One discussed use-cases of artificial intelligence is its ability to help generate code. Now, Harvard plans to integrate an AI instructor for its intro-level coding course.
Harvard AI-Instructor
According to Futurism, Harvard is trying to achieve a 1:1 teacher-student ratio, and one way it's trying to do this is by adding an AI instructor. As such, the artificial intelligence tool is expected to provide students with 24/7 support tools that empower them to work individually.
The particular course that would introduce the AI instructor is CS50.
David Malan, a CS50 professor, shared their hopes behind the move to add AI to The Harvard Crimson, the university's newspaper. Professor Malan notes that their hope was to provide students with learning support at their pace and style.
The CS50 professor shares that they want the tool to fit each student best individually. As such, Professor Malan says they are testing OpenAI's GPT 3.5 and GPT 4 models to find the appropriate solution for their approach.
Professor Malan says they would be implementing new software in the course, and according to Futurism, this means employing an AI teacher.
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Student-Teacher Ratio
Achieving a healthy student-teacher ratio is important because it allows each student to get enough attention. As such, this is important in facilitating growth as teachers can properly direct students toward the right learning path.
The article by Futurism points out the faulty but structurally-sound code GPT 3.5, and GPT4 produce. This means the paying students of the class will be the experimentees.
The university newspaper points out that CS50 is among the most popular classes listed on the online education platform edX. This class was a result of MIT and Harvard working together.
In total, the CS50 class sold for $800 million in 2022.
Professor Malan acknowledged possible occasional underperformance from AI, hoping the tool would help make it easier for the course staff. The professor said they hoped that with the help of AI, the staff would have more time for one-on-one interactions with the students.
AI Uses in Teaching Students
The CS50 professor also pointed out how assessing code was very human-intensive, and the purpose of using AI would be to help reduce the time spent on this. They hope to transform their approach to give way to more interpersonal time.
Ultimately, Professor Malan notes how they want to accomplish something close to an apprenticeship model. To clarify, the professor still wants his students to think critically when absorbing information.
Harvard's new plan of adding an AI instructor to its CS50, as explained by Professor Malan, is designed to help focus the staff's attention on other matters and help make the course more efficient. So far, there has been no mention of actually replacing human instructors of the course.
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