Artificial Intelligence Chatbots as Virtual Patients in Dental Education: A Constructivist Approach to Classroom Implementation.

introductionAdvances in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to new possibilities for AI role-play in classroom settings, where generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) and chatbots can potentially simulate interactions with patients. This pilot study aimed to design an AI role-play activity underpinned by constructivist principles, implement the activity in a classroom setting, and evaluate the students' engagement with the activity and usability of the interface. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe AI role-play was designed based on a patient presenting to a dental teaching hospital in pain. It comprised two interconnected chatbots intended to simulate a patient consultation and clinical supervisor discussion. The chatbots were built using the open-source framework Streamlit and powered by Chat GPT-4. Second and final-year students from an oral health degree were recruited through convenience sampling. Classroom observations were recorded and final-year students participated in a usability questionnaire to gain insights into their engagement, technical challenges, and suggestions for improvement. Data usage and token costs were collected to assess the AI chatbot's feasibility.

resultsEducator observations noted that AI role-play facilitated peer discussion, highlighted gaps in history-taking, and promoted peer learning. Usability survey feedback (n = 14) suggested that students perceived the AI role-play as authentic and relevant to clinical practice, with 86% strongly agreeing it aligned with real-world dental scenarios. The screen design, navigation, and multimedia integration were highly rated. The approximate costs for the activities were $13.17 (USD) for approximately 20 queries, per 20 students.

conclusionThis study presents a descriptive analysis of the implementation of an AI role-play within the early phases of a design-based research framework. AI role-play activities can be implemented in a classroom setting and are perceived as useful for students to apply skills in taking a pain history. While results showed promise for scalability and authentic learning, future research evaluating the impact of the implementation of these activities on student learning should be explored.