The Role of Chatbots in Enquiry-Based Learning for Oral Health Students-An Exploratory Study.

Objective: This study explores the reliability of four Chatbots in enquiry-based learning. Four Chatbots, namely Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, ChatGPT 3.5 and Perplexity, were used to answer and generate questions in four specific subject areas.

Methods: The four Chatbots were subjected to questions at three cognitive levels and to generate questions based on specific contexts. The responses generated were assessed by two oral health academics for accuracy and appropriateness.

Results: The findings indicated that ChatGPT3.5 generated the best self-assessment questions while Microsoft Copilot generated the best answers to questions. The performance of the Chatbots varied based on the subject on which the question was based and on the cognitive level of the question. While the questions at cognitive level one were answered most appropriately, the overall depth of responses to periodontology questions at cognitive level two was lower than for questions on dental materials, restorative dentistry and oral biology.

Conclusion: The potential role of Chatbots in enquiry-based learning is evident to some extent, but they currently do not have the proficiency that a human teacher has.