Opportunities, Issues, and Challenges for Generative AI in Fostering Equitable Pathways in Computing Education

MotivationThe objective of this whitepaper is to identify opportunities, issues, and challenges facing equitable education pathways for careers in computing and the particular role that generative artificial intelligence (AI) could play to support postsecondary education at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and community colleges (CCs). The team of coauthors draw from our collective insights, practices, and lessons learned at our respective educational institutions, as well as exploration of larger trends in large language models (LLMs) tutors in computing education. We share a philosophy that innovative technologies should be codesigned with stakeholders, not for them. With this in mind, this paper offers highlights from conversations with two groups. One is a focus group study with students at Georgia State University (GSU) who interact with state-of-the-art LLM tutors for Introduction to Computing to characterize their preferences and experiences. The other is from a set of interviews we conducted with industry experts to understand how generative AI, specifically code generation, is shifting professional software development and its implications for educational pathways to computing. We hope that the insights from this work contribute to the design and use of generative AI to improve equitable access and student success to introductory computing in post-secondary education, as well as inform the equitable design and development of LLM tutors for other topics. This whitepaper is the result of a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; in Cambridge, Massachusetts), GSU (in Atlanta, Georgia), and Quinsigamond Community College (QCC; in Worcester, Massachusetts) supported by funding from MIT and Axim Collaborative. It had many contributions from stakeholders who teach introductory computing courses at GSU, QCC, and MIT, along with experts in pedagogy, generative AI, other types of machine learning, workforce education, user-centered design, education researchers, administration, human-computer interaction, and AI-powered tutor technologies. Background: Post-Secondary Challenges for Equitable Student SuccessThe laudable goal of equitable post-secondary education in the United States refers to a system of higher education that is fair, just, and accessible to all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic background, race, gender, or other demographic factors. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) students constitute a vast majority of students at CCs, MSIs, and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Numerous disparities and inequalities still exist. Efforts to successfully address them is a complex and evolving issue, and the status of equitable education varies from state to state and among different colleges and universities. This paper focuses on the central question of how generative AI could be used to advance equitable educational pathways in computing. However, the challenges underserved students face extend beyond An MIT Exploration of Generative AI • From Novel Chemicals to Opera Opportunities, Issues, and Challenges for Generative AI in Fostering Equitable Pathways in Computing Education 3 learning about computing. For our purposes, acknowledging the broad factors that impede student success (Section 2) and how technology has been used to address them (Section 3) is important. Challenges That Impede Student Success Limited Access to Financial ResourcesNearly 33% of Black families and 31% of Hispanic families have negative net wealth. This economic disparity becomes more evident when considering the cost of college education in relation to family income. These students' families often struggle to provide even the most fundamental educational tools such as computers, consistent internet access, and textbooks (Hsieh et al 2008). And this burden escalates for independent students with dependents, surging to an average of around 17, 112 (Cahalan et al. 2022, 135). This startling economic reality overshadows the educational journey that under-resourced students face. Many students at MSIs and HBCUs must enter the workforce to make financial ends meet, juggling positions with multiple employers while attending school. Quite often, these work commitments interfere with students' use of limited but needed educational support such as office hours, lab time, and tutoring services (Warschauer and Matuchniak 2010). This challenge is especially pronounced in areas like tuition and fees, where MSIs typically struggle to offer adequate financial assistance due to their own resource constraints (Espinosa et al. 2019, 65). Limited Access to a Support CommunityA student's support community encompasses the institution, student clubs, friends, family, and other students, and it can have a profound effect on the student's attitude toward education, their motivation to succeed, and their ability to anticipate and cope with challenges. Students at MSIs and HBCUs often chart new territory in academia as first-generation college attendees. (At GSU, 21% of undergraduate students are first-generation. 1) Beyond financial difficulties, students often lack essential nonfinancial support-missing important guidance that family or peers with college experience typically provide. Also, having to spend significant time at work can interfere with a student's ability to grow their support community. This gap can hinder their educational journey, as they may struggle with fundamental aspects of academic life, including navigating administrative procedures, developing effective study practices, or establishing essential professional networks. Unmet Culturally Inclusive Learning Needs and ConstraintsUnderstanding students' learning needs is essential for creating inclusive educational experiences. Students from diverse backgrounds, based on their unique backgrounds and experiences, may have different levels of language proficiency and digital literacy, as well as distinct communication norms, participation preferences, and information processing methods. Recognizing and respecting these nuances is essential to ensure that classroom instruction aligns with students' social and cultural identities, making the learning experience more relatable and engaging (Gumbel 2020).