With the proliferation of large language model (LLM) applications since 2022, their use in education has sparked both excitement and concern. Recent studies consistently highlight students' (mis)use of LLMs can hinder learning outcomes. This work aims to teach students how to effectively prompt LLMs to improve their learning. We first proposed pedagogical prompting, a theoretically-grounded new concept to elicit learning-oriented responses from LLMs. To move from concept design to a proof-of-concept learning intervention in real educational settings, we selected early undergraduate CS education (CS1/CS2) as the example context. We began with a formative survey study with instructors (N=36) teaching early-stage undergraduate-level CS courses to inform the instructional design based on classroom needs. Based on their insights, we designed and developed a learning intervention through an interactive system with scenario-based instruction to train pedagogical prompting skills. Finally, we evaluated its instructional effectiveness through a user study with CS novice students (N=22) using pre/post-tests. Through mixed methods analyses, our results indicate significant improvements in learners' LLM-based pedagogical help-seeking skills, along with positive attitudes toward the system and increased willingness to use pedagogical prompts in the future. Our contributions include (1) a theoretical framework of pedagogical prompting; (2) empirical insights into current instructor attitudes toward pedagogical prompting; and (3) a learning intervention design with an interactive learning tool and scenario-based instruction leading to promising results on teaching LLM-based help-seeking. Our approach is scalable for broader implementation in classrooms and has the potential to be integrated into tools like ChatGPT as an on-boarding experience to encourage learning-oriented use of generative AI.

Large language models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly better at a wide range of Natural Language Processing tasks (NLP), such as text generation and understanding. Recently, these models have extended their capabilities to coding tasks, bridging the gap between natural languages (NL) and programming languages (PL). Foundational models such as the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) and LLaMA series have set strong baseline performances in various NL and PL tasks. Additionally, several models have been fine-tuned specifically for code generation, showing significant improvements in code-related applications. Both foundational and fine-tuned models are increasingly used in education, helping students write, debug, and understand code. We present a comprehensive systematic literature review to examine the impact of LLMs in computer science and computer engineering education. We analyze their effectiveness in enhancing the learning experience, supporting personalized education, and aiding educators in curriculum development. We address five research questions to uncover insights into how LLMs contribute to educational outcomes, identify challenges, and suggest directions for future research.

This study investigates the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered, multi-role chatbots as a means to enhance learning experiences and foster engagement in computer science education. Leveraging a design-based research approach, we develop, implement, and evaluate a novel learning environment enriched with four distinct chatbot roles: Instructor Bot, Peer Bot, Career Advising Bot, and Emotional Supporter Bot. These roles, designed around the tenets of Self-Determination Theory, cater to the three innate psychological needs of learners - competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Additionally, the system embraces an inquiry-based learning paradigm, encouraging students to ask questions, seek solutions, and explore their curiosities. We test this system in a higher education context over a period of one month with 200 participating students, comparing outcomes with conditions involving a human tutor and a single chatbot. Our research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, encompassing quantitative measures such as chat log sequence analysis, and qualitative methods including surveys and focus group interviews. By integrating cutting-edge Natural Language Processing techniques such as topic modelling and sentiment analysis, we offer an in-depth understanding of the system's impact on learner engagement, motivation, and inquiry-based learning. This study, through its rigorous design and innovative approach, provides significant insights into the potential of AI-empowered, multi-role chatbots in reshaping the landscape of computer science education and fostering an engaging, supportive, and motivating learning environment.

Neither technologies nor societies are neutral, and failing to acknowledge this, results at best, in a narrow view of both. At worst, it leads to technology that reinforces oppressive societal norms. We agree with Alex Hanna, Timnit Gebru, and others who argue individual harms reflect institutional problems, and thus require institutional and systemic solutions. We believe computer science (CS) as a discipline often promotes itself as objective and neutral. This tendency allows the field to ignore systems of oppression that exist within and because of CS. As scholars in educational psychology, computer science education, and social studies education, we suggest a way forward through institutional change, specifically in the way we teach CS.

If we want to broaden participation, we must educate our students based on the early 17th-century origins of the word "computer," a human who performs calculations.1 Computers were exclusively human until the early 19th century when English polymath and inventor Charles Babbage introduced the Difference Engine, the first mechanical computer. The term "human computer" was then used to differentiate a person who computes from a mechanical computer. Human computers were often women who undertook long and tedious calculations to power some of the most significant advances in science, industry, and space technology in the 20th century.

Computer science unplugged (CS Unplugged, or just "Unplugged") is a pedagogy for teaching computational ideas to grade-school students without using a computer.a It was developed in the early 1990s as a necessity when working with computers in the classroom was not usually practical, but it still finds widespread adoption as a supplement to computer-based lessons, even where devices are readily available. This appears as a contradiction to some (if you are teaching computer science, why not spend as much time as possible on a computer?), Unfortunately, Unplugged can also be used to justify poor decisions by treating it as a complete curriculum in itself--a teacher who does not have the time or support to extend themselves in new curriculum content might rely on Unplugged as "enough," or administrators might justify a lack of funding by suggesting that schools use Unplugged teaching instead of buying devices. The Unplugged approach is widely used, mentioned in dozens of research papers about CS education, has been translated into many languages, and is widely used in teacher professional development.1

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Nos.

We live in uncertain times. A global pandemic has disrupted our lives. Our broken economies are rapidly restructuring. Climate change looms, disinformation abounds, and war, as ever, hangs over the lives of millions. And at the heart of every global crisis are the chronically underserved, marginalized, oppressed, and persecuted, who are often the first to befall the tragedies of social, economic, environmental, and technological change.3

With the increased prevalence of U.S. states including computer science as a required subject in K-8 education (and as an elective in 9-12), in the next decade, nearly every child in the U.S. will be taking CS classes. The rapid integration of CS into the current education system has challenged states, districts, and teacher preparation programs to revamp their current efforts considerably. As this is a relatively new innovation and challenge, it provides us with a unique opportunity to consider our agenda: What is the goal of CS education? In the K--12 context, CS is often synonymous with coding--in fact, to many educators, CS is only coding. We suggest the goal of CS K--12 education should be for K--12 students to understand CS beyond simply learning to code.

If all humans have the same brain capacity--about 300 million pattern recognizers in our cortices--then what made Albert Einstein special? In his quest to replicate the human brain, renowned AI engineer Ray Kurzweil finds that a big part is: The courage to stick to your convictions. The average human is inherently conventional, reluctant to pursue ideas outside of the norm. "[Courage] is in the neocortex, and people who fill up too much of their neocortex with concern about the approval of their peers are probably not going be the next Einstein or Steve Jobs." – Ray Kurzweil told Wired. If your work elicits ridicule from the rest of the world, pushing past this skepticism could be a strong indication of brilliance. Anyone who has been dedicated to the field of AI for decades knows this feeling very well.