Investigating the Role of ChatGPT in Supporting Text-Based Programming Education for Students and Teachers

Abstract Teaching text-based programming poses significant challenges in both school and university contexts. This study explores the potential of ChatGPT as a sustainable didactic tool to support students, freshmen, and teachers. By focusing on a beginner’s course with examples also relevant to vocational schools, we investigated three research questions. First, the extent to which ChatGPT assists students in solving and understanding initial examples; secondly, the feasibility of teachers utilizing the chatbot for grading student solutions; and finally, the additional support ChatGPT provides in terms of teaching. Our findings demonstrate that ChatGPT offers valuable guidance for teachers in terms of assessment and grading and aids students in understanding and optimizing their solutions.