Integrating Chatbots into E-Learning Platforms: A Systematic Review

The application of chatbots in e-learning has experienced rapid growth in recent years, but a dilemma remains about their pedagogical contribution in practice. For this reason, the aim of this systematic literature review was to analyze the implementation of chatbots in e-learning platforms, evaluating their benefits, academic impact and challenges. The methodology used was PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), based on a structured search in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Springer and ScienceDirect. The selection included 55 studies published between 2020 and 2024, after applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion controls. The research results show that personalization of learning, self-regulation, increased student engagement and educational efficiency benefit most when chatbots are integrated with active methodologies. Geographically, scientific output was dominated by the UK, Malaysia and Spain, with 38.18% of publications in 2024. It was also found that the majority of methodological approaches were quantitative, followed by mixed and qualitative studies less frequently. Among the barriers that emerged in terms of the pedagogical dimension were teacher resistance and limited training in artificial intelligence tools. Educational issues, privacy concerns, and biases in generated responses also emerged. Keywords from co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer revealed the prominence of terms such as chatbot, intelligent tutoring and technology-enhanced learning in recent scientific output. Thus, it is concluded that chatbots are a determinant of autonomy, motivation and effectiveness of online learning, leading to a change in future educational environments, where students will adopt emerging technology. Among the limitations of this review were the scarcity of longitudinal studies and restricted access to certain articles.

@article{Sevillano-Vega2025,
  title     = {Integrating Chatbots into E-Learning Platforms: A Systematic Review},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {8},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Victor Sevillano-Vega and Juan Chavez-Perez and Carmen Torres-Ceclén and Orlando Iparraguirre-Villanueva},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160826},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160826}
}