When the Faculty of Education’s Computer Services team recently launched a new chatbot, nobody imagined it would soon help support the Faculty’s students, faculty and staff during a global pandemic.
As classes moved online and many faculty and staff began working remotely in response to COVID-19, the Computer Services team experienced a sudden increase in demand for technology support and resources.
“The chatbot was very helpful during this busy time as it could address more straight forward questions, allowing us to focus on more complicated inquiries and develop more in-depth resources for using educational and information technology,” said David Genkin, Interim Manager, Computer Services.
Genkin and his team are working to build online teaching and learning capacity in the Faculty by providing training and access to tools and resources, and are now helping others at Brock University to explore the use of chatbots.
During the pandemic, frequent user questions include how to work remotely, how to digitally sign PDF files, how to use features in Sakai and how to set up meetings in Microsoft Teams and Lifesize. It’s most accurate if users type, but has a microphone option for users who prefer to vocalize questions and answers.
The Faculty of Education’s Computer Services team launched a new chatbot, which has helped provide the Faculty community with technology support and resources.
Using artificial intelligence, the bot can answer users’ questions at any time, even when they aren’t phrased in a specific way. Unlike a static troubleshooting page or document, users can find the specific information they need without digging through frequently asked questions or unrelated information.
“Much like a new staff member, the chatbot required a significant amount of training, and needs ongoing training to stay current and provide better responses,” said Genkin.
The entire Computer Services team has contributed to the bot’s knowledgebase, and continues to monitor, edit and train the bot to better support students, faculty and staff. Much of the bot’s training comes from support emails from users, as well the Computer Services team’s understanding of current needs.
The bot was originally developed as a virtual assistant to help the Faculty’s IT team provide support more quickly and efficiently by acting as a first response to questions, and was developed by Kyle Tuck, Systems Administrator and Education Technology Coordinator Computer Services.
Tuck investigated available chatbot options to find one that was flexible, zero-cost and capable of holding contextual conversations. He then designed a customizable interface that enables the speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities of the bot.
As well providing an extra set of virtual hands during a busy time for the Faculty’s IT team, the bot is also a useful source of information.
“From an administrative side, it allows us to see the questions that are really being asked, not just those we think people will ask,” said Tuck. “It is also much easier to keep updated than editing a static document.”
