New Guidance from TeachAI and CSTA Emphasizes Computer Science Education More Important than Ever in an Age of AI

(US and Canada) TeachAI, led by Code.org, ETS, the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), Khan Academy, and the World Economic Forum, launches a new initiative in partnership with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) to support and empower educators as they grapple with the growing opportunities and risks of AI in computer science (CS) education.

Guidance on the Future of Computer Science in the Age of AI launches with three briefs developed by TeachAI and CSTA in partnership with AAAI, AI4K12, Code.org, Digital Promise, Everyday AI, the German Informatics Society, Grok Academy, and leading researchers including Karen Brennan, Shuchi Grover, Maya Israel, and Matti Tedre. The briefs draw on early research and insights from CSTA members, organizations in the TeachAI advisory committee, and expert focus groups to address common misconceptions about AI and offer a balanced perspective on critical issues in CS education, including:

• Why is it Still Important for Students to Learn to Program?

• How Are Computer Science Educators Teaching With and About AI?

• How Can Students Become Critical Consumers and Responsible Creators of AI?

"CS teachers are leaning into teaching with and about AI, yet it will take more than CS teachers to advance AI literacy. This guidance serves as an example for the entire education community to consider as we wrestle with the role of AI in all subjects and every classroom," said Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer of Code.org and Lead of TeachAI.

As AI becomes increasingly present in the classroom, educators are understandably concerned about how it might disrupt the teaching of core CS skills like programming. With these briefs, TeachAI and CSTA hope to reinforce the idea that learning to program is the cornerstone of computational thinking and an important gateway to the problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills necessary to thrive in today's digitally driven world. The rise of AI only makes CS education more important, with early research showing that people with a greater grasp of underlying computing concepts are able to use AI tools more effectively than those without.

"Even in an age of AI, teachers are indispensable for delivering high-quality and equitable computer science education," said Bryan Twarek, Head of Research and Innovation at CSTA. "We aim to empower teachers by prompting their thinking with some early insights from other educators and researchers."

To inform this initiative and better understand educator perspectives and expectations related to the role of AI in CS curriculum and education, TeachAI and CSTA conducted a survey of primary and secondary computer science teachers in the spring of 2024.

Key Survey Findings

• CS teachers are mostly optimistic or neutral on the potential benefits and risks of AI in CS education: 52% said the benefits outweigh the risks, 43% see an equal mix, and only 5% said the risks outweigh the benefits.

• CS curriculum is due for a change: 80% of teachers agree that core concepts in CS education should be updated to emphasize topics that better support learning about AI.

• CS teachers need support to teach with and about AI: 88% indicated a need for additional resources and professional learning to teach with and about AI.

"We need to help students learn to ask questions well," said Christina Gardner-McCune, associate professor at the University of Florida and co-chair of AI4K12. "We need to teach them to have ownership of these tools."