Colleges and universities are slowly coming around to the idea that artificial intelligence is a useful tool for automating a variety of tasks, from using chatbots to respond to student questions to AI-driven messaging systems to remind students of due assignments and deadlines to reminding them to pay their fees on time to checking submissions for plagiarism. From its early journey into digitalization, higher education is now moving beyond simply automating everyday work to managing more complicated initiatives, to do things that help them grow and compete. Gradually, higher education is beginning to function like a free market, with masses of suppliers and consumers competing for the best jobs. It would be crucial for schools and universities to effectively sell their goods and services and focus on the candidate from the start! Technologies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning can help colleges increase student enrollment in five distinct ways!
Predicting student applications; Universities are realising more and more that they would benefit from being able to accurately predict the number of applications that they must accept in order to reach prime enrollment numbers; over enrolment can strain their resources (number of faculty, lecture rooms, hostel facilities, etc.) and negatively affect the experience of students, while under enrolment can result in lower tuition revenue and an inefficient use of e ML technologies can analyse trends based on prior year data, look at individual candidates according on recognised variables like high school grades, test scores, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc., and forecast their likelihood of accepting admission. In comparison to antiquated calculative models, ML models may also more accurately predict which students would do well in a course.
assisting students in choosing the appropriate courses; it might be difficult for students to traverse the course catalogue and select the courses that best match their abilities and background. Without guidance and support, the process can be difficult, leading to disappointment and reduced enrollment rates. Providing individualised therapy to thousands of customers, however, would require more personnel than the institute could afford. AI-powered chatbots can offer direction and prompt answers to inquiries, assisting students in making the best decisions. Users may engage in pleasant, conversational interactions with chatbots because to natural language processing (NLP) technology, which enables the platform to interpret and respond to the meaning behind human-generated content. Instead of manually navigating the courses, this gives students an experience akin to what they would get from talking to a counsellor.
helping pupils finish the enrollment process; In order to apply to college, you must complete a thorough application form, submit your high school transcripts, apply for scholarships, check into student loans, and eventually pay your tuition. For students who originate from low-income households, the procedure might be intimidating. Some institutions offer outreach counselling services, but as student enrollment grows, doing so becomes more expensive. In an effort to make the admissions process easier for candidates, certain universities, including Georgia State University in the US, have experimented using AI-assisted conversational bots that use deep learning algorithms.
Detecting fraud in admissions applications is a costly process for institutions that receive a lot of applications. Universities have started sending out large teams to scan applications and check applicants’ credentials. Platforms powered by AI can help identify applications with false information and reduce the number of candidates so that university counsellors can choose the best candidates. Neural networks, an AI tool that mimics the human brain by using artificial neurons, are very basic, uncomplicated systems, but when joined into a network, they are capable of completing incredibly difficult tasks.
Recognition, validation, and approval of submitted documents; Several AI bots are able to read and recognise the documents that students upload with their applications, check them for authenticity, and grant approval for processing them to the next level. This has helped universities better target real applicants while increasing their bottom lines by reducing the counsellor time by roughly 15%.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as Arthur Clarke once quipped. The potential for using AI and ML in higher education is enormous; they can assist universities in increasing enrollment, lowering administrative expenses, resolving some enduring problems, personalising learning, and offering students individualised guidance. To improve student outcomes, universities must step up their efforts and make better use of technology.
