Comparison of Traditional Learning Methods Versus Chatbots in History Lessons in Austria

Abstract

The education system is a fundamental component of any state and is currently confronted with the challenge of incorporating emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and expanding its technical capabilities. Chatbots, which are chat interfaces where a program understands the user’s input and responds automatically, appear to have the potential to enhance traditional learning methods and provide increased individual support. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential usage of chatbots for history lessons in an Austrian high school. A class at a secondary school was divided into two groups, all of which were given the same assignments. One group was only permitted to utilise traditional reference books, while the other group was permitted to utilise OpenAI’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) as an aid. Consequently, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of test results (t-value = 0.434 for open questions, t-value = 0.159 for multiple choice questions, p>0.05). However, there were discernible differences between the groups that could be identified through the teacher’s observations. For instance, assignments were completed more expeditiously and there was a greater tendency to pose follow-up questions with the assistance of AI.