How Can Tools Like ChatGPT Help With Learning new skills?

Codum
Age of Awareness
Published in
6 min readMar 27, 2023

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With chatbots gaining more popularity, you might be wondering whether a chatbot in education is a beneficial thing or not. Let’s explore this.

In recent years, chatbots have become increasingly popular in many fields. With the rise of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, we might want to consider using a chatbot in education and how it can help, rather than substitute teachers.

Whether it’s answering questions, providing feedback, or even offering emotional support, chatbots in education have the potential to revolutionize the way we learn.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Chatbots and Learning in a Nutshell

A chatbot is a software program designed to interact with people in a conversational manner using natural language processing.

They use machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to understand and respond to user inputs. We are currently witnessing how ChatGPT as a tool is becoming more common because it was developed to provide users with an interactive and personalized experience.

The Potential for Students

Many students know the meaning of feeling anxiety when they are about to ask something they themselves consider a silly question.

That’s where knowing how to use ChatGPT or a similar bot is most helpful — for most students, using a chatbot for inquiries and learning is a more relaxed and less stressful way to learn.

So, when it comes to education, students can use this type of AI to express their questions, concerns, and needs through voice commands or text messages.

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Are There Benefits of Chatbot in Education?

There is a certain recognition of chatbots in many fields, but only recently have people started discussing using a chatbot for education.

They are also considering whether you can use bots such as ChatGPT to help with learning or whether the teachers should fear their implementation. We believe that there is nothing to fear because combining chatbots and collaborative learning with an accountability partner can bring great benefits.

Above all, it can help students set learning goals with ease and gain the much-needed motivation to learn.

Let’s Explain All the Benefits

There are many other advantages chatbots can bring to education. When we think about learning and expanding knowledge, one thing comes to mind — not all students learn at the same pace, and they embrace new concepts at different levels.

It’s hard to provide a customized learning experience for each student, and that’s where the institutions can remedy this by using bots such as ChatGPT as a resource to provide learning and motivation. But here are some of the more particular benefits:

  • Chatbots can be available to students 24/7, providing assistance outside of regular office hours. This can be especially helpful for those students who are studying in different time zones or who have busy schedules.
  • They can be programmed to provide personalized learning experiences for students, tailoring content and guidance based on individual needs, interests, and progress.
  • Bots can also help by providing a more interactive and engaging learning experience. For example, chatbots can provide quizzes, games, and other interactive activities to help students learn and retain new information.
  • They can also help educators save time by automating administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering common questions, and grading assignments.
  • Above all, chatbots can help make education more accessible to students with disabilities or special needs by providing alternative ways for these students to interact with course material.

The Most Popular Educational Chatbots

It’s no secret that ChatGPT appeared with a loud bang in November 2022, and since then, people have been discussing its use in various fields. But even before the appearance of this particular chatbot, there have been some educational bots that have already found their way into educational institutions.

The most prominent are Botsify, used in higher education, Gecko, which simultaneously handles conversations through text, Facebook Messenger, or live chat, IBM’s Watson adopted by many universities and colleges around the world, and many more.

Photo by Fox

Chatbots vs. Code — Are They Beneficial for Coding?

Chatbots can be incredibly useful for programmers and coders. One of the primary ways they can help with coding is by providing instant answers to programming-related questions. When a coder gets stuck or needs clarification on a technical issue, a chatbot can quickly provide accurate answers to help them move forward with their work.

You Can Learn Coding With a Partner With the Help of a Chatbot

If you are new to coding and you are about to learn programming online with a partner, chatbots can be extremely helpful to overcome the basics. They can also provide a personalized learning experience, guiding users through coding tutorials and offering relevant resources based on a user’s skill level and interests.

Additionally, chatbots can assist with debugging by identifying and providing solutions for common coding errors. They can also suggest alternative approaches to solving programming problems.

They Can Make Coding Time-Efficient

When a coder gets stuck on a specific syntax, so they are wasting valuable time trying to get to the bottom of the problem, using a chatbot can quickly provide the information they need to move forward with their work. This can save valuable time and effort that would otherwise be spent searching through documentation, videos, or forums for answers.

If You Need to Save Time on Optimization, Chatbots Can Be the Answer

Chatbots can also help with code optimization. For example, a chatbot can highlight areas of code that could be made more efficient or suggest libraries or APIs that could improve the code. This can be especially helpful for more complex coding projects, where finding the best approach to a problem can be a time-consuming task.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Make the Best Use of Buddy Programming and Chatbots Combined

Collaborative online learning allows students to work together on coding projects, share their knowledge and experience, and provide feedback to one another. This approach can help students learn from each other, get support when needed, and stay motivated throughout the learning process.

Integrating chatbots into online collaborative learning tools can enhance this experience further. Chatbots can act as virtual mentors or tutors, providing additional support to students as they work through coding problems with their coding buddy. Chatbots can also assist with debugging and suggest alternative approaches to coding problems, as well as provide instant feedback on code quality and performance.

One of the key benefits of using chatbots in collaborative online learning is the ability to provide the needed learning motivation through a personalized experience. Another benefit of combining collaborative online learning with chatbots is the ability to track progress and provide feedback to students. This approach can help them stay motivated, focused, and engaged in the learning process.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Need Some Extra Motivation for Learning? Chatbot and a Coding Buddy Might Be Your Answers

Overall, chatbots can be an invaluable tool for coders and programmers.

They can save valuable time and effort, provide technical assistance, help to improve coding skills, and offer a personalized experience. With their ability to quickly provide answers and suggestions, chatbots are becoming an increasingly important part of the coding landscape and can help you grow in tech.

This approach can provide coding buddy teams with additional support and resources, and promote collaboration and engagement whether they are on the path of self-taught coding or entering a coding bootcamp.

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Codum
Age of Awareness

We’re on a mission to inspire and encourage anyone to reach their coding-goals and boost their productivity with a buddy.