Bailey Kimmel

Bailey Kimmel, Austin Geisert, Lily Yaro et al.

Generative AI is changing the way that many disciplines are taught, including computer science. Researchers have shown that generative AI tools are capable of solving programming problems, writing extensive blocks of code, and explaining complex code in simple terms. Particular promise has been shown in using generative AI to enhance programming error messages. Both students and instructors have complained for decades that these messages are often cryptic and difficult to understand. Yet recent work has shown that students make fewer repeated errors when enhanced via GPT-4. We extend this work by implementing feedback from ChatGPT for all programs submitted to our automated assessment tool, Athene, providing help for compiler, run-time, and logic errors. Our results indicate that adding generative AI to an automated assessment tool does not necessarily make it better and that design of the interface matters greatly to the usability of the feedback that GPT-4 provided.

James Prather, Brent N. Reeves, Paul Denny et al.

Non-native English speakers (NNES) face multiple barriers to learning programming. These barriers can be obvious, such as the fact that programming language syntax and instruction are often in English, or more subtle, such as being afraid to ask for help in a classroom full of native English speakers. However, these barriers are frustrating because many NNES students know more about programming than they can articulate in English. Advances in generative AI (GenAI) have the potential to break down these barriers because state of the art models can support interactions in multiple languages. Moreover, recent work has shown that GenAI can be highly accurate at code generation and explanation. In this paper, we provide the first exploration of NNES students prompting in their native languages (Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese) to generate code to solve programming problems. Our results show that students are able to successfully use their native language to solve programming problems, but not without some difficulty specifying programming terminology and concepts. We discuss the challenges they faced, the implications for practice in the short term, and how this might transform computing education globally in the long term.

James Prather, Paul Denny, Juho Leinonen et al.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have upended decades of pedagogy in computing education. Students previously learned to code through \textit{writing} many small problems with less emphasis on code reading and comprehension. Recent research has shown that free code generation tools powered by LLMs can solve introductory programming problems presented in natural language with ease. In this paper, we propose a new way to teach programming with Prompt Problems. Students receive a problem visually, indicating how input should be transformed to output, and must translate that to a prompt for an LLM to decipher. The problem is considered correct when the code that is generated by the student prompt can pass all test cases. In this paper we present the design of this tool, discuss student interactions with it as they learn, and provide insights into this new class of programming problems as well as the design tools that integrate LLMs.