Chatbots: The Future of Education?

Abstract

Chatbots are emerging technologies with the potential to improve teaching and learning processes. This paper conducts a systematic review of research on chatbots in education, focusing on articles published in Online-Journals.org from 2011 to 2024. The aim is to examine the various aspects addressed by the authors, such as design principles, pedagogical roles, interaction styles, and evaluation methods for chatbots in educational contexts. The tools were classified according to the type of user they targeted, revealing that 42% were aimed at students, 11% at teachers, 29% at both types of users, and 18% at external users. The characteristics of the tools along the above dimensions were analyzed, highlighting trends, good practices, and observed limitations. The key findings, challenges, and implications of using chatbots to improve learning outcomes, and experiences were discussed. It was concluded that chatbots are an emerging technology that offers benefits such as teaching personalization, self-learning, and real-time feedback but also poses challenges, such as evaluation and research into their effectiveness for education.