Journal of Research in Technical Careers
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence, Arduino, ChatGPT, microcontrollers, novices, teaching and learning
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Methods | Engineering Education | Life Sciences | Vocational Education
Abstract
A posttest-only control group experimental design compared novice Arduino programmers who developed their own programs (self-programming group, n =17) with novice Arduino programmers who used ChatGPT 3.5 to write their programs (ChatGPT-programming group, n = 16) on the dependent variables of programming scores, interest in Arduino programming, Arduino programming self-efficacy, Arduino programming posttest scores, and types of programming errors. Students were undergraduates in an introductory agricultural systems technology course in Fall 2023. The results indicated no significant (p < .10) differences between groups for programming rubric scores (p = .50) or interest in Arduino programming (p = .50). There were significant differences for Arduino programming self-efficacy, (p = .03, Cohen’s d = 0.75) and Arduino posttest scores, (p = .03, Cohen’s d = 0.76); students in the self-programming group scored significantly higher on both measures. Analysis of students’ errors indicated the ChatGPT group made significantly (p < .01) more program punctuation errors. These results indicated novice students writing their own programs developed greater Arduino programming self-efficacy and programming ability than novice students using ChatGPT. Nevertheless, ChatGPT may still play an important role in assisting novices to write microcontroller programs.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, D. M., Doss, W., & Estepp, C. M. (2024). Using ChatGPT with Novice Arduino Programmers: Effects on Performance, Interest, Self-Efficacy, and Programming Ability. Journal of Research in Technical Careers, 8 (1). https://doi.org/10.9741/2578-2118.1152
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Engineering Education Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Vocational Education Commons
