Design of a chatbot as a distance learning assistant

• Published in: Open praxis Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 145 - 153
• Main Authors: Tamayo, Pedro Antonio, Herrero, Ana, Martín, Javier, Navarro, Carolina, Tránchez, José Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Council for Open and Distance Education 01.01.2020; International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Attitudes; chatbot; College Students; Computer Mediated Communication; Design; Distance Education; distance learning; Economics Education; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Evaluation; Field work; Foreign Countries; Introductory Courses; Learning; online learning; Robotics; Social work education; Students; Teachers; Technology Uses in Education; Vocational guidance; Spain
• ISSN: 2304-070X; 1369-9997; 2304-070X
• DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.1063

Within the process of progressive digitization of materials and tools for teaching and distance learning of a subject of introduction to Microeconomics (quarterly, in year three of the Degree in Social Work), taught by the authors at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), a virtual assistant in the form of chatbot, or conversational robot, called EconBot, has been designed and made available to students from 2017. This paper presents the reasons that led to its adoption, the process of its development, differentiating two phases, its characteristics and functions, the assessment of its usefulness and the role of teachers in the implementation of this type of technological innovation.