Chatbot Builder Technology: Paths to and Away from a Generative AI Powered Assessment Design Guru

This case study from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) explores the development of chatbot builder technology to support assessment design in higher education. Led by the LEAD team and funded through SATLE Pathfinder, the project examined the feasibility of creating a Generative AI-powered “Assessment Design Guru.” Following a literature review and auto-ethnographic research, the team identified significant limitations in chatbot builder technology and pivoted to develop a more practical Generative AI Use Statement Agent. The project resulted in 36 recommendations for educators considering chatbot development, emphasising ethical design, accessibility, and the role of chatbots as supplementary professional development tools rather than primary pedagogical agents.