The Evolving Usage of GenAI by Computing Students
Project Overview
The document examines the growing integration of generative AI (GenAI) tools, particularly ChatGPT, in the educational landscape, especially among computing students. It notes a marked increase in the reliance on GenAI for assistance, revealing a shift in usage patterns from 2023 to 2024. Despite the overall rise in frequency of GenAI utilization, there is a paradoxical decline in students' perceived hourly and daily dependence on these tools, which may indicate a tendency to underestimate their usage. The findings suggest that GenAI is evolving into a primary resource for help-seeking, potentially outpacing traditional methods such as online searches. This shift highlights the transformative impact of GenAI in education, as it becomes an essential tool for students seeking support in their learning processes.
Key Applications
ChatGPT and similar GenAI tools for help-seeking
Context: Computing education, targeting undergraduate computing students across North American universities.
Implementation: A repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted among computing students to assess their use of GenAI tools over time.
Outcomes: Increased adoption of GenAI tools for help-seeking, with ChatGPT ranking as the second most relied-upon resource after online searches.
Challenges: Decrease in hourly and daily usage might indicate underestimation of reliance on GenAI tools; potential novelty effects and restrictions affecting usage patterns.
Implementation Barriers
Usage Estimation
Students may underestimate their actual reliance on GenAI tools, leading to discrepancies in reported usage.
Proposed Solutions: Further research is needed to explore the accuracy of self-reported usage and its implications.
Project Team
Irene Hou
Researcher
Hannah Vy Nguyen
Researcher
Owen Man
Researcher
Stephen MacNeil
Researcher
Contact Information
For information about the paper, please contact the authors.
Authors: Irene Hou, Hannah Vy Nguyen, Owen Man, 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