Generative AI in Computing Education: Perspectives of Students and Instructors
Project Overview
The document examines the role of generative AI tools in computing education, outlining their advantages and concerns as expressed by both students and instructors. Through interviews, it reveals insights into the experiences and preferences of users, emphasizing the necessity for curriculum adaptations to effectively incorporate these technologies. While generative AI has the potential to enhance the learning experience by providing personalized support and facilitating creative problem-solving, it also poses challenges such as the risk of over-reliance on AI and issues related to academic integrity. The findings underscore the importance of developing guidelines and strategies to mitigate these challenges while maximizing the educational benefits of generative AI, ultimately aiming to create a balanced approach that fosters innovation in teaching and learning.
Key Applications
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot
Context: Computing education, targeting students and instructors in computer science courses
Implementation: Conducted interviews with students and instructors to gather insights on the use of GAI tools in the classroom
Outcomes: Identified benefits such as code generation, code explanations, and assistance in learning programming concepts, as well as concerns about over-reliance and trustworthiness
Challenges: Over-reliance on GAI tools, concerns about trustworthiness of generated content, and potential increase in plagiarism
Implementation Barriers
Trustworthiness
Concerns about the reliability of information generated by GAI tools, including potential for misinformation and hallucination of data.
Proposed Solutions: Educators should teach students how to verify the information provided by GAI tools and develop critical thinking skills.
Over-reliance and Academic Integrity
Students may become overly dependent on GAI tools, leading to diminished learning and understanding of core concepts, and increased potential for plagiarism as GAI tools become more accessible and easy to use for completing assignments.
Proposed Solutions: Instructors need to adapt their assessments and curricula to encourage engagement and understanding rather than rote reliance on tools. Additionally, develop engaging and unique assignments that cannot be easily completed using GAI tools, and focus on in-class assessments.
Project Team
Cynthia Zastudil
Researcher
Magdalena Rogalska
Researcher
Christine Kapp
Researcher
Jennifer Vaughn
Researcher
Stephen MacNeil
Researcher
Contact Information
For information about the paper, please contact the authors.
Authors: Cynthia Zastudil, Magdalena Rogalska, Christine Kapp, Jennifer Vaughn, Stephen MacNeil
Source Publication: View Original PaperLink opens in a new window
Project Contact: Dr. Jianhua Yang
LLM Model Version: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18
Analysis Provider: Openai