The Evolving Usage of GenAI by Computing Students
Irene Hou, Hannah Vy Nguyen, Owen Man, Stephen MacNeil
TL;DR
This paper addresses how computing students' help-seeking with GenAI tools evolves over two years. It employs a repeated cross-sectional design across North American universities, comparing a 2023 cohort (n=47) with a 2024 cohort (n=48). The results show GenAI usage rising to near parity with online search, with monthly engagement at 93.75% in 2024 and never-usage dropping to 6.25%; however, hourly usage declines, suggesting complex usage dynamics. The findings imply GenAI is becoming a central aspect of computing education, with significant implications for teaching practices and future research on learning outcomes and performance effects.
Abstract
Help-seeking is a critical aspect of learning and problem-solving for computing students. Recent research has shown that many students are aware of generative AI (GenAI) tools; however, there are gaps in the extent and effectiveness of how students use them. With over two years of widespread GenAI usage, it is crucial to understand whether students' help-seeking behaviors with these tools have evolved and how. This paper presents findings from a repeated cross-sectional survey conducted among computing students across North American universities (n=95). Our results indicate shifts in GenAI usage patterns. In 2023, 34.1% of students (n=47) reported never using ChatGPT for help, ranking it fourth after online searches, peer support, and class forums. By 2024, this figure dropped sharply to 6.3% (n=48), with ChatGPT nearly matching online search as the most commonly used help resource. Despite this growing prevalence, there has been a decline in students' hourly and daily usage of GenAI tools, which may be attributed to a common tendency to underestimate usage frequency. These findings offer new insights into the evolving role of GenAI in computing education, highlighting its increasing acceptance and solidifying its position as a key help resource.