Complete guide to chatbots for education in 2025

When it comes to chatbots in a business environment, most people tend to think of them being used in a traditional capacity–-such as offering help placing an order or tracking shipping information. But these bots have recently found a solid niche in educational settings as well, assisting students with enrollment and coursework, while helping instructors with lesson planning and communication.

By streamlining internal processes for teachers and ensuring around-the-clock support for students, educational chatbots serve to enhance the learning experience for all parties involved.

Today, we’ll break down the benefits that these bots can provide for educational institutions and examine some of the different ways in which this dynamic technology can be used.

What are chatbots for education?

A chatbot is a software application designed to simulate human-like conversations. It typically interacts with users through either text or voice, providing responses based on pre-set rules or machine learning (ML) algorithms. Bots can answer frequently asked questions (FAQs), provide information, and assist users with various tasks.

Within the educational sector, chatbots are often used to enhance communication, streamline administrative tasks, and support students. Some institutions integrate bots into learning management systems (LMS), where they can assist with academic tasks such as tutoring, sending reminders about assignments, and providing learning resources. They might also be utilized to support prospective students by guiding them through application processes, making information more accessible, and improving overall engagement.

The personalization of chatbots for education

Traditional educational systems weren’t designed for students in the modern digital age. Most of Gen Z grew up on smartphones and tablets, making technology an integral component of their learning process. From creating and delivering course materials to how these resources are absorbed and memorized, today’s students engage with the educational experience much differently than students of the past.

Contemporary students now have access to all types of information at the click of a button; thus, they demand answers instantly—anytime and anywhere. Technology has also opened the door for more collaborative learning while changing the role of the instructor from the individual who holds all the knowledge to someone who directs and guides instead. 

Despite this evolution, one thing that remains constant is that students learn at different paces and have distinct needs and abilities. Instructors in busy classrooms can’t always provide students with the 1:1 care and attention they require. Personal tutoring is a good solution, though not always an option. However, chatbots can provide an affordable alternative to this. 

Advancements in AI, ML, and natural language processing (NLP) have empowered bots with the ability to engage in meaningful, natural dialogue with students. In doing so, they’ve helped identify gaps in understanding while automatically providing relevant information, answering questions, and supplying additional knowledge to enhance the learning experience.

Key Applications of Chatbots in Education: Service-Oriented vs. Teaching-Oriented

A recent study (Pérez et al., 2020) identifies two application clusters defined through chatbot activities: ‘service-oriented chatbots’ and ‘teaching-oriented chatbots.’

One of the most common use cases for bots is within the application process for universities, where institutional resources are often overwhelmed while students are regularly left frustrated and confused. Chatbots enable users to make course inquiries and kick off the enrollment process, while also acting as virtual teaching assistants that reduce an instructor’s workload. 

Bots can also be programmed to answer general student queries and direct them to relevant information such as lesson plans, course modules, and assignments. The educational sector is becoming more tech-driven and leveraging bots reduces the need for additional customer service or administrative agents. They provide immediate answers to queries, guiding students and parents through the sales funnel and motivating them to take further action.

Some use cases of educational chatbots include:

• Virtual personal tutoring

• Student engagement

• Course registration and enrollment queries

• Proactive student support

• Teacher assistance and administrative tasks

• Global connections

• Feedback collection and data repository

• Assessment of gaps in learning and educational needs

• Student sentiment analysis

Benefits of educational chatbots

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, technology is becoming a key enabler of improved student experiences and institutional efficiency. Among these new solutions, educational chatbots have emerged as powerful tools that offer continuous support, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance overall engagement. 

Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits that this powerful new technology can provide:

24/7 multilingual accessibility

The round-the-clock availability of chatbots allows students to seek help or find information outside of traditional office hours, making education more flexible and accessible. Whether a student needs assistance with a course question at midnight or guidance on an upcoming assignment during the weekend, bots are accessible 24/7. This capability is integral, as 64% of individuals report that around-the-clock availability is the most important feature of a chatbot. 

The multilingual capacity of educational chatbots adds another layer of inclusivity, especially in institutions with diverse, international student populations. Students who speak different languages can interact with bots in their preferred dialect, overcoming language barriers that could otherwise hinder their access to important information or services. This fosters a more inclusive learning environment, empowering non-native speakers to receive academic support in a dialect they’re comfortable with.

Better student engagement

Unlike static resources such as FAQs or handbooks, chatbots offer a dynamic experience where students can ask questions and receive instant responses tailored to their needs. Whether it's providing details on assignments, sending reminders about deadlines, or answering course-related queries, bots help create an interactive learning environment that keeps students actively engaged with their studies.

Moreover, chatbots can engage students beyond academic support by offering guidance in other areas of student life, such as mental health resources, extracurricular activities, or campus events. By integrating bots into student support services, institutions can create a more holistic approach to student engagement.

Personalized education for student needs

As chatbots continue to interact more with students, they can gather insights about their progress, preferences, and challenges, allowing them to provide personalized learning materials or course recommendations. This real-time adaptability ensures that students receive the support they need when they need it, creating a more individualized learning experience.

Additionally, chatbots can cater to diverse learning styles and paces by offering tailored reminders, deadlines, or study schedules. For example, a bot could identify students who prefer visual aids and recommend charts or diagrams, while it might suggest podcasts or audiobooks to auditory learners.

64% of businesses believe that chatbots allow them to provide a more customized experience for end-users, making them an essential component of personalization efforts.

Enhanced efficiency and productivity

Educational chatbots can significantly enhance efficiency by automating routine administrative tasks, allowing staff and faculty to focus on more complex responsibilities. This reduces the workload on administrative teams, minimizes wait times for students, and ensures that common issues are addressed promptly. As a result, institutions can streamline operations and optimize the allocation of resources, leading to more productive use of both staff time and institutional infrastructure.

In addition to operational efficiency, bots can enhance student productivity by providing real-time assistance and proactive support. For instance, a chatbot might be used to send timely reminders about deadlines, suggest resources based on academic progress, and help students troubleshoot issues related to course materials. By keeping students organized and informed, bots can help them manage their academic responsibilities more effectively. 

Makes asking questions easy

In contrast to traditional methods where students may have to email a professor or wait in line at an office, chatbots offer immediate answers in a conversational format. This ease of access encourages students to ask questions whenever they arise, without feeling the pressure of formal communication or waiting for office hours.

Even more, the casual and judgment-free nature of chatbot interactions makes students more comfortable asking questions, especially those who may hesitate to speak up in a classroom or approach staff. Since these bots can handle such a wide range of inquiries, students can explore their queries in a low-pressure environment. This fosters a more inquisitive mindset, as students know they can quickly seek assistance without worrying about time constraints or feeling self-conscious.

Scalable to education needs

As institutions expand, so do the number of students, courses, and administrative tasks, and chatbots can easily scale to handle increased demand without needing additional human resources. Whether serving a small group of students or an entire university, bots can be programmed to manage high volumes of interactions simultaneously, ensuring that every student receives timely support.

Moreover, chatbots can adapt to changing educational needs by being updated with new information or programmed with additional capabilities. For example, a bot might be customized to reflect new courses, campus policies, or learning platforms with minimal effort. As education evolves to include more online and hybrid models, chatbots can seamlessly integrate into different learning environments, supporting remote students just as effectively as those on campus.

Examples of chatbots in education

From assisting students with course inquiries to helping teachers manage their lessons, chatbots offer a versatile solution to a range of challenges faced in education today. Their ability to operate 24/7 and handle multiple inquiries simultaneously allows institutions to better serve their diverse student populations.

The following use cases highlight specific examples of how these versatile solutions can be used in day-to-day operations:

1. Course inquiries

Imagine a student who’s unsure about which courses to take for the upcoming semester and has questions about prerequisites, scheduling, and course content. Instead of waiting for an advisor’s office hours or browsing through dense course catalogs, the student interacts with an educational chatbot. The bot can instantly provide a list of available courses, filter them by the student's program requirements, and highlight which ones fit their schedule.

Moreover, if the student inquires about a specific course, the chatbot can provide detailed information on prerequisites, and course content, and even suggest alternative classes if the desired course is full. This immediate access to tailored information helps the student make informed decisions efficiently, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication with staff.

2. Registration assistants

During busy enrollment periods, students may face difficulties navigating the registration process, such as resolving scheduling conflicts or understanding tuition payment deadlines. In this scenario, an educational chatbot can serve as a personalized guide, walking the student through the entire registration process step by step. When the student begins the enrollment process, the bot can ask relevant questions, such as the student’s program, year of study, and preferences for class times. 

Based on this input, the chatbot can suggest a list of available courses that fit the student’s schedule and ensure they meet the program requirements. If any scheduling conflicts arise, the bot can propose alternative course times, making the registration process smoother and less time-consuming.

3. Student feedback

Suppose an educational institution seeks to improve the overall student experience by collecting feedback on the learning environment, teaching methods, and course materials. Here, an educational chatbot can be deployed to facilitate the feedback collection process after students complete a course or reach a significant milestone. As students finish their assessments or participate in end-of-term evaluations, the bot initiates a conversation, prompting them to share their thoughts. 

Chatbots can also analyze the feedback collected to identify trends and common issues across various courses or programs. For example, if multiple students report that a specific module lacks clarity or that certain resources are unhelpful, the institution can take immediate action to address these concerns.

4. Student support

Consider a scenario in which a student is struggling to grasp the concepts of a complex subject, such as organic chemistry. The student often feels overwhelmed with the volume of material and has difficulty finding specific resources for clarification. In this case, an educational chatbot can serve as a 24/7 study aid, allowing the student to ask questions about specific topics at any time.

Furthermore, the bot can facilitate collaborative learning by connecting the student with peers who are studying similar topics. If the student expresses interest in joining a study group or needs a partner for practice problems, the chatbot can recommend available sessions and provide scheduling options.

5. Student Engagement

Envision a student at a university who’s unsure about how to get involved on campus, find extracurricular activities, or attend upcoming events. Here, an educational chatbot can enhance student engagement by serving as a friendly, informative guide to campus life. When the student initiates a conversation with the bot, it can ask about their interests and preferences, such as clubs or events that align with their academic pursuits or personal hobbies.

Chatbots can send regular updates about upcoming workshops or seminars as well, ensuring that students remain informed and engaged with the institution's activities. For instance, if there’s a guest speaker or a networking event relevant to the student's field of study, the bot can send a reminder with registration details, highlighting the value of participation for their professional development. 

6. Teaching assistance

For instructors who are managing multiple classes and struggling to keep track of lesson plans, an educational chatbot can help streamline learning management and class organization. When the teacher logs into the bot, they can quickly access a dashboard that provides an overview of upcoming lessons, important deadlines, and student performance analytics. The chatbot can also help the teacher draft lesson plans by suggesting resources, activities, and assessments based on the curriculum standards and specific learning objectives. 

Even more, bots can facilitate communication between the instructor and students, making it easier to manage class engagement. For example, the chatbot can send reminders about assignments or upcoming tests to students, reducing the likelihood of missed deadlines. If students have questions about specific lesson materials, they can ask the bot directly, and it can provide immediate answers or direct them to relevant resources.

The future of AI and chatbots in education

The future of AI and chatbots in education appears to be promising, with many future developments and refinement of existing capabilities on the horizon. Current AI trends, such as the NLP and ML capacity of tools like ChatGPT, project to make bots both more sophisticated and versatile. This progression will offer many benefits to educational institutions, such as the early detection of students who need help and personalized tuition.

Leveraging chatbots for essay scoring and task grading has the potential to revolutionize the teaching experience for instructors as well. Intelligent essay-scoring bots will reduce the workload of teachers and provide quicker feedback to students. Spaced Interval Learning is another promising concept that aims to remind students to repeat their learning at spaced intervals, helping to cement lessons in their minds and improve long-term retention.

60% of schools are looking to adopt chatbot technology within the next two years, suggesting that bots are poised to become increasingly commonplace within learning institutions.

Transforming education with Freshchat’s conversational education chatbot

Freshchat’s Freddy AI-powered chatbots come complete with NLP and ML capabilities, allowing them to be utilized in a variety of different settings.

Today’s students can be hard to keep up with, utilizing a wide range of both existing and emerging platforms to communicate with peers and businesses. Freshchat’s omnichannel capacity makes it easy to adjust to new communication preferences, offering extensive integration with a variety of different platforms, with retained context across them all. Its multilingual potential serves to extend your reach even further, as it’s capable of interacting with students in 33+ unique dialects.

When your chatbot can’t sufficiently resolve a student’s issue, it can seamlessly pass the conversation to a human representative or instructor through IntelliAssign, verifying that the conversation always ends up in the right hands. All the while, reporting and analytics tools like custom reports and real-time dashboards help ensure that relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) are gathered and displayed in an easy-to-understand fashion.