- December 9, 2024
Why Every CS Student Needs AI Experiences
Traditionally taught computer science concepts – while remaining essential to CS education – no longer fully explain our digital world. AI’s implementation and popularity are growing rapidly in our everyday activities, and learning with and about it is becoming an essential aspect of preparing students for life beyond the classroom. While CS is not the only field responsible for teaching students about AI, it does offer the best arena for examining it from a technical perspective, and this view gives students deeper insight into its impact.
It is vital for students not only to learn how to use AI but also to learn to ask when and whether to use it. Integrating essential AI experiences into foundational CS education does more than promote a conceptual understanding of AI and nurture new technical skills; it also fosters critical thinking around the technology's ethical and societal implications.
By recognizing what AI is and is not, by understanding the fundamentals of machine learning, and by seeing first-hand how AI can be used to solve problems, students become better equipped to examine AI’s benefits and risks, to evaluate the accuracy and fairness of its outputs, and to reflect on how it influences the world around them. Discussions of the impacts of AI should be woven into all technical instruction.
Understanding AI from a technical perspective fosters responsible use and a critical mindset toward its role in our lives
"Students are more empowered to engage in popular AI discussions when they understand the technical side of the ethical and societal impacts of AI." Sepehr Vakil, Associate Professor, Northwestern University
While it is challenging to integrate new content into an already full CS curriculum, an abundance of online resources are available, offering a growing range of AI activities and lessons. Introductory lessons can be as brief as 15 minutes, and weeks-long curriculum modules are available as well. Many of these activities and resources provide relatable, multi-disciplinary, real-world problems for students to solve, making the instruction personal and relevant. Where limited technology infrastructure or policies prevent the use of AI tools, teacher-facilitated demonstrations, unplugged activities, and discussions can introduce students to AI and its impacts.
“When it comes to AI, [CS education] needs to emphasize that students are active collaborators and contributors to the data that drives the programs, and it should never encourage students to passively use or consume AI work without skepticism.” Eamon Marchant, Computer Science Teacher at Whitney High School, Cerritos, California
It is still important for students to learn to program, but the amount of time spent programming may decrease once they develop enough “code sense” to use AI tools effectively, making room for skill-building that is more relevant to exploring emerging technologies. (For more on “code sense” and the importance of foundational CS skills and knowledge, see Why Is It Still Important to Learn to Program?) As noted in the 2024 Reimagining CS Pathways report prepared by CSTA, Code.org, and other partners, both algorithms and programming will remain CS learning priorities, where the systems-level and computational thinking aspects will be given greater emphasis, and writing syntax may be given less.
“Think of greater complexity - how do I build a larger system? AI can help me with pieces so I can focus on the big picture - we are moving up the chain of abstractions.” Mehran Sahami, Tencent Chair of the Computer Science Department and the James and Ellenor Chesebrough Professor in the School of Engineering, Stanford University
TeachAI and CSTA will release a second installment of Guidance on the Future of Computer Science in an Age of AI in 2025. The new release will explore a range of topics concerning AI in CS education, including the AI experiences that are foundational for every CS student and how introducing AI in CS courses may be used to broaden participation.
Stay tuned for more insights from TeachAI and CSTA on the future of AI in CS education. Sign up for updates here.