creators_name: Nantha Kumar Subramaniam, 
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2020-01-10 01:16:45
lastmod: 2020-01-22 00:21:55
metadata_visibility: show
corp_creators: Open University Malaysia (OUM)
title: Teaching and learning via chatbots with immersive and machine learning capabilities 
ispublished: pub
subjects: LC5201
subjects: QA75
full_text_status: public
pres_type: paper
keywords: Chatbot, Immersive Learning, Machine Learning 
abstract: Chatbot is a computer program that simulates human conversation through voice
commands or text chats or both. Chatbots are designed to convincingly simulate how a
human would behave as a conversational partner. Chatbots with artificial intelligence
technology can be used to teach the students by turning a lecture in a series of messages
to make it look like a standardised chat conversation. The paper describes the
development of intelligent chatbots that had been built for Java programming course.
Most of the learning courseware/systems to learn Java programming language are
merely repository of static and monotonous contents such as hyperlinked online
tutorials, video lectures, etc. In order to address these shortcomings, seven text-based
conversational chatbots for the students to learn Java in an interactive and engaging
manners had been built. Each of these chatbots focuses on different programming
concepts or constructs. These chatbots support learning of Java via problem-solving
steps through “learning by doing”. The unique features of these chatbots are (i) The
chatbots are self-contained, interconnected and are able to initiate a learning process
for a particular learning outcome and provide feedback to a student as they are working
through problems; (ii) These chatbots are able to engage the learners’ in the “one-toone” session of the problem-solving process for more than one-hour through
conversing with a student; and (iii) It supports immersive learning in order simulate the
realistic scenarios and environments that give learners the opportunity to practice skills
and interact with the simulated tutor. These chatbots acquired its intelligence through
a hybrid approach that combines pattern-matching technique and machine learning
algorithm in order to formulate its responses. The feedback from the students who used
these chatbots and the effect of these chatbots on the students’ understanding of the
subject matter were favourable as discussed in the paper.
 (Abstract by author)
date: 2019
date_type: published
pagerange: 145-156
event_title: International Conference on Education (ICE 2019)
event_location: Kuala Lumpur
event_dates: 10-11 April 2019
event_type: conference
refereed: TRUE
citation:   Nantha Kumar Subramaniam,   (2019) Teaching and learning via chatbots with immersive and machine learning capabilities.  In: International Conference on Education (ICE 2019), 10-11 April 2019, Kuala Lumpur.     
document_url: https://library.oum.edu.my/repository/1164/1/library-document-1164.pdf