CSC 313 AI and code synthesisers in computing education

Read at least two of the following articles. A reasonably quick skim is okay — you’re not trying to memorise the paper; your goal is to get a sense of the issues at play.

• Learning to code with and without AI (a blog post by Austin Henley, summarising a couple of research papers)
  • You are encouraged to follow the links to the papers that Dr. Henley summarises.
• Exploring the Design Space of Cognitive Engagement Techniques with AI-Generated Code for Enhanced Learning (Kazemitabar, Huang, Suh, Henley, Grossman)
• The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers (Lee, Sarkar, Tankelevitch, Drosos, Rintel, Banks, Wilson)

As you read, spin up Chat-GPT or some other LLM client and use it in the context of some problem-solving task. For example, solving a programming problem, using an unfamiliar API, or designing a software system. For example, I used Chat-GPT while learning the language OCaml, and it gave me some sense of its limits and abilities. If you don’t have an “organic” problem-solving task ahead of you, try to use programming question prompts from places like LeetCode or your previous CS courses. Do not take this prompt as reason to use Chat-GPT on your assignments in current courses that explicitly prohibit it!

Write a brief reflection answering the following questions. Keep it brief, but substantial. You can say a lot in 250-300 words.

• Briefly describe the task(s) you performed to experiment with these AIs. What kind of help did you seek from the AI? What went well or did not go well?
• Also consider the following questions, specifically regarding the task you chose:
  • How much confidence do you have in your own ability to successfully complete the task, unaided by AI?
  • How much confidence do you have in the AI’s ability to successfully complete the task?
  • How much and what kind of critical thinking do you think you employed while completing the task?

Come to class ready to discuss two things:

• What’s your vision for how AI will affect programming education in the longer term (3–5 years)?
• How should computing pedagogy change in the immediate future to adequately prepare the next generation of computing professionals? (Keeping in mind the many different types of computing professionals there may be.)