Code.org Launches AI Teaching Assistant in Partnership with Stanford

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Apr 10, 2024, 09:00 ET

In collaboration with Stanford, this is the first AI tool designed to provide in-classroom support to K12 computer science teachers, boosting confidence and saving valuable time.

SEATTLE, April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Code.org, in collaboration with The Piech Lab at Stanford University, launched today its AI Teaching Assistant, ushering in a new era of computer science instruction to support teachers in preparing students with the foundational skills necessary to work, live and thrive in an AI world.

AI Teaching Assistant is a ground-breaking AI tool that equips educators with intelligent, supportive technology to assist in assessing student projects thoroughly and quickly. By saving teachers time on administrative tasks, AI Teaching Assistant frees up valuable moments in the day for educators to spend fostering meaningful connections and nurturing student growth. The tool is also designed to boost teacher confidence by providing intuitive support and resources created specifically for computer science instruction. In the future, this tool will expand with additional features developed to address and alleviate teacher workload, including lesson planning and differentiation.

"The mission of Code.org has always been to make computer science education accessible and engaging for everyone," said Karim Meghji, chief product officer of Code.org. "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 a part of Code.org's leading Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) curriculum, the tool is designed to bolster teacher confidence in teaching computer science. The CSD curriculum, available at no cost and utilized by millions of students worldwide, introduces foundational concepts such as website development, app creation, animation design, game building and physical computing systems.

With a significant proportion of CSD educators being new to the field of computer science, AI Teaching Assistant offers essential resources, guidance and expertise to ensure teachers can effectively drive student learning outcomes from day one. As the demand for computer science education continues to surge, AI Teaching Assistant reinforces Code.org's commitment to supporting educators and equipping them with the tools they need to provide high-quality computer science education.

Built in partnership with The Piech Lab at Stanford, this tool is backed by state-of-the-art research and is developed within a framework that prioritizes responsible and ethical AI usage in the classroom. Now more than ever, educators are in need of innovative support. According to data from Education Week, 85% of educators are contemplating a career change, citing the excessive burdens of teaching responsibilities. With the responsible development of generative AI-supported tools like AI Teaching Assistant, this collaboration aims to lessen the lift of the overworked teachers and continue to support educators teaching computer science.

"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," said Dr. Chris Piech, assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University. "I have been a teacher myself for over a decade. One of the most transformational experiences I had was when I was able to step away from grading and spend my time focusing on content and students. I am excited to see how AI Teaching Assistant will provide teachers around the world with the information they need to help their students learn, and the time to focus on their craft."

About Code.org
Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education. The leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the largest school districts in the United States, Code.org also created the annual Hour of Code campaign, which has engaged more than 15% of all students in the world.

About The Piech Lab
The Piech Lab is a research lab in the Stanford Computer Science Department. The lab's research is focused on using computational techniques to benefit fundamental areas of society, especially education and healthcare. Technical disciplines span Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction, Algorithm Design, Ethics and Educational Sciences.

SOURCE Code.org