Enhancing Social Engagement among Online Learners Using AI-Driven Tools: National Open University of Nigeria Learners' Perspective

The need for online education has increased significantly. People now prefer to work to fulfill the necessities of life and pursue education to advance their skills because of the rising difficulty. This quest increases the demand for distance education thereby raising questions about how distance learning institutions can effectively assist their learners. Employment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not only provide solutions but also improve and render effective service and support to learners. AI-driven tools such as personalized or adaptive learning and chatbots for learner support have significantly helped to improve efficiency in virtual environments. This research aims to investigate how National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) students view the contribution of AI tools in enhancing social interaction in their virtual learning environment. The study seeks to determine the requirements, inclinations, and challenges related to social interaction in the online learning space and explore how AI-powered solutions might effectively address these challenges to create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment. A survey was conducted to ascertain the level of awareness among the learners on the use of these tools, the challenges related to social interaction in online space and explore the ways AI-powered tools can effectively address issues in the learning environment to create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment. This study has identified that a greater number of learners in NOUN have little or no knowledge of the availability of these tools as well as how they can effectively use it. The level of awareness of the learners on the use of these tools is low. The study found 27.5% awareness and usage of AI tools provided by the institution. Several platforms were identified by respondents; however, ChatGPT was the most widely used AI platform. The study also discusses the importance of AI tools in enhancing collaboration and social engagement among learners. It identifies the challenges in integrating AI in Education and provides possible solutions to the challenges.