Deakin to use IBM's Watson for student advice

Deakin University will make use of IBM’s Watson cognitive computing platform to transform the way students get advice and answers to their questions.

Under the arrangement, the Watson-based system will be made available through the web and mobile devices to all of Deakin's nearly 50,000 students.

It will be designed to give students a 24/7 way to find information on topics including enrolment, tuition, financial assistance, student housing, health, courses and decision-making about postgraduation careers.

The cognitive computing capabilities of the system will allow it to adapt its answers to be more informative as it is asked more questions.

Over time, Deakin envisages the system as being capable of providing tailored information and personalised advice to each student based on their individual profiles.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander said the student advisor application will be rolled out starting from early next year. The initial focus will be on new students.

“New students naturally generate the most questions and will enjoy a smoother start to their university lives. International students and mature-aged students returning to the books will also get maximum benefit from this initiative,” she said.

“Watson will revolutionise and simplify student problem-solving: the more questions it is asked, the more informative its answers will become.”

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