DiverseClaire: Simulating Students to Improve Introductory Programming Course Materials for All CS1 Learners
This addresses improving course materials for neurodiverse learners in introductory programming courses, but it is incremental as it builds on existing UDL and simulation methods.
The study tackled the problem of one-size-fits-all formats in CS1 courses exacerbating cognitive load for neurodiverse learners by simulating students with neurodiverse profiles using LLMs to compare UDL-transformed lecture slides with traditional formats, finding that simulated neurodiverse students struggled with inaccessible slides, highlighting the need for multiple formats.
Although CS programs are booming, introductory courses like CS1 still adopt a one-size-fits-all formats that can exacerbate cognitive load and discourage learners with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurological conditions. These call for compassionate pedagogies and Universal Design For Learning (UDL) to create learning environments and materials where cognitive diversity is welcomed. To address this, we introduce DiverseClaire a pilot study, which simulates students including neurodiverse profiles using LLMs and diverse personas. By leveraging Bloom's Taxonomy and UDL, DiverseClaire compared UDL-transformed lecture slides with traditional formats. To evaluate DiverseClaire controlled experiments, we used the evaluation metric the average score. The findings revealed that the simulated neurodiverse students struggled with learning due to lecture slides that were in inaccessible formats. These results highlight the need to provide course materials in multiple formats for diverse learner preferences. Data from our pilot study will be made available to assist future CS1 instructors.