Exploring the impact of VoiceBots on multimedia programming education among Ghanaian university students

Conversational user interfaces (CUI), including voice interfaces, which allow users to converse with computers via voice, are gaining wide popularity. VoiceBots allow users to receive a response in real-time, regardless of the communication device. VoiceBots have been explored in fields such as customer service to automate repetitive queries and help reduce redundant tasks; however, they have not been widely applied in the classroom. This study aimed to explore the effects of VoiceBot implementation on student learning. A pre-test-post-test design was implemented with 65 participating undergraduate students in multimedia programming who were randomly allocated to scenarios representing a 2 x 2 design (experimental and control cohorts). Data were collected using an academic achievement test and semi-structured interviews, which allowed for a more in-depth analysis of the students' experiences with the VoiceBot. The results showed that how the VoiceBot was applied positively influenced student learning in the experimental cohort. Moreover, the focus group data demonstrated that the VoiceBot can be a valuable assistant for students and could be easily replicated in other courses. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first to use VoiceBot to engage undergraduate students in Ghana, thus contributing to the growing literature stream on the development of VoiceBots to improve student learning experiences. This study elucidates the design process using a zero-coding technique, which is considered a suitable approach for educational institutions with limited resources.