Artificial intelligence is a sustained innovation within the education industry and a solution for managing students in a situation of declining enrollment and dwindling higher education state budgets. It allows schools to look at where students are at the moment and what they need in a way more efficient and effective way than a staff member could and at scale.
Georgia State University case study
Georgia State University experimented and adopted artificial intelligence conversational virtual assistants throughout its admissions process. The innovation helped to solve a problem of “summer melt” when students who have accepted admissions offers fail to actually enroll. According to the recent studies, it impacts 10% – 20% of college students each year. Enrollment rates are very important for institutions and “summer melt” figures make an impact.
AI-assistant helped thousands of freshmen by providing personalized, text message-based outreach and guidance. Deep analytics, as student habits and responses from initial questions, were used as a part of a design process. In addition, it was supplied with a knowledge base from university admissions counsellors.
As a result, with a help of AI-assistant, the “summer melt” was reduced by 22%, system answered 200 000 questions from students and students, exposed to the virtual assistant, were 3.3 percentage points more likely to enroll on time.
Innovative potential
The process of automation can scare an education industry with conservative business models but AI can serve as a complement to sustaining higher education business models if incorporated effectively. A disruptive technology can also be used in a sustaining way by not changing business model completely but complementing it.
Higher education institutions are struggling to cope with cutting costs and enrolling more students. Adopting new technologies, as artificial intelligence virtual assistants can enhance existing efforts and finally pay off.
Related articles:
- How Georgia State University Used an Algorithm to Help Students Navigate the Road to College (Harvard Business Review)
- As higher ed budgets dwindle, will smaller institutions survive? (Education Dive)
- How AI could help improve the education enrollment process (Venture Beat)
Author: AI For Education
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