Publicação
Developing an AI virtual assistant for higher education
| Resumo: | This research investigates the design, development, and evaluation of an AI-powered educational chatbot, the IBS Virtual Assistant, created to support master’s students at ISCTE Business School. Motivated by the growing demand for scalable digital solutions to enhance communication and reduce repetitive administrative tasks, the study follows the Design Science Research Methodology through iterative design and testing cycles. The chatbot’s knowledge base was structured around ten validated informational categories derived from an institutional questionnaire with 542 student-generated questions. Implemented in Microsoft Copilot Studio, two prototypes were developed and evaluated. Quantitative results revealed significant improvements between versions, with accuracy rising from 0.86 to 1.00 and completeness from 0.71 to 0.86, while maintaining perfect clarity and tone. A complementary user evaluation of eleven master’s students, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, showed high mean scores across all constructs, confirming strong perceived usefulness, ease of use, and acceptance. These findings validate the methodological robustness of the Design Science Research approach and demonstrate the potential of conversational artificial intelligence to enhance informational accessibility and institutional support. The study contributes theoretically by integrating the Design Science Research and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology frameworks, and practically by delivering a replicable and scalable solution for higher education. |
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| Autores principais: | Bacelar, Patrícia Marquês |
| Assunto: | Inteligência artificial -- Artificial intelligence Chatbots Pesquisa em design cientifico -- Design Science Research DSR Ensino superior -- Higher education Student support apoio ao estudante |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | ISCTE |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório ISCTE |
| Resumo: | This research investigates the design, development, and evaluation of an AI-powered educational chatbot, the IBS Virtual Assistant, created to support master’s students at ISCTE Business School. Motivated by the growing demand for scalable digital solutions to enhance communication and reduce repetitive administrative tasks, the study follows the Design Science Research Methodology through iterative design and testing cycles. The chatbot’s knowledge base was structured around ten validated informational categories derived from an institutional questionnaire with 542 student-generated questions. Implemented in Microsoft Copilot Studio, two prototypes were developed and evaluated. Quantitative results revealed significant improvements between versions, with accuracy rising from 0.86 to 1.00 and completeness from 0.71 to 0.86, while maintaining perfect clarity and tone. A complementary user evaluation of eleven master’s students, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, showed high mean scores across all constructs, confirming strong perceived usefulness, ease of use, and acceptance. These findings validate the methodological robustness of the Design Science Research approach and demonstrate the potential of conversational artificial intelligence to enhance informational accessibility and institutional support. The study contributes theoretically by integrating the Design Science Research and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology frameworks, and practically by delivering a replicable and scalable solution for higher education. |
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