the success of the AI in Education Conferences in Sydney and Melbourne.

Joining Jane on stage are key speakers such as Scott Letts, Leader of Digital Innovation, St Eugene College; Hassan Khosravi, Associate Professor in Data Science and AI in Education, Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, The University of Queensland; and Kerry Daud, Head of Faculty – E-Learning, Research, Technology and Design, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School.

This gathering of educators, researchers, and policymakers, will discuss the impact of Generative AI in Queensland and its role in reshaping the future of education.

Learn more and register your tickets here.

About Jane Martens

Jane Martens is Head of Digital Pedagogy and Innovation at Mount Alvernia College, where she inspires students to embrace technological innovation through unique digital pedagogy.

As well as exploring the potential of AI in learning, Jane is focussed on its safety, effectiveness and efficiency, having led a series of learning initiatives for staff and students.

In 2023, Jane was the recipient of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders’ Emerging Educational Leadership Award and the Mount Alvernia College Bonaventure Exceptional Practitioner Award. In 2021, The Educator Australia named Jane as Australia’s Rising Star Award Winner for effective leadership, innovation, and achievement in education.