Initial study of a chatbot for virtual modality students from the Inter-American School of Librarianship

Abstract

The inclusion of ICT (TIC for the Spanish acronyms) in education has generated various challenges, among them the distorted imagery of what the virtual modality implies and means; the use of platforms and the appropriation of logistical, academic and administrative processes. In this context, various questions arise from students who think it is an imperative to provide clear answers timely. Even more so, when these students belong to the field of study of information and recognize that the transfer of information contributes to the optimization of communication processes, specifically in training environments. This is why this article will report on a research experience whose main objective was to design a proposal for a virtual assistant that allowed solving the doubts of archival and library students in the virtual modality of the Inter-American School of Library Science -EIB- of the University of Antioquia, in order to optimize communication processes between students and those who coordinate the dynamics of virtuality in the institution. Such research process was based on the design thinking methodology that favored a state of empathy with the academic community which made it possible to identify the most recurrent concerns of students and their respective main thematic categories. In this sense, this was an initial exploratory and descriptive study that managed to obtain information which will serve as input for a next phase of development of a virtual assistant for the EIB.