Selecting a college is a major decision, and students require something more than just a couple of pictures of lecture halls and libraries to arrive at their decision. According to EAB survey results published in 2023, as many as 24% of respondents identified virtual tours as the most important source of information about colleges.

Technology makes virtual tours better by allowing students to ask for information and receive it while visiting school sites or colleges. But, are voice assistants necessary for each virtual tour? Not always.

Real benefits come from knowing when exactly voice technology can help make tours easier and more individualized for students. This article explains when a voice agent may be necessary in a virtual campus tour.

When Students Need Quick Answers

Sometimes, students need answers as soon as possible. An online tour of the campus reveals plenty of questions regarding topics like location of the library, availability of accommodation, or what benefits come with a certain course.

When there is no voice assistant at hand, students have to stop the tour and search the university website to find answers. In such cases, prompt response plays a crucial role. Technologies like Telnyx low-latency AI inference allow for minimizing the response time between the question and the reply received from the assistant.

When Students Want a More Personal Experience

Not every college student is interested in the same things. One student applying for an engineering program may want to check out laboratory rooms, while another student may be interested in the accommodation, sports halls, and social areas.

A voice technology tool allows visitors to know more about what they are interested in. They can ask more questions and give indications on what they want to visit next. The tour becomes more like a discussion with a person familiar with the college!

When International Students Require Additional Assistance

Starting university education in a different country brings a number of questions with it. An international student may need to know about housing options, student assistance services, transportation systems, or other resources to help them adapt to living there.

A voice agent can provide answers to frequently asked questions and guide students to the most relevant university web pages for more information. It can also be beneficial to offer several language options to make the experience easy and enjoyable.

However, there are important questions that the agent should not attempt to answer. Such questions include topics like visa regulations, admission decisions, or official charges. If a question requires an individual or professional response, the agent must direct the student to the corresponding university department.

When Facilities Need a Little More Context

Some campus facilities are best explained by another person because merely seeing them, such as in a picture of a laboratory, research centre, or specialized workshop, could tell students very little. The answer to this could be a voice agent.

For instance, a student exploring an engineering lab may want to know what courses use this facility. The agent could explain what this facility is doing and how it helps in practical learning.

It is important to keep the explanation short and relevant. Overall, students should benefit from using the agent without being overwhelmed with information.

When Accessibility is Important

Every student has different requirements and preferences in relation to online content. Some might be more inclined to listen to what they need to know, while others might prefer asking a question instead of navigating through several menus.

Using voice agents gives users another way to communicate with the tour. Instead of relying on written descriptions, visitors can speak and hear the answers.

However, voice should never be the sole choice. Higher education institutions should continue offering readable text, captions, transcripts, and keyboard navigation. Testing the tour with people of various access needs will highlight limitations of the system before it is available to the public.

When Technology Is Powerful Enough

A voice agent may look great, but the tour won’t be of any help if it takes a long time to respond or cannot understand simple questions. Universities must check several points before starting the launch of a voice agent:

  • Response time: Is the voice agent quick enough to allow the conversation to proceed smoothly?
  • Correctness: Is the information provided by the voice agent correct and reasonable?
  • Audio quality: Is the information clear and understandable for those who need it
  • Privacy: Are visitors informed how their voice recordings and data will be processed?

It would be also reasonable to test whether the service works correctly on mobile phones and slow internet connection. It is important to ensure that the tour is good for students who do not have the latest equipment and the fastest internet.

Make The Tour Less Complicated With a Voice Agent

A virtual tour can become more exciting with the use of a voice assistant, which enables students to find answers quickly, explore their interests, and learn about what the university has to offer. It can also relieve the work of admissions departments by dealing with the frequently asked questions.

Nevertheless, not all tours should have a voice assistant. If students can successfully find information they need on their own, there is not much sense in adding voice to the tour.

The best approach is to analyze what difficulties users face during their tours. If they have a hard time navigating their way around the tour or have to look for answers somewhere else, it might be worth trying a voice assistant.