11 April 2024
In an eye-catching collaboration between Code.org and The Piech Lab at Stanford University, a new era of computer science instruction has been ushered in with the launch of the AI Teaching Assistant. The initiative aims to support teachers in equipping students with the foundational skills necessary to thrive in an AI-dominated world.
Code.org, a nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation among underrepresented groups, has joined forces with The Piech Lab, a research entity within the Stanford Computer Science Department focusing on leveraging computational techniques for societal benefit, particularly in education and healthcare.
The AI Teaching Assistant is a sophisticated tool designed to provide educators with intelligent support in assessing student projects swiftly and comprehensively. By automating administrative tasks, the assistant affords teachers more time to engage meaningfully with students, fostering connections and facilitating their growth.
Furthermore, the tool aims to enhance teacher confidence by offering intuitive support and tailored resources for computer science instruction. Future iterations of the AI Teaching Assistant will incorporate additional features addressing various aspects of teacher workload, including lesson planning and differentiation.
Karim Meghji, Chief Product Officer of Code.org, expressed enthusiasm about the launch, stating, “An AI-enabled classroom is a better, more productive classroom – for students to learn and for teachers to lead. The launch of our AI Teaching Assistant takes this to the next level by supporting our educators in an entirely new, AI-enabled way.”
Launching as part of Code.org’s renowned Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) curriculum, the AI Teaching Assistant aims to bolster teacher confidence in teaching computer science. The CSD curriculum, which is available at no cost and utilised by millions of students worldwide, covers fundamental concepts such as website development, app creation, animation design, game building, and physical computer systems.
Developed in collaboration with The Piech Lab at Stanford, the AI Teaching Assistant is underpinned by state-of-the-art research and adheres to a framework that prioritises responsible and ethical AI usage in the classroom.
Dr. Chris Piech, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, emphasised the significance of integrating automatic feedback tools into teaching practices, remarking, “Getting automatic feedback tools into the hands of teachers represents a huge step towards the future of computer science education for both teachers and learners. It will lower the barrier to entry, which will bring us closer to the goal of making learning and teaching accessible to all.”
