Ashish Fernando shares how Artificial Intelligence is empowering students to get into better colleges and companies
With a sea of options to choose from — course, city, country, duration, opportunity and future career prospects — finding the right college and job takes time, intense research and endless hours of work. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help students get past this overwhelming and time-consuming process by providing informed decisions at a lightning-fast speed.
While the Indian education community is slowly moving towards automation, AI has already begun to bridge the gap by helping students find the right institutions and jobs. Technologies like virtual assistants, smart text messaging, personalised curriculum, and immersive classroom teaching make applying and studying at institutes easier for students. There are various online applications providing services that also help job seekers improve their resumes, target relevant jobs, and perform better during interviews.
Several Indian start-ups are offering AI technologies to provide students and graduates with a better experience from the comfort of their homes, especially during the pandemic. Here are a few popular AI tools that are transforming the future of higher education in more ways than one.
Smart query bots and chat-integrated platforms
When applying to institutions abroad, every student has questions they want to be answered. Like ‘How much does it cost to study abroad?’, ‘Which universities should I apply to?’, or even ‘Which tests should I appear for?’ Intelligent automated assistance chatbots are making their way into the admissions ecosystem with the rapid adoption of tools that assist students with easy onboarding and guiding them through the application process.
AI is also used to automate administrative activities during the admission process, including visa process, student accommodation, and course registration, providing a unique experience to students.
AI-based recommendation tools
AI-powered recommendation engines for college application platforms are the new favourite. Tech platforms provide personalised recommendations and suggestions powered by machine learning algorithms. This allows students to understand and analyse their course specifications and outcomes in a better way, helping them make the right choice and creating an engaging and insightful student experience.
Some AI platforms can match scholarships and grants with deserving students and provide alerts to more than two million users. They also help corporations, NGOs, government agencies, public sector undertakings, and individuals to design, launch, manage and track their scholarship programmes.
Video tools
Currently, travel restrictions are still in place across several countries. And educational institutes are employing video tools to connect with prospective students worldwide through interactive webinars and panel discussions.
Some start-ups also provide video interview analysing tools to help students prepare for various aspects of their visa interview. The Video Interview Analyser (VIA) is one such tool that studies facial movements, emotions, and behavioural characteristics. It provides the student with an instant analysis of the mock interview. This helps the student understand which aspects they can improve on to ace their interview.
Virtual and augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are increasingly being used to create an experiential digital admissions process. They provide virtual open days and campus tours, allowing prospective students to experience the campus from the comfort of their homes and picking the university of their choice.
Apply for a job application using AI
While organisations have been using AI to hire better talent, the technology can also be used to benefit the talent.
Chatbots
Conversation chatbots offering automated replies and 24x7 support have proved to be helpful for those looking for a new job. They help employees find the right businesses and land new gigs. These bots also manage candidates’ applications to help improve their chances of getting a job.
AI assistants
Some AI assistants help job-seekers find employment by interacting with them through a messaging interface, continuously scouring the web, and sending them position recommendations. Based on the individual’s reply, these assistants utilise AI to fine-tune their knowledge about what the seeker wants in a job and improve their recommendations.
Resume experts
A few platforms also utilise AI to help job-seekers craft the ideal resume. The tool enables them to figure out which keywords to use and what traits companies are looking for while helping them edit their resume and find their strengths and weaknesses.
Transforming the current processes requires institution and organisation leaders to change their approach and adopt a different mindset. It takes time to bring about this change. At first, we may lack certain types of data or tools, or find that certain insights don’t work for us. However, by establishing a culture of change and assuming a test-and-learn approach, AI can be used to not only drive but also boost career growth.
(The writer is the founder and CEO of iSchoolConnect.)