Document Type

Review

Version Deposited

Published Version

Publication Date

5-2-2024

Publication Title

Education Sciences

DOI

10.3390/educsci14050484

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of using AI chatbots on learning within the context of engineering education. We framed this study on the principles of how learning works in order to describe the contributions and challenges of AI chatbots in five categories: (1) facilitating the acquisition, completion, or activation of prior knowledge and helping organize knowledge and making connections; (2) enhancing student motivation to learn; (3) fostering self-directed learning and the acquisition, practice, and application of the skills and knowledge they acquire; (4) supporting goal-directed practice and feedback; and (5) addressing student diversity and creating a positive classroom environment. To elicit the uses, benefits, and drawbacks of using AI chatbots in students’ learning, we conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered from surveying 38 student volunteers from 5 different electronic and mechatronic engineering courses at a South American university. Based on a literature review and an evidence-based discussion, we offer practical suggestions for instructors who want to promote the use of AI to enhance their students’ learning. © 2024 by the authors.

Comments

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Share

COinS