AI Chatbot Engages NHTI Students

It’s not spam: Leroy the Lynx may have just texted you!

In partnership with education technology company EdSights, NHTI, Concord’s Community College, launched a new AI-based texting chatbot specifically aimed at helping students find resources to better achieve academic and social goals.

The EdSights text bot, using the guise of the NHTI mascot Leroy the Lynx, is said to improve communication and engagement with students through their phones while providing the college with insight into student needs. And, with the generational gap growing ever wider, there is a significant need to reach students in a new, innovative way to keep them engaged in their learning environment and the campus community.

“We are thrilled to introduce our students to Leroy the Lynx through this chatbot,” says Dr. Rebecca Dean, vice president of Student Success and Enrollment and interim vice president of Student Affairs at NHTI. “Connecting with and helping our students access the many resources we have on NHTI’s campus is one of our biggest goals. We are dedicated to helping our students succeed, and this chatbot could make all the difference in letting a student know of a needed resource faster.”

EdSights uses conversational AI to engage, retain, and support students to collect non-cognitive data about a student’s college experience, then uses this data to connect them to the right resources at the right time. Using a targeted framework to dynamically initiate conversations with students, the EdSights chatbot collects new, real-time information in areas such as belonging, wellness, financial stress, and academic engagement to help NHTI better assist students and get them the resources they need faster than ever before. Additionally, the chatbot is available 24/7 to answer students' questions about NHTI.

According to EdSights data from its 70+ higher education partners, on average, 98% of students remain opted-in to receiving the chatbot messages from their college, and 64% of students actively engage with the bot.

For more information about NHTI’s Leroy the Lynx chatbot, powered by EdSights, contact Amber Gavriluk at agavriluk@ccsnh.edu.