Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

Abstract

Various teaching strategies have been employed in attempting to overcome the difficulties experienced by students learning computer programming on courses held at the Bedford College of Higher Education, England. The problem remains unsolved; the main difficulty encountered lies in the development of the algorithm, not in the syntax or semantics of the language. The contribution gained by the use of flowcharts has been negligible; the major contribution came from allowing the students to work in groups. The essay follows the argument that, accepting the premise that programming requires logical thinking, a solution to this problem may be forthcoming if it is tackled by helping these students to develop problem solving skills from an early age; thereby placing the onus on the schoolteacher. Use of educational tools, namely BIGTRAK, initially for the very young, followed by the TURTLE with LOGO programming, and latterly microProlog is advocated. The paper is introduced by a brief discourse on the concept of knowledge, in order to confirm that to teach thinking is difficult, and hence that there is a role for some aspect of artificial intelligence in the classroom.