Abstract:

The importance of problem-based learning and project-based learning (both abbreviated to PBL) is perceived in engineering education and in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PBL should be collaborative, constructive, contextual and self-directed. Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) applies PBL to its design and engineering program as Project Design (PD) Program to grow up independently minded, actively engaged engineers. Students form small groups to discuss real-life problems and sometimes collaborate with local communities.

However, in order to prevent COVID-19 infection, students cannot go to school and take lectures in classrooms. Instead, the web meeting tools such as Zoom and Webex are used to take lectures at home. Group discussion in the classroom indispensable for PBL became impossible.

To advance an educational reform, introduction of the online education system is promoted. In recent years, the classes based on lectures can be taken on-line. MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) has spread all over the world. Other than MOOC, the flipped learning with e-learning or e-Syllabus is carried out widely using PC. Furthermore, the trial which uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) and chatbot for education is studied.

The objectives of this paper is to propose the new PBL education system using AI. The authors are investigating the online PBL education system which uses AI instead of teachers’ direct instruction or TA’s (Teaching Assistant’s) support. At first the system survey focused on digitalized design platform which students can use together to design online. There are several web-based design platforms available. These tools may be useful when the design objects are clear. However, the research review showed that more common communication tools were effective for our PBL programs. There are many free communication and collaboration tools: students use SNS more than e-mail. Chatbots are used increasingly to reply to questions automatically using AI technology. We propose the on-line PBL education system using Slack and chatbots with AI.

This paper will be organized as follows: Section 1 will describe the impact of COVID-19 to our class operation and how we dealt with the classes using our learning management system (LMS), e-Syllabus. In Section 2, we review new digital technologies other than web meeting tools. Text mining and chatbots are used increasingly as communication tools with customers in commercial fields. In Section 3, we propose the online PBL education system using chatbots and AI. Although the system is still under the development phase, we introduce the feature of the system and some trial results. The usefulness of chatbots with AI is verified, although the contents of questions need to be expanded.

Keywords:

PBL, AI, COVID-19, online, e-learning, chatbot, text mining, Zoom, slack.