Chatbot for communicating with university students in emergency situation

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Artificial Intelligence
• Student Services

Background:

• Higher education institutions are integrating chatbots for academic support.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted challenges in supporting isolated students, particularly international students.
• Student services offices faced overwhelming demand due to recurrent student issues and rapidly changing guidelines during crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a chatbot for initial student support during crisis situations.
• To enhance communication between students and university services during emergencies.
• To assess the chatbot's effectiveness in facilitating rapid and efficient student assistance.

Main Methods:

• A chatbot was developed to provide initial support and facilitate communication.
• The chatbot was piloted with over 160 participants, including students and student services staff.
• User feedback and performance were evaluated in a simulated crisis context.

Main Results:

• Findings indicate that chatbots can effectively facilitate communication with students during emergencies.
• The chatbot demonstrated potential in providing initial support and managing recurrent issues.
• Participants found the chatbot to be a valuable tool for crisis communication.

Conclusions:

• Chatbots are a viable tool for universities to enhance student support during crisis situations.
• Implementing smart tools like chatbots can improve institutional preparedness and response efficiency.
• Universities should consider adopting chatbots to better serve students in emergencies.