A couple of months ago, we spoke about the intense educational experience of a group of students at IIS Guglielmo Marconi in Nocera Inferiore (Salerno) participating in Project Ambizione Italia for Schools, promoted by Microsoft Italy.
During one of the course sessions on the various applications of artificial intelligence, the students were attracted by the operation of chatbots that can simulate a conversation with human beings. With the help of their teacher Giovanni D'Ambrosio (Computer Science) they decided to develop an intelligent software application to help elders shop on-line, along with their coaches, Elisa Chierchiello and Andrea Morachioli. Their experience, during the health emergency, provided an original example of virtual service learning.
Now that their true project has been completed, the students are extremely satisfied about their experience, notwithstanding the fact that it was entirely completed as distance learning during the lockdown.
Here are the messages from some students in Class 4G:
- Alberto: "It was a short, but intense adventure in the world of chatbots, a great educational experience. I found the course complete. We developed a chatbot to help with shopping and a website to make it functional."
- Francesco: "Understanding how chatbots work was fascinating. I would like to study more about them with the same teachers that we had for the first lessons."
- Luigi: "The course was really useful. After the first two lessons, I began developing a small, personal chatbot. I’d like to continue this course with my class and even participate in a competition."
- Giuseppe: "Honestly, during the first lesson, I didn’t understand much, maybe because I found the subject boring. However, over the course of the following lessons, also in view of my classmates’ enthusiasm, I got involved. The course has made me even more interested in programming and everything that can be developed with computers and creativity."
