UIA NEW TECH AI

UBot

A Socratic AI tutor using state-of-the-art language models to help students think critically and problem solve.

Overview & Objective

UBot is a virtual tutor that guides students to answers rather than providing them directly. This approach ensures students continue learning effectively in the age of artificial intelligence, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It utilizes state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) to engage students in a Socratic dialogue, fostering analytical skills and boosting confidence through self-discovery of solutions.

A key feature of UBot is its 24/7 availability, which is particularly beneficial for students studying late into the night outside of traditional tutoring resource windows. Data has shown that UBot experiences peak utilization from 10 pm-2 am, filling a crucial gap in student support.

As part of the Academic Recovery Project, UBot is being deployed in courses with historically high failure rates, providing targeted assistance to improve academic outcomes.

Partners

UIT logo

UIT (University Information Technology Office): Assisting with website hosting and technical infrastructure.

Funders

Office of Undergraduate Studies Logo

Office of Undergraduate Studies

Status & Next Steps

UBot was successfully deployed to MATH 1050-003: College Algebra in Spring 2024 with overwhelming student support. The next stage involves expanding deployment to all courses in the Academic Recovery Project in the fall semester, as well as other courses across the university.

Approach

UBot combines advanced AI technology with pedagogical best practices to create a unique learning experience. It acts as a virtual Teaching Assistant, equipped with knowledge of class materials including syllabi, lectures, and discussions. The system organizes chats into folders for easy navigation and includes features like topic selection and chat title generation to enhance user experience.

Accessibility is a key focus, with a11y buttons integrated for screen readers. UBot also supports multiple languages and offers various data management options, including local storage saving, chat import/export, and download capabilities in multiple formats.

UBot's infrastructure ensures student data security through encrypted data transmission, stateless AWS infrastructure, and no storage of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) ensuring and user anonymity is maintained.

Details

UBot's features are designed to create a comprehensive and user-friendly learning environment:

- Virtual TA capabilities with in-depth knowledge of course materials
- Socratic questioning method to guide students towards answers
- Topic selection for focused learning sessions
- Chat organization and management tools
- ShareGPT integration for collaborative learning
- Accessibility features for inclusive use
- Data management options for personalized learning tracking