Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a current reality that is reshaping various sectors, including higher education. Colleges and universities are increasingly leveraging AI’s potential to automate tasks, enhance student services, and most importantly, improve student retention and enrollment.
AI: A Powerful Tool for Student Retention and Enrollment
AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and learn from it is being harnessed to address some of the most persistent challenges in higher education. One of the primary areas where AI is making a significant impact is student retention and enrollment.
Institutions are using AI to automate routine tasks, answer student queries, and remind students about important deadlines. For instance, a professor at Georgia Tech developed a virtual teaching assistant, Jill Watson, which received positive student evaluations.
Moreover, AI is being used to target financial aid, detect plagiarism, and even predict which students are most likely to leave, allowing universities to target and prioritize their retention efforts. For example, Nova Southeastern University used AI to identify students most likely to leave, enabling them to focus their retention efforts on the most at-risk students.
AI’s Impact on Administrative, Teaching, and Research Activities
AI is quietly disrupting higher education’s administrative, teaching, learning, and research activities. It is being used in administrative support for data analysis on recruitment, admission, and retention, in teaching support for providing adaptive and automated assessments, and in research support for sifting through large data sets to identify patterns.
AI tools like ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, are being used to write academic content, raising concerns about the potential disruption of academic scholarship. However, these tools also offer the potential to enhance efficiency and productivity in areas such as admissions, administrative support, instructional design, teaching, and information technology support.
Navigating the Challenges and Ethical Implications
While AI presents immense opportunities, it also brings forth significant ethical and legal challenges. Concerns about threats to personal privacy and vulnerability to systematic bias are prevalent. As AI expands into core university practices, it is crucial to address these issues proactively.
Institutions need to engage in campus-wide discussions about the impact of AI, develop a framework for the ethical governance of AI, and carefully assess how AI will affect the future labor market. This analysis should lead to a rethinking of educational pathways to prepare students for a hybrid labor market in which AI will play a significant role.
Final Thoughts
AI is becoming an integral part of higher education, with its potential to improve student retention and overall institutional performance. However, the ethical and privacy concerns that come with it need to be addressed. As we navigate this new landscape, it is crucial that we harness the power of AI responsibly, ensuring that it serves to enhance the educational experience rather than compromise it.
Nietzel, M. T. (2022, October 1). How Colleges Are Using Artificial Intelligence To Improve Enrollment And Retention. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/10/01/colleges-are-turning-to-artificial-intelligence-to-improve-enrollment-and-retention/?sh=8186c311285e
Abdous, M. (2023, March 22). How AI is shaping the future of higher ed (opinion). Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2023/03/22/how-ai-shaping-future-higher-ed-opinion