#EDU19 – Transforming the Student Experience

This lightning round will pack as much information into one session as possible. Hear succinct, engaging presentations on a variety of topics. Each will be 10 minutes long, with a Q&A at the end of the session.

Lightning Round 1: Alexa Has Taken Over Our Campus!

Voice is the next disruptive technology. Voice-enabled devices are proliferating across society. Your students arrive on campus expecting it. Hear how the UT Dallas is implementing Alexa across campus. We will share our vision, implementation approaches, value received, best practices, and roadmap.

Outcomes: Learn how UT Dallas is leveraging Alexa for students, faculty, and staff * Learn about the UT Dallas vision and roadmap for voice-enabled services * Get best practices and lessons learned in implementing voice-response

Presenters: Frank Feagans, Kishore Thakur (University of Texas at Dallas)

NOTES

UT Dallas

• New eSports Program
• 29,000 students

• Teach students on building Alexa skills
• Voice as the next disruption
• Alexa, an indispensable assistant
• UT Dallas Alexa Pilots (News flash briefing, Ask UT Dallas, FAQs from a variety of offices (170 questions were collected), Parking (how many spots are available), “Alexa what is the status of Blackboard”

• Next up… dining menus…

• Using students to help build the Alexa Skills.

Lightning Round 2: Martha: Bringing AI to Life

Meet Martha, George Washington University’s virtual solutions AI agent, in an interactive implementation journey presentation. We will share our lessons learned and decision process, give demos, and entertain in-depth conversations about enhancing the student experience on campus through AI.

Outcomes: See how critical lessons learned were applied in our implementation journey * Learn about the strategic, logistical and operational planning considerations for moving to a virtual agent/AI solution on campus * Share your own institution’s efforts and questions around campus AI initiatives

Presenters: John Marshall, William Koffenberger (The George Washington University

NOTES

• Martha – A pilot project of a “Virtual Agent” called “Martha”, an easy to use channel to search knowledge, create service requests and check the status of your outstanding requests through an intuitive conversational interface.
• GW’s has an interactive chat bot (live in August), self service.
• BMC Helix Case Study
  • Martha proved the feasibility of chatbots in helping IT deliver effective 24×7 support

• • Students surveyed would most likely turn to the chatbot before calling the service desk
• • 88% of the participants wanted Martha to become a permanent service for the GW community
• • Offloading level 0 and 1 calls to Martha frees up service desk technicians to tackle level 2 and 3 issues
• • Keeping support costs in check by meeting growing demand for support without adding headcount
• • Departments outside of IT now want to use chatbots to modernize service delivery for their users

Lightning Round 3: AI-Based Virtual Assistants Improve Campus Life on Through Dx

AI-based virtual assistants (VAs) are growing in popularity. Join Gonzaga University and noHold Inc. in a conversation about the role artificial intelligence is playing in higher education. Learn about implementing, deploying, and adopting AI technology to help your students and faculty help themselves.

Outcomes: Learn about implementing a VA (creating one, when it makes sense, and what is involved) * Learn about deploying a VA (logistics, potential pitfalls, and generating adoption) * Learn about the maintenance aspects of a VA (utilizing analytics and creating a financial map)

Presenters: Lyle Spencer, Borre Ulrichsen (Gonzaga University); Diego Ventura (noHold Inc.)

• Proof of concept (low risk)
• Decrease tickets (positioning)
• Increase satisfaction (content maintenance)
• Capture voice of student/staff (metrics)

Surveyed 400 students across 12 institutions: