Programming Assignments using AI

Bernie Farrell

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Sep 10, 2025, 6:37:08 AMSep 10

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Hi All,

I am looking for some help/suggestions on how to mitigate against students using AI tools when working on their programming assignments.

I am teaching in an Further ED college and most students submitted ChatGPT generated code last year as their own work for their assignments. I am very reluctant to give take home assignments this year and would prefer an in-class assessment.

I would really appreciate any feedback.

Many thanks,

Bernie

John Pettey

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Sep 10, 2025, 6:48:46 AMSep 10

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Hi Bernie

I have resorted to interviewing the students as part of the marking process - if they can’t tell me how the code works, or why they used certain processes then I mark accordingly.

Regards

John

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Therese Flynn

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Sep 10, 2025, 7:06:43 AMSep 10

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Some suggestions that may or may not work:
- Ask they to complete some of the work in class
- Give an interim deadline for design work/pseudo code/flowchart

- Ask them to submit a video at the end of them presenting a walk-through of the code

- Do some peer-reviews where they explain the code to another student

- Instead of an assignment to create code, give a piece of code and ask "in english" for certain changes to the functionality

Hope this helps
-Therese

Hope this helps.

-Therese

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Richard O'Sullivan

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Sep 10, 2025, 7:07:31 AMSep 10

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Hi Bernie

You could ask your learners to record and submit a 10-15 min video with their program source code. In the video they must explain how the program was written, and how it actually works.

Learners can create 'in-person' videos quite easily with the Clipchamp online video tool. It has a nice screen record feature (sample tutorials below):

https://youtu.be/mBoSJpRm7gk?si=lzWCbvyvZ7stCU5r&t=270

https://youtu.be/1UhFrPPV674?si=1N5QlY8ylTYdhmeM

Clipchamp is free to use

You might also check out the ETBI guidelines for guidelines on AI-assisted assessments:

https://library.etbi.ie/ai/assessments

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Mags Amond

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Sep 10, 2025, 7:11:36 AMSep 10

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I think this is something we could discussed at the next online TeachMeet, which is November, date tbc.

In the meantime, everyone keep adding your tuppence worth here ... many teachers in many subjects are in the same dilemma right now.

Mx

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Danny Murray

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Sep 16, 2025, 4:59:56 AM (10 days ago) Sep 16

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I think you should ask why the students cheat with AI. Their internal monologue is that it's 2025 and not using AI is stupid.

They're wrong and they're not wrong.

So now I split an assignment into 'learning' coding and 'contract' coding and then let them use AI for the second part so that it provides a bit of a vent for those who think 'why shouldn't I use AI in 2025, any real coder would'.

So I give for example 7/10 marks for programming without AI. Then they submit it again for the final 3 marks for augmenting their program using Chat-GTP, Gemini, Claude, stack overflow, their uncle Sam and their dog fluffy or whoever they can find. I correct the old school coding like a teacher and I correct the contract coding like I work in sales and all I care about is the product, how it looks, how they sell it.

It doesn't totally remove the odd person using AI but at least they understand that the two parts have very different goals. Some students then are then more honest about having gaps in their learning because they'te happy to show that with AI they could still get the job done with modern tools.

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Bernie Farrell

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Sep 17, 2025, 6:26:25 AM (9 days ago) Sep 17

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Many thanks for all the emails regarding the above subject, very much appreciated

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Sent: Tuesday 16 September 2025 09:59
To: cesi...@googlegroups.com <cesi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [CESI List] Programming Assignments using AI

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monica.ward

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Sep 18, 2025, 8:18:09 AM (8 days ago) Sep 18

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Hi,

I don't know if it would work in your context, but Interactive Oral assessments might work for you.

Interactive Oral assessments are NOT like a 'grilling' session - it's an unscripted converstaion based on a real-world scenario. See DCU's Interactive Oral assessment for more information.

The students could be asked to be in the role of a coding educator and explain their code to a younger person (e.g. a primary school student interested in coding) or a teacher who would like to understand the basics.

It puts the student in the role of 'expert'.

I'm happy to provide more information if this is of interest.