Utilization patterns of AI chatbots among physical therapy students: A multicountry cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Education
• Digital Learning Tools

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots (AIC) are increasingly integrated into higher education.
• Understanding their utilization patterns among physical therapy (PT) students is crucial for effective pedagogical strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the usage patterns of AICs among physical therapy students.
• To explore associations between student characteristics and AIC utilization.

Main Methods:

• A multicountry cross-sectional survey of 500 PT students across five universities in Egypt, KSA, and Lebanon.
• Questionnaires assessed demographics, academic data, AIC types, usage frequency/duration, course types, and academic tasks.
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and ANOVA (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

• ChatGPT was the most frequently used AIC (98.4%), with average usage of 11.35 months.
• Students primarily used AICs for topic explanation (89.8%) and knowledge acquisition (69.6%) in theoretical courses (55.6%).
• AIC use in practical (5.8%) and clinical (3.6%) courses was limited, though course type influenced academic tasks performed.

Conclusions:

• Physical therapy students show high engagement with AICs, predominantly for theoretical learning tasks.
• Limited use in practical and clinical settings may stem from competency requirements and the need for human interaction.
• Educators should guide balanced AIC integration to foster cognitive skills while maintaining essential hands-on learning experiences.