Wayne State College of Education professor explores potential of AI-assisted learning in education

DETROIT - A new study published in The Journal of Computer Assisted Learning explores the possibilities of using ChatGPT as a computer programming learning tool.

The paper, "The Sentiments and the Impact of ChatGPT on Computer Programming Learning: Data Mining from Comments on YouTube Videos," was authored by Meina Zhu, Ph.D., associate professor in the learning design and technology program in the Division of Administration and Organization Studies in Wayne State University's College of Education.

"Generally, computer programming skills are needed in the world," said Zhu. "When we think about life around us - smartphones, laptops, etc. - they are all powered by computer programming. Programming as a skill is very challenging for some students, though. ChatGPT, as a generative AI tool, has functions and features that potentially address the challenges encountered by individual learners in the programming process. Since the release of ChatGPT, there are a lot of resources on YouTube regarding leveraging ChatGPT to learn these skills."

The study examined the sentiments and primary topics discussed in YouTube comments about ChatGPT's impact on learning and writing computer programming. The data was collected between Nov. 30, 2022, and Jan. 11, 2024, by extracting 30,773 comments from 57 YouTube videos.

"This research identifies advantages and disadvantages in using ChatGPT for learning coding," Zhu said. "Diverse perspectives regarding the impact of ChatGPT on programming professions and education were discussed. Some ethical concerns regarding data privacy, code copyright and equity issues were raised in the study as well. As for the future, there are already some AI-assisted learning platforms available such as Canvas. We hope to integrate generative AI for this personalized AI-assisted education. We have WarriorGPT at Wayne State University, which we hope to work with as well. It is better privacy-wise because data posted on ChatGPT can be used to train the model, whereas WarriorGPT has better privacy protection."

She added that the potential educational uses for ChatGPT are numerous.

"I think using ChatGPT has different advantages," said Zhu. "With the support of ChatGPT, learners can have a more personalized learning plan to support self-directed learning. ChatGPT can help provide resources for students. Questions on certain topics can also get addressed by asking ChatGPT to help them better learn basic concepts. With projects in classes dealing with coding, ChatGPT can generate initial code as a starting point off of which the student can then base their own work. Moreover, learners can run the code they wrote through the chatbot and get immediate feedback. For students who are struggling and may be afraid to show their confusion to teachers or peers, this could be a great resource. Chat GPT never criticizes you and never gets bored of your questions. However, longitudinal experimental studies need to be conducted to further explore the impact of generative AI on computer programming education."

To view the full paper, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcal.70013.

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