Chatbots in the Classroom : A Survey of Student Sentiment Toward AI in Education
department or school: Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
creator: Hunt, Bridgette
issued: 2025-05-12T18:13:52Z
issued: 2025-04
description: This thesis explores the role of generative artificial intelligence (AI), specifically chatbots, in higher education by examining student sentiment, engagement, and the impact on instructor workload. The study focuses on the HelpMe system, a web application help center incorporating a Retrieval- Augmented Generation (RAG)-based chatbot adapted from the ChatEd architecture. Implemented in an upper-year computer science course at UBC Okanagan, the chatbot was designed to assist students with asynchronous questions using a knowledge base built from course materials and instructorprovided answers. To ascertain the chatbot’s effectiveness and students’ perception of it, survey data was collected from 83 participants, accompanied by backend system usage data and instructor-reported email correspondence. The survey gauged attitudes toward AI in education, willingness to use chatbots, preference for course-provided versus external tools, and comparative usefulness against traditional help-seeking methods like email and office hours. Results indicate that a majority of students are open to using chatbots for academic assistance, mainly if provided directly by the institution. While many participants responded neutrally to questions about the chatbot’s capabilities, a significant portion acknowledged its utility and expressed support for broader integration of such tools in other courses. However, usage data revealed that most students interacted with the chatbot only once or twice, with a sharp decline in engagement after the initial weeks of the term. Despite its potential, there was insufficient evidence to determine if the chatbot significantly reduced the volume of student emails or demands on instructor time. The findings suggest that while students are receptive to AI-based tools in the classroom, sustained engagement requires further improvements in usability, integration, and trust. The HelpMe system’s chatbot may serve best as a supplemental resource rather than a r…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/91115
note: Chatbots in the Classroom: A Surveyof Student Sentiment Toward AI inEducationbyBridgette HuntA THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OFTHE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OFB.SC. COMPUTER SCIENCE HONOURSinIrving K. Barber Faculty of Science(Computer Science)THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA(Okanagan)April 2025© Bridgette Hunt, 2025AbstractThis thesis explores the role of generative artificial intelligence (AI),specifically chatbots, in higher education by examining student sentiment,engagement, and the impact on instructor workload. The study focuses onthe HelpMe system, a web application help center incorporating a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)-based chatbot adapted from the ChatEd ar-chitecture. Implemented in an upper-year computer science course at UBCOkanagan, the chatbot was designed to assist students with asynchronousquestions using a knowledge base built from course materials and instructor-provided answers.To ascertain the chatbot’s effectiveness and students’ perception of it,survey data was collected from 83 participants, accompanied by backend sys-tem usage data and instructor-reported email correspondence. The surveygauged attitudes toward AI in education, willingness to use chatbots, pref-erence for course-provided versus external tools, and comparative usefulnessagainst traditional help-seeking methods like email and office hours.Results indicate that a majority of students are open to using chatbotsfor academic assistance, mainly if provided directly by the institution. Whilemany participants responded neutrally to questions about the chatbot’s ca-pabilities, a significant portion acknowledged its utility and expressed sup-port for broader integration of such tools in other courses. However, usagedata revealed that most students interacted with the chatbot only once ortwice, with a sharp decline in engagement after the initial weeks of theterm. Despite its potential, there was insufficient evidence to determine ifthe chatbot significantly redu…
has type: Graduating Project
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0448870
language: eng
peer review status: Unreviewed
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Undergraduate
is part of: University of British Columbia. COSC_O 449
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/91115