Anson Leung

我爱CS 314 (AI in ICS 314)

20 Nov 2023

Introduction

Generative AI such as ChatGPT and Bing AI greatly shifted the educational landscape in and outside of software development.In some cases the use of generative AI can completely perform entire assignments on behalf of the student. But in regards to ICS 314, I usually use generative AI to explain coding concepts and definitions, so I have only used ChatGPT and Bing AI.

Personal Experience with AI:

  1. Experience WODs - No
  2. In-class Practice WODs - No
  3. In-class WODs - No
  4. Essays - No
  5. Final project - Still on-going, I did not have the need to use them so far.
  6. Learning a concept / tutorial - Yes, in regards to software development concepts.
  7. Answering a question in class or in Discord - Yes, regarding software development terms and definitions.
  8. Asking or answering a smart-question - No
  9. Coding example e.g. “give an example of using Underscore .pluck” – No
  10. Explaining code – Yes, but not in this class. I do coding problems in my free time, and sometimes I need help figuring out what the code is doing and the concept behind it. Using ChatGPT has helped me clear up my thoughts.
  11. Writing code – No
  12. Documenting code – No, but I should.
  13. Quality assurance e.g. “What’s wrong with this code <code here>” or “Fix the ESLint errors in <code here>” – No, but I should.
  14. Other uses in ICS 314 not listed – No

Impact on Learning and Understanding

The incorporation of AI has influenced my learning experiences. Although I am not an extensive user of generative AI, usually using it when I’m really stuck on something. The output obtained from ChatGPT and Bing AI contribute greatly to building an understanding regarding the asked question. May it be for learning definitions or coding practices.

Practical Applications

There are many practical applications of AI outside of ICS 314 and education. For the recent 2023 Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC) many teams utilized OpenAI’s API (the ones behind ChatGPT) to have a chatbot integrated within their website. Doing so allowed for end-users to have an AI assistant to support their use.

Challenges and Opportunities

A main challenge of using generative AI is the verifiability of the information it gives. If you had no previous knowledge regarding the information ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot gives, you would probably assume that it was accurate. But in many cases you have to carefully examine and personally verify the accuracy of the information. There is more to AI than solving coding problems, a large portion of software engineering is in planning, which generative AI can help contribute to.

Comparative Analysis

Utilizing AI as a teaching tool, in my opinion should follow a building block approach, in the same way I believe the traditional teaching methods to be. As one becomes more experienced, the amount of content that can be learned increases as well. But what AI can provide is quick additional assistance, a teacher can only do so much when they have to teach an entire class. Artificial intelligence can be used to tailor the course towards the needs of the student, whether they need a review or an explanation for previous content. As mentioned before it is no good if the individual has no clue regarding the subject, but AI can be used as a refresher to reiterate concepts that are starting to slip.

Future Considerations

As we go into the future, AI will only keep getting better. I think a major advancement that could be made is by incorporating textbooks contents into AIs and having it get information from our textbooks and tell us about various sections or chapters, and give us a recap on all the content in that chapter. Textbooks are typically difficult for students to read since there is so much information, and are usually difficult to understand. If we can use AI to act as the teacher, who reads through the textbook and simplifies the content (sometimes), it would be immensely beneficial for anyone learning new topics. Moreover, since it follows the textbook, it is more likely to follow a theme too. Lessons will be building upon itself step by step, using the same principles itself was using instead of having to prompt it to do so.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the use of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT in this class was beneficial. In regards to its use within 314, I hope that more examples of its use can be shown within the class. Like in the earlier half of the semester, we were able to see how ChatGPT would complete the JavaScript WODs. As the class progressed more towards front-end development, I did not think that ChatGPT would be able to easily perform more creative types of assignments. Artificial intelligence will become a big part of our upcoming lives and that it would be a mistake to ignore its utility. Even when considering the ethical implications artificial intelligence brings, it is of utmost importance to stay up-to-date with AI capabilities, for both caution and prosperity.