Across remote parts of Australia, tertiary students like Megan Crowther are learning in isolation, staring at screens rather than people.
“I’m a very social person and I learn much better in a classroom, so studying online has definitely been a challenge,” the mother of three said.
But new technologies such as artificial intelligence tutors and face-to-face learning centers are expected to transform learning outcomes for thousands of students at higher education institutions in rural and remote areas.
While Crowther works full time and is completing a degree in project management, a new co-learning centre in Mount Isa, in outback Queensland, is giving her a collaborative space she never had before.
Megan Crowther said she enjoys sharing her study space with other students. (Courtesy of Megan Crowther)
“You can pop in after work and study with like-minded people in a nice, quiet, beautiful new environment,” Crowther said.
Country Universities Centre (CUC) provides physical study space for online students from all Australian universities and TAFEs.
The Federal Government-funded centre, which opened in Mount Isa this month, is one of 18 across Australia, with four more due to open soon.
Crowther said while it’s still early days, she’s already seeing the benefits.
Country University Centre has opened a distance learning centre in Mount Isa. (ABC North West Queensland: Maddie Nixon)
“(It) gave us a safe space to collaborate with others,” she said.
“I think technology has definitely come a long way in terms of helping us feel a little more connected.”
“Meaningful Relationships”
A “social person,” Crowther said one of the obstacles to not studying on campus is the feeling of isolation.
And she is not alone.
A 2017 study by Curtin University showed a correlation between distance learning offerings and lower dropout rates at Australian universities, and found that online learners struggle to stay motivated.
But a team of researchers hopes that educational conversational agents (CAs) — virtual assistants for students — can change these statistics and keep students engaged.
Researchers Amara Atif, Meena Jha, Deborah Richards and Ayse Bilgin developed a virtual assistant for students in higher education. (Courtesy of Amara Atif)
Offered as virtual tutors, CAs operate similarly to online chatbots but are more complex in that they are trained to answer students’ questions about course content and assessments.
“It will give students a social, human connection,” said researcher Dr Meena Jha.
Dr Jha and his team designed the conversational agent and tested it across multiple subjects over a two-year period at Central Queensland University and Macquarie University.
They are designed to mimic humans, but unlike humans, they can be contacted at any time.
“Students are using it 24 hours a day, from different locations, at different times,” she said.
The researchers found that CA was most frequently accessed during assessment time and that the technology also helped to boost students’ confidence.
“When you question your teacher, they judge you,” Dr. Jha says.
Dr. Meena Jha says AI can help students and teachers. (Courtesy of Meena Jha)
“But students can ask the virtual agent any question without hesitation,” she said.
The Central Queensland University-based academic said although the research has concluded, he hopes the conversational agent technology will be deployed to online learners.
But she said finding a balance between AI-led and teacher-led learning is key.
“Robots are machines after all and should help humans, not dominate them,” Dr Jha said.
“The genie came out of the lamp and AI is here to stay, but we need to use it responsibly and ethically.”
Calculator phobia
The education sector has been rocked by the rapid development of AI technology, with some schools banning ChatGPT and leading to a Senate inquiry into the matter last year.
But Dr Julie Lindsay, a technology education expert from the University of Southern Queensland, said the benefits of the technology needed to be better understood.
“This is similar to when we introduced calculators in the ’80s,” she said.
“It was like, ‘Oh, students aren’t going to understand the process, they’re just going to get answers,'” she said.
“Now they’re integrated and there are other assignments to help students develop critical thinking skills.”
Dr Julie Lindsay says the education sector must embrace new technology (Courtesy of the University of Southern Queensland)
Dr Lindsay stressed that universities need to invest in technology to ensure students get the most out of online learning.
“Let’s not forget to develop personalized learning approaches for online learning. AI now offers more options for that,” she said.
Dr Lindsay said learning centres, like Crowther’s school in Mount Isa, were another important piece of the puzzle to support students.
CUC centres manager Shawn Bauer said while “remote technology is important” the value of in-person learning hubs should not be underestimated.
Shawn Bauer says students benefit from the physical connection. (ABC North West Queensland: Maddie Nixon)
“Having people stay in the community is great for business, it’s great for the population and it’s great for mental health,” he said.
After living in Mount Isa for 22 years, Ms Crowther said distance learning was part of her professional development for a job that the region would benefit from.
“I’m a public servant and I think it’s really important to maintain these positions in the community,” she said.
“This is great for my sons because it will allow them to consider university as an option and maybe they can study here remotely.”
