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Bark Plug: The ChatGPT of the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

ML and Generative AI Tools and Policies

Tagged Division

Computers in Education Division (COED)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/46635

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Paper Authors

biography

Jason M. Keith Mississippi State University

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Jason Keith is the Dean and Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport, Jr. Chair in the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University, a position he has held since March, 2014. Keith received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron and his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Keith is Fellow of ASEE.

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Amin Amirlatifi Mississippi State University

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Shahram Rahimi

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Subash Neupane Mississippi State University

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Sudip Mittal

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Abstract

Higher education has been caught by storm through the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLM) such as chatGPT. Clearly, there are multiple roles for these sorts of tools to play in higher education, and in particular within engineering and computer science curricula. In this work, we have taken a different approach. At [institution redacted] we have formed a multidisciplinary collaboration to utilize the principles behind AI and LLM to develop an institutional-level chatbot to serve the university community, including students, staff, faculty, administration, alumni and the community. As a large, public land grant, doctoral university with a very high research activity, as well as engagement in every county in our state through the Extension service, our chatbot is: - intended to aid in undergraduate student recruiting and provide guidance for initial student placement in appropriate majors. - serve as a tool to assist in domestic and international graduate student recruiting in line with the institutional research priorities of autonomy, economic development, addressing disparity and cybersecurity. - be a resource for the university community to aid in student persistence, retention and graduate through both academic advising and student support services cosponsored by the division of academic affairs and the division of student affairs. - beyond academic affairs and student life, serve as a gateway for citizens of the state to become connected with university services such as Extension, Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, Small Business Development Center and the Center for Community-Engaged Learning. In this work, the processes behind the development of the algorithm for this tool and detailed case studies for the College of Engineering and other university level services will be outlined. We will also demonstrate the software and present the results from interviews of various focus groups formed from constituencies both inside and outside of campus.

Keith, J. M., & Amirlatifi, A., & Rahimi, S., & Neupane, S., & Mittal, S. (2024, June), Bark Plug: The ChatGPT of the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46635

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