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The Robots are Here: Navigating the Generative AI Revolution in Computing Education

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are fundamentally reshaping computing, with large language models (LLMs) now effectively being able to generate and interpret source code and natural language instructions. These emergent capabilities have sparked urgent questions in the computing education community around how educators should adapt their pedagogy to address the challenges and to leverage the opportunities presented by this new technology. In this working group report, we undertake a comprehensive exploration of LLMs in the context of computing education and make five significant contributions. First, we provide a detailed review of the literature on LLMs in computing education and synthesise findings from 71 primary articles. Second, we report the findings of a survey of computing students and instructors from across 20 countries, capturing prevailing attitudes towards LLMs and their use in computing education contexts. Third, to understand how pedagogy is already changing, we offer insights collected from in-depth interviews with 22 computing educators from five continents who have already adapted their curricula and assessments. Fourth, we use the ACM Code of Ethics to frame a discussion of ethical issues raised by the use of large language models in computing education, and we provide concrete advice for policy makers, educators, and students. Finally, we benchmark the performance of LLMs on various computing education datasets, and highlight the extent to which the capabilities of current models are rapidly improving. Our aim is that this report will serve as a focal point for both researchers and practitioners who are exploring, adapting, using, and evaluating LLMs and LLM-based tools in computing classrooms.


The impact of artificial intelligence on learnerโ€“instructor interaction in online learning - International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

#artificialintelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems offer effective support for online learning and teaching, including personalizing learning for students, automating instructorsโ€™ routine tasks, and powering adaptive assessments. However, while the opportunities for AI are promising, the impact of AI systems on the culture of, norms in, and expectations about interactions between students and instructors are still elusive. In online learning, learnerโ€“instructor interaction (inter alia, communication, support, and presence) has a profound impact on studentsโ€™ satisfaction and learning outcomes. Thus, identifying how students and instructors perceive the impact of AI systems on their interaction is important to identify any gaps, challenges, or barriers preventing AI systems from achieving their intended potential and risking the safety of these interactions. To address this need for forward-looking decisions, we used Speed Dating with storyboards to analyze the authentic voices of 12 students and 11 instructors on diverse use cases of possible AI systems in online learning. Findings show that participants envision adopting AI systems in online learning can enable personalized learnerโ€“instructor interaction at scale but at the risk of violating social boundaries. Although AI systems have been positively recognized for improving the quantity and quality of communication, for providing just-in-time, personalized support for large-scale settings, and for improving the feeling of connection, there were concerns about responsibility, agency, and surveillance issues. These findings have implications for the design of AI systems to ensure explainability, human-in-the-loop, and careful data collection and presentation. Overall, contributions of this study include the design of AI system storyboards which are technically feasible and positively support learnerโ€“instructor interaction, capturing studentsโ€™ and instructorsโ€™ concerns of AI systems through Speed Dating, and suggesting practical implications for maximizing the positive impact of AI systems while minimizing the negative ones.


Drone Caused Helicopter Crash, Reports Say

International Business Times

A recent helicopter crash in South Carolina may have been caused by a civilian drone. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident that resulted in a crash landing. The case would be the first known aircraft accident to be caused by a drone, though the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long expressed concern about the possibility of such interference from consumer devices. A drone may be responsible for a recent helicopter crash. The crash occurred on Wednesday afternoon when a helicopter being piloted by a student and instructor came into contact with a small drone.