Integrating AI in Online Discussion Tools: A Critical Perspective

Shazi Saremi; Mohsen  Dokhanchi; Erica Mealy; Rania Shibl

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Integrating AI in Online Discussion Tools: A Critical Perspective

Conference paper

Open access

Peer reviewed

Integrating AI in Online Discussion Tools: A Critical Perspective

Shazi Saremi, Mohsen Dokhanchi, Erica Mealy and Rania Shibl

ACIS 2025 Proceedings, pp.1-14

Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS), 36th (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 01-Dec-2025–05-Dec-2025)

Australasian Association for Information Systems (AAIS)

2025

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Abstract

online discussion tools

student engagement

artifical intelligence

higher education

learning platforms

Online engagement and discussion empower student learning, but existing tools vary widely in their design and effectiveness. This paper critiques three categories of online discussion tools used in higher education: social media platforms (e.g., Facebook), purpose-built educational platforms (e.g., Piazza), and bespoke institutional solutions (e.g., Casper). Each category has distinct strengths and weaknesses, particularly in relation to scale, anonymity, and alignment with pedagogy. We analyse these categories through user stories, platform features, and comparative analysis, before considering how artificial intelligence (AI) might enhance them. While AI offers promise in moderation, summarisation, and engagement prediction, it also raises concerns of privacy, bias, and sustainability.

Details

Title: Integrating AI in Online Discussion Tools: A Critical Perspective
Authors: Shazi Saremi - University of the Sunshine Coast
Mohsen Dokhanchi - The University of Queensland
Erica Mealy - University of the Sunshine Coast
Rania Shibl - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: ACIS 2025 Proceedings, pp.1-14
Conference details: Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS), 36th (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 01-Dec-2025–05-Dec-2025)
Publisher: Australasian Association for Information Systems (AAIS)
Date published: 2025
Copyright note: © 2025 Dokhanchi, Saremi, Mealy & Shibl. This is an open-access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License, which permits noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and ACIS are credited.
Grant note: School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, University of Queensland
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991214551702621
Output Type: Conference paper

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