Design Implications for Student and Educator Needs in AI-Supported Programming Learning Tools

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ma, Boxuan, Xie, Yinjie, Li, Huiyong, Li, Gen, Chen, Li, Shimada, Atsushi, Konomi, Shin'Ichi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Ma, Boxuan
Xie, Yinjie
Li, Huiyong
Li, Gen
Chen, Li
Shimada, Atsushi
Konomi, Shin'Ichi
author_facet Ma, Boxuan
Xie, Yinjie
Li, Huiyong
Li, Gen
Chen, Li
Shimada, Atsushi
Konomi, Shin'Ichi
contents AI-powered coding assistants can support students in programming courses by providing on-demand explanations and debugging help. However, existing research often focuses on individual tools, leaving a gap in evidence-based design recommendations that reflect both educator and student perspectives in education settings. To ground the design of learning-oriented AI coding assistants for both sides' needs, we conducted parallel surveys of educators (N=50) and students (N=90) to compare preferences about (i) how students should request help, (ii) how AI should respond, and (iii) who should control. Our results show that educators generally favored indirect scaffolding that preserves students' reasoning, whereas students were more likely to prefer direct, actionable help. Educators further highlighted the need for course-aligned constraints and instructor-facing oversight, while students emphasized timely support and clarity when stuck. Based on these findings, we discuss the interaction-focused design space and derive design implications for learning-oriented AI coding assistants, highlighting scaffolding and control mechanisms that balance students' agency with instructional constraints.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_22673
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design Implications for Student and Educator Needs in AI-Supported Programming Learning Tools
Ma, Boxuan
Xie, Yinjie
Li, Huiyong
Li, Gen
Chen, Li
Shimada, Atsushi
Konomi, Shin'Ichi
Human-Computer Interaction
AI-powered coding assistants can support students in programming courses by providing on-demand explanations and debugging help. However, existing research often focuses on individual tools, leaving a gap in evidence-based design recommendations that reflect both educator and student perspectives in education settings. To ground the design of learning-oriented AI coding assistants for both sides' needs, we conducted parallel surveys of educators (N=50) and students (N=90) to compare preferences about (i) how students should request help, (ii) how AI should respond, and (iii) who should control. Our results show that educators generally favored indirect scaffolding that preserves students' reasoning, whereas students were more likely to prefer direct, actionable help. Educators further highlighted the need for course-aligned constraints and instructor-facing oversight, while students emphasized timely support and clarity when stuck. Based on these findings, we discuss the interaction-focused design space and derive design implications for learning-oriented AI coding assistants, highlighting scaffolding and control mechanisms that balance students' agency with instructional constraints.
title Design Implications for Student and Educator Needs in AI-Supported Programming Learning Tools
topic Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.22673