Over the past few years, AI has become a very popular topic. AI has made an impact in everything we do, from our everyday lives, to the way we work and learn. One of many ways AI is impacting us is how it is reshaping the way we learn in an educational setting. AI in education allows for a more personalized learning as you can keep asking it questions until you fully understand the topic. Personally, I love using AI as it allows me to get an answer to a question I have without having to do a lot of searching. It gives me a clear and simple answer. However, just because it gives me an answer, does not mean that it is always correct. I do have to double-check just in case and find more information. For this class, I have used ChatGPT and Co-Pilot as it helps me find information quickly and boosts my productivity.
For experience WODs, in-class practice WODs, and WODs, the only AI I use for those are Co-Pilot. I think that Co-Pilot is a great tool to have because it boosts my productivity and helps me complete the WODs faster. An example of me using Co-Pilot is when I am writing a function and I start writing the code, Co-Pilot auto completes it for me. With Co-Pilot completing the function for me, it saves me a lot of time. However, I do have to double-check and make sure that what Co-Pilot did write is what I was looking for.
My experience with AI in essays is small. For me, I have a hard time starting essays, so I would ask ChatGPT for an introduction. I don’t copy and paste what it tells me, but I use it as an outline and inspiration for what I actually do write.
My experience with AI in my final project is also very minimal. I don’t usually ask ChatGPT to help me with my final project because one, the final project is big, and it won’t give me what I am looking for without other context (other code), and two, the project is very specific in terms of what I am trying to do. I feel like if I do ask ChatGPT, it will give me an outline of what I wanted, but I would still have to edit and add a lot of stuff. Other than ChatGPT, I also use Co-Pilot for the same reason as the WODs, which boosts productivity.
One of the main reasons why I use ChatGPT is to learn a concept that I don’t really understand. One thing I like about ChatGPT is that it gives me a simple answer that is easy to understand. Personally, I don’t like reading off of textbooks or opening up many tabs just to get an answer that I probably don’t understand. ChatGPT helps me get a general idea of a topic and then once I have that, I can do more research and get more information on parts that I don’t quite understand or parts that I want to know more about.
I don’t have any experience in using AI for answering a question in class or in discord and asking or answering a smart-question. Usually when I do have a question, it was already asked in discord, so all I had to do was look at the answer to that question and follow it. I did not use AI because I thought that my question was a common question that many students also had that has been answered on discord.
One of the many things I do like about AI is that I can ask it to explain, write, and document code. When there is a piece of code that I do not understand, I do ask ChatGPT about what it does. Typically, ChatGPT does a good job at analyzing code and gives me feedback on if there is a simpler way or if there were any errors. Another thing that ChatGPT is good for is writing code. If the code I want is simple enough, I can just ask ChatGPT to write it for me. Of course, I would still have to read through it and make sure it is really what I want, but typically, it does a good job with that.
Usually, when I do get an ESLint error, I would be able to fix it, however there are some times when I do not. This is when I would copy a snippet of code and ask ChatGPT to find any errors. Usually, ChatGPT does a good job of helping me track the errors, but sometimes, when it gives me a solution, it does not fix the error. This is where I would usually have to ask it a more specific question, or I would have to do some research to fix it myself.
AI has definitely influenced my learning experience as it has impacted me on my comprehension, skill development, and problem-solving abilities. Using AI has taught me that I really need to know what I am asking before I ask it a question. I need to put as much information as I know into the question so that when I do ask it a question, it won’t keep giving me information that I already know. One of the things I like about AI is that you can ask as many questions as you need to fully understand a concept without worrying about irritating or bugging someone for too long. This has helped me develop skills such as programming as I quickly ask what a piece of code does. I can also ask technical questions that an interviewer might ask and practice my technical skills.
Outside of ICS 314, I do use AI. The way I use AI in this class is very similar to how I use AI in my other classes. I ask questions about topics and concepts I don’t really understand and AI helps me get a better understanding of it by showing me a much simpler and more understandable answer. I would say that the effectiveness is pretty good because I do understand it better when it is put into simpler terms. Once I do understand it, I would go back to my class notes and make sense of it. This is pretty much the only way I use AI outside of ICS 314.
A challenge I have encountered while using AI is whether I am using it compromising my learning experience. It is really easy to just copy and paste my homework assignments into ChatGPT and have it do it for you. But, what is the gain from that? The only gain you get from that is not getting a zero for that assignment. I don’t learn anything from letting a computer do my homework. I try not to do that and ask ChatGPT to explain to me concepts and show me examples rather than asking it to do my entire homework for me. Another challenge is how AI does not know anything other than the information provided. There is a lot of trial and error in the questions you have to ask to get the answer you were expecting.
I think that there are a lot of potential opportunities for integration of AI in software engineering education. One of the great things about AI is that you can personalize your learning experience. Another great thing about AI is that it allows its users for continuous learning. You can copy and paste your code and ask the AI to check for errors and ask for feedback. This not only improves the quality of the code, but it also shows the users possible rooms for improvement.
Traditional teaching methods are the methods that we are all used to. This includes direct engagement with the teachers and students. However, the engagement depends on many factors such as the teacher, the teaching style, the class size, and many more. Some students might not be comfortable and be less engaged than others. Traditional methods also allow for more face to face interaction and activities to help with knowledge retention, however since not all students learn at the same pace, some students might be ahead and some might be behind. In traditional teaching, there are often hands-on activities that can help with skill development.
With AI enhanced learning, AI can help make the learning experience more personalized as there is no need to worry about feeling behind. Also, I feel like AI has advanced far enough for it to adjust as you keep using it. However, there is a lack of human interaction. AI tools can also provide constant feedback which helps with knowledge retention and practical skill development. However, depending on AI to learn is not an efficient way to learn as you will know the very basics.
I think that the use of AI is a tool that we should learn. We need to learn how to balance using AI and using our brains. If we use AI to solve our problems and do our homework assignments, how will we learn? We need to keep in mind that although AI is a powerful learning tool, it is very easy to abuse it which can hinder our learning experience. It is a challenge to not ask AI to do our homework or solve our problems, but I believe that when you struggle with something, and you finally find a solution using your own brain, it can be the most rewarding feeling.
AI is a tool that eventually will be used by everyone in their everyday lives. I think that this is an opportunity for us to learn how to effectively use AI to improve productivity and enhance our learning experience. Not everyone learns or works at the same pace, and AI is an amazing tool that can be used in many different ways. However, we need to remember that AI is a tool, not a brain. We need to make sure we learn and use it, not abuse it such that it negatively affects our learning experience.