Today, shifting student expectations and new models of learning pose new challenges to organizations in the Higher Education sector. The reality is that the vast majority of students are hooked to messaging apps and voice-based assistants because of the convenient and fast nature of the technology.

These preferences in the latest technology also influence their level of engagement and performance in every point of the student journey. Therefore, many entities in the Higher Education sector are leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions to appeal to the greater student population, while equipping their organizations with the proper tools to streamline processes, optimize cost-effectiveness, and ensure overall student success.

To dive even further into the power of AI for Higher Education, we can explore Conversational AI (CAI) as a feasible solution for educational institutions to enhance the overall student experience.

Decoding Conversational AI

Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI) is a technology that has made natural dialogue between the user and the platform a reality. By using speech-based assistants and messaging apps, CAI enables faster response rates and human-like interactions with the user, which in turn increases student engagement and conversation with the CAI.

With the component of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the CAI solution is capable of determining keywords, understanding the intent and taking appropriate action as per the set algorithm; making it an appealing investment for educational institutions that spend so much time and money on other resources to handle the day-to-day queries from their student base.

Why Conversational AI for Higher Education?

Conversational AI has the potential to streamline numerous education-related processes, optimize the time and cost involved, and also assist university staff in carrying out work seamlessly. CAI helps educational institutions generate personalized resources and programs for their students, which in turn enhances the overall learning experience. For example, an intelligent AI tutor can interact via natural language dialogue in speech and text, coach students through their coursework and degree programs, and deliver personal-level assistance. The AI-based “study buddy” is capable of conveying knowledge, solving common queries, and measuring the student’s performance; allowing educational institutions to unlock key insights about student’s learning outcomes and ways to increase their level of engagement.

In addition, CAI has helped the Higher Education sector achieve higher student satisfaction by effectively answering their questions over chat or voice, providing immediate assistance. For example, Quantiphi helped a leading university deploy an AI-powered virtual agent to assist in responding to 14,000+ incoming queries from prospects, current students, alumni and others 24×7 over live chat. Leveraging the virtual agent helped the university significantly improve operational efficiency and reduce costs by enabling the live advising staff to dedicate time to resolving more complex queries. As a result, the virtual agent created a 2x higher lead generation for the university.

Why is now the time for Conversational AI?

From integrating a virtual academic advisor assistant with a university’s email system for fast and accurate query resolution, to developing a profile screening chatbot for evaluating the candidacy of prospective students, Conversational AI solutions promise to completely transform all business functions, including student acquisition, enrollment, assessment, and advising services.

Students’ evolving preferences for interactive, easy-to-access learning experiences are increasingly important for major educational institutions to consider as well. In fact, distance learning and enrolling in courses online are becoming popular choices for students not only because of the significant cost and time savings, but also the digital nature of the programs. Therefore, making the investment in Conversational AI solutions will help educational institutions best align to student expectations, in turn increasing student retention and organizational optimization, while also equipping students with the best tools for success throughout their academic career and beyond.