Humanizing online instruction With AI-Powered chatbots and multimedia introduction: Empirical advice for online college classrooms

Given ongoing issues with a lack of humanization in online classroom settings, this chapter shares insights gained through failed implementations of social media, the use of various multimedia introductions, and the utilization of a chatbot to humanize online classrooms. The chapter will discuss why participants did not feel a connection to each other when social networks were used in the classroom and how multimedia introductions built on Web 2.0 tools might increase relatedness among participants. Moreover, it discusses how AI-powered tools provide personalized assistance, such as meeting notes and summarizations, in promoting humanization, increased participation, and a sense of community. The chapter further highlights influential factors in both the failure and success of using multimedia introductions and AI-powered tools in the humanization of online learning, based on authors' experiences, backed by self-determination theory and social presence theory. This chapter concluded with guidelines on how to use these innovative tools to humanize online learning environments.