Teaching biology through AI: Chatbots and gamification in higher education
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Abstract
This research tries to answer the effectiveness of the use of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and gamification in the teaching of biochemistry at the higher education level. An experiment under control was run with 60 undergraduate students – three groups of 20 were formed. one that uses an AI chatbot for learning; another that uses a gamified platform; and a control group that receives traditional instruction. Results showed that AI chatbots were especially successful to explain abstract concepts (e.g., allosteric regulation) as they increased learning outcomes by 32% . Gamification was superior to other methods of teaching spatial and kinetic topics (such as oxidative phosphorylation) with 42% improvement. Both processes exceeded conventional teaching methods, indicating their utility in increasing student motivation and conceptual mastery. The study, however, identified limitations by way of technological infrastructure requirements and queries of long-term knowledge retention. The results suggest the combination of these technologies bearing in mind specific learning objectives for maximum educational effect.
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References
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