Percorrer por autor "Lopes, Erik T."
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- Developing a Chatbot for process modelling learning: contributions for active learning in engineering educationPublication . Lopes, Erik T.; Mesquita, Diana; Lima, Rui M.Technological advancements such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have gained popularity, partly due to their ability to provide iterative access to extensive information. This has impacted the education field, introducing new opportunities and challenges in learning, teaching, and assessment. This article intends to present the development and deployment of a chatbot designed to foster students’ learning regarding process modelling and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). Developed with a low-code tool from the Microsoft suite, this approach for building chatbots may be replicable in other contexts of higher education. This is an exploratory study with 18 students enrolled in a Master’s Program in Engineering and Operations Management. Moreover, 6 professionals with experience in using BPMN used the ChatBot and gave an additional and complementary perspective from an expert point of view. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of the ChatBot to mimic real-world interactions and make a contribution to the learning process. Through this exploration, the article aims to discuss potential uses of the chatbot, exploring the development steps, users’ feedback, limitations, and opportunities for enhancement. This work underscores how emerging technologies facilitate the swift creation of specialized bots for diverse applications, sidestepping the need for intricate programming expertise. More than just enhancing student engagement by encouraging inquiry and the use of AI tools, the use of chatbots has the potential to significantly lighten the teaching load, a cited barrier in the adoption of active learning.
- Using a chatbot for student onboarding and learning in projects: technology as an enabler of active learningPublication . Lopes, Erik T.; Altoé, Yasmim Bezerra Oliveira; Prazeres, Pedro Gonçalves; Araujo, Luiza Oliveira de; Monteiro, Simone Borges Simão; Mesquita, Diana; Pedersen, Jens Myrup; Lima, Rui M.Using technologies as enablers of active learning methodologies is a recurring topic in the scientific literature. Various tools have been developed and applied in engineering education, yielding promising results. The rapid development and widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) language models have recently sparked discussions on their use, regulation, and evaluation in the teaching and learning process. Chatbots represent a relevant application, offering opportunities such as enhancing the learning process, providing rapid and personalised access to knowledge, and enabling iterative support that benefits students. Additionally, chatbots can be applied in administrative and support activities, potentially reducing faculty workload, which is one of the challenges in adopting active learning approaches. Given this, this article presents a method for developing a chatbot using low-code tools to accelerate the onboarding process for the Erasmus+ Egalitarian project, which focuses on solid waste management and waste pickers. Organised into iterative cycles, this project has already engaged students of various nationalities, addressing challenges related to initial problem contextualisation, knowledge management, and the diverse concepts and tools adopted. Thus, students and faculty members who participated in the first three cycles of the project evaluated the developed tool, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement and comparing their experiences with and without the chatbot. The results indicate the feasibility of chatbot development without requiring programming skills, the potential of generative AI to provide fast and direct access to knowledge, and an improved experience for participants in projects involving active learning. Finally, this tool enables gradual and iterative training throughout the project cycles, reducing the effort required from faculty members and experienced students in the onboarding process in each new cycle.
- Workshop - how to develop a chatbot in less than 90 minutes: hands-on workshop on emerging technologies for active learningPublication . Lopes, Erik T.; Mesquita, DianaIn recent years, the rapid advancement of digital technologies, particularly generative artificial intelligence (AI), has significantly influenced how teaching and learning are designed, delivered, and experienced within higher education. One notable and increasingly relevant application is using chatbots as supportive tools for educators and students. Chatbots can reduce administrative workload, enhance student engagement, and enrich pedagogical strategies by facilitating active learning and personalised support. Despite their potential, these tools remain underexplored in many academic environments. This workshop offers an accessible and practice-oriented introduction to chatbot development, aimed at participants from all disciplines, regardless of their technical background. Through a structured six-step methodology and the use of Microsoft Copilot Studio, attendees will be guided through designing, building, and deploying a functional chatbot for active learning. The session combines theoretical insights with hands-on activities, including discussions on the broader implications of AI in education, exploration of advanced platform features, and critical reflections on technical and pedagogical limitations. By the end of the experience, each participant will have created a chatbot prototype applicable to their teaching practices or personal projects and will have gained a deeper, more critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in contemporary educational contexts.