Implementing the Bashayer chatbot in Saudi higher education: measuring the influence on students' motivation and learning strategies

Abstract

Since the fourth industrial revolution, intelligent software and applications that attempt to mimic human behavior have become increasingly common. The chatbot is an example of an artificial intelligence-based computer program that simulates human behavior by having a conversation and interacting with users using natural language. The implementation of chatbot technology in the educational context is still in its nascent stage, and further investigation into measuring its effectiveness in supporting learning and teaching processes is required, particularly in the context of higher education. Thus, this study presents the design and implementation of a task-oriented chatbot, that is embedded into the WhatsApp application, called Bashayer. It aims at supporting postgraduate students' motivation and learning strategies in Saudi Arabia. A quasi-experimental design with a single-subject experimental approach was adopted with a sample of 60 Saudi postgraduate students. The descriptive analysis of the collected data showed promising results of postgraduate students utilized the Bashayer chatbot system. Participants in the experimental group that used Bashayer were more motivated to learn than those in the control group. Participants also practiced more cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies while utilizing the chatbot compared to the control group. The results of this study are encouraging for the development of chatbot systems similar to Bashayer to support postgraduate students' successful learning. These results contribute to bridging the research gap and adding to the literature on chatbots use in postgraduate educational contexts.