Impact of Integrating Chatbots into Digital Universities Platforms on the Interactions between the Learner and the Educational Content

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The rapid expansion of digital universities across Africa addresses the need for scalable higher education solutions, but challenges such as limited physical infrastructure and high dropout rates persist. In digital learning environments, effective interaction with educational content is crucial for student success. This article explores the transformative role of chatbots integrated into digital university platforms, with a specific focus on their impact on learner-content interactions. Leveraging the frequent use of messaging applications and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), we examine how chatbot integration enhances student engagement, facilitates personalized access to core educational modules, and supports formative assessments to reinforce learning outcomes. Using the Rasa open-source framework and the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS), we present a model that not only delivers content efficiently but also provides an interactive learning experience through AI-driven dialogue systems. Furthermore, a comparison of the different AI tools used for educational chatbots will be presented, to determine the most suitable solutions for digital teaching. This analysis will consider various aspects such as efficiency, customization, flexibility and ease of integration of the tools into educational environments. This study highlights how chatbots can foster a more dynamic and responsive learning ecosystem, ultimately improving student retention and mastery of key concepts in digital universities. In this article, we explore the broader impact of chatbots on learner interaction with educational content, not just their integration. It also emphasizes student engagement and retention.