Discover how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and chatbots are driving operational efficiencies and student success in higher education.
The rapid rate at which innovative technologies are coming to market has impacted how many industries operate, and higher education is no exception. While the adoption of digital assistants, chatbots, and artificial intelligence was initially slow within the education sector, an increasing number of colleges and universities are turning to these technologies to support their constituents and future-proof their institutions. In the United States, AI in education is expected to grow at 48% compound annual growth rate between 2018 and 2022, with one of the main trends being an increased emphasis on chatbots. Institutional leaders are realizing the benefits that these technologies will bring to their campus communities, specifically, supporting student success, optimizing processes, and driving overall agility.
Chatbots and Digital Assistants Increase Institutional Efficiency and Student Satisfaction
One key challenge that institutions face is providing students with a personalized and seamless digital experience. Students today expect convenient and immediate access to information. Institutions have struggled on this front, leading to fractured student engagement models. Chatbots and digital assistants are an easy and fast way to respond to this challenge. Implementing a digital assistant can be accomplished in a few weeks, making them an attractive option for institutions that want to drive optimization and enhancements in a short time frame. Chatbots and digital assistants can engage directly with students, answering questions about enrollment, class choices, financial aid, accommodations, and much more. These conversational interfaces use adaptive intelligence and machine learning to become both proactive and reactive in creating a personalized, supportive environment for students. The University of Adelaide, for example, implemented a chatbot service to support the staff that manages student calls for college admission scores. The chatbot service took only four weeks to implement and handled 2,100 phone conversations on its first day, decreasing call wait times by 13 times and ensuring students received the information they needed in a timely manner. Student satisfaction rating increased 60% for this process after implementing the chatbot, highlighting the positive effect that this technology is having on the student experience.
AI Improves Enrollment and Retention while Cutting Costs
Artificial intelligence and automation are also having an increasingly positive impact in colleges and universities. AI leverages data patterns to improve admissions and enrollment processes, as well as to support student outcomes and success. These improvements lead not only to streamlined operations and an enhanced user experience but also to cost reductions. For example, according to a recent report, it can cost a public university approximately $536 to recruit an undergraduate student, while a private institution can spend significantly more. Incorporating AI in the recruitment process can help identify prospective students that are more likely to enroll and allow institutions to identify which programs are a good fit for each student. Once enrolled, AI can help identify at-risk students and alert instructors or academic advisors. This ability to identify at-risk students early and notify staff enables the institution to support students and their academic success.
AI Enhances the Workplace and the Institutional Mission
One of the most common misconceptions is that AI, with all its capabilities, will replace humans, but instead artificial intelligence streamlines tasks for academic and administrative staff so they can focus on the goals and mission of the institution. As higher education moves to adopt these emerging technologies, we will continue to see the benefits and overall impact they will have in how institutions operate. These emerging technologies will likely become the standard in how universities serve their communities and support student success.
Keith Rajecki is Vice President of Industry Solutions at Oracle.
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