"Give Me the Code": Log Analysis of First-Year CS Students' Interactions with GPT

Pedro Alves, Bruno Pereira Cipriano

2025

Abstract

The impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) in computer science (CS) education is expected to be profound. Students now have the power to generate code solutions for a wide array of programming assignments. For first-year students, this may be particularly problematic since the foundational skills are still in development and an over-reliance on generative AI tools can hinder their ability to grasp essential programming concepts. This paper analyzes the prompts used by 69 freshmen undergraduate students to solve a certain programming problem within a project assignment, without giving them prior prompt training. We also present the rules of the exercise that motivated the prompts, designed to foster critical thinking skills during the interaction. Despite using unsophisticated prompting techniques, our findings suggest that the majority of students successfully leveraged GPT, incorporating the suggested solutions into their projects. Additionally, half of the students demonstrated the ability to exercise judgment in selecting from multiple GPT-generated solutions, showcasing the development of their critical thinking skills in evaluating AI-generated code.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Alves P. and Cipriano B. (2025). "Give Me the Code": Log Analysis of First-Year CS Students' Interactions with GPT. In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU; ISBN 978-989-758-746-7, SciTePress, pages 198-207. DOI: 10.5220/0013194400003932

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu25,
author={Pedro Alves and Bruno Cipriano},
title={"Give Me the Code": Log Analysis of First-Year CS Students' Interactions with GPT},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU},
year={2025},
pages={198-207},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013194400003932},
isbn={978-989-758-746-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU
TI - "Give Me the Code": Log Analysis of First-Year CS Students' Interactions with GPT
SN - 978-989-758-746-7
AU - Alves P.
AU - Cipriano B.
PY - 2025
SP - 198
EP - 207
DO - 10.5220/0013194400003932
PB - SciTePress