Time: 2:05pm - 2:55pm
Abstract
Generative AI is changing the way software is developed and raising broader questions about the future of the field. At the professional level, debate continues about the future of software development: will AI largely replace human developers, or will it enhance their productivity and drive an even greater demand for skilled professionals? It is also presenting significant challenges for computing education. At the introductory level, where programming has traditionally been the foundation of computer science, the ease with which AI can generate code has created an urgent need to rethink how we teach, learn, and assess programming. This talk will share several approaches we have been exploring in large programming courses as an attempt to respond to this new reality. These include a greater focus on code comprehension, the development of prompt-crafting skills, and the use of intentionally ambiguous problems. I will present findings from deploying these approaches at scale and discuss future directions.
Bio
Dr Paul Denny is a Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Auckland. His research interests include developing and evaluating tools for supporting collaborative learning, improving outcomes for novice programmers, exploring how students engage with online learning environments from both computing education and HCI perspectives, and investigating how generative AI is impacting how and what is taught in computing classrooms. He has recently co-led multiple initiatives on this latter topic, including an ITiCSE working group, NeurIPS workshop and Dagstuhl seminar. Paul is immediate past Chair of the Australasian ACM SIGCSE Chapter, and his published work has been recognised with 16 Best Paper or Paper Impact Awards and most recently ACM SIGCSE’s “Test of Time” Award. Paul has also been recognised for contributions to teaching both nationally and internationally, receiving New Zealand’s National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award, the Computing Research and Education (CoRE) Association of Australasia Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching, and the QS Reimagine Education Overall Award.