Code.org Launches AI Teaching Assistant in Partnership with Stanford

Code.org, in collaboration with The Piech Lab at Stanford University, launched today its AI Teaching Assistant, ushering in a new era of computer science instruction to support teachers in preparing students with the foundational skills necessary to work, live, and thrive in an AI world.

AI Teaching Assistant is a ground-breaking AI tool that equips educators with intelligent, supportive technology to assess student projects thoroughly and quickly. By saving teachers time on administrative tasks, AI Teaching Assistant frees up valuable moments in the day for educators to spend fostering meaningful connections and nurturing student growth.

The tool also boosts teacher confidence by providing intuitive support and resources created specifically for computer science instruction. In the future, this tool will expand with additional features developed to address and alleviate teacher workload, including lesson planning and differentiation.

“The mission of Code.org has always been to make computer science education accessible and engaging for everyone,” said Karim Meghji, chief product officer of Code.org. “An AI-enabled classroom is a better, more productive classroom – for students to learn and for teachers to lead. The launch of our AI Teaching Assistant takes this to the next level by supporting our educators in an entirely new, AI-enabled way.”

Launching as a part of Code.org’s leading Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) curriculum, the tool is designed to bolster teacher confidence in teaching computer science. The CSD curriculum, available at no cost and utilized by millions of students worldwide, introduces foundational concepts such as website development, app creation, animation design, game building, and physical computing systems.

With a significant proportion of CSD educators new to computer science, AI Teaching Assistant offers essential resources, guidance, and expertise to ensure teachers can effectively drive student learning outcomes from day one. As the demand for computer science education continues to surge, AI Teaching Assistant reinforces Code.org’s commitment to supporting educators and equipping them with the tools they need to provide high-quality computer science education.

Built in partnership with The Piech Lab at Stanford, this tool is backed by state-of-the-art research. It is developed within a framework that prioritizes responsible and ethical AI usage in the classroom. Now more than ever, educators need innovative support. According to data from Education Week, 85% of educators are contemplating a career change, citing the excessive burdens of teaching responsibilities.

With the responsible development of generative AI-supported tools like AI Teaching Assistant, this collaboration aims to lessen the burden of overworked teachers and continue to support educators teaching computer science.

“Getting automatic feedback tools into the hands of teachers represents a huge step towards the future of computer science education for both teachers and learners. It will lower the barrier to entry which will bring us closer to the goal of making learning and teaching accessible to all,” said Dr. Chris Piech, assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University.

“I have been a teacher myself for over a decade. One of the most transformational experiences I had was when I was able to step away from grading and spend my time focusing on content and students. I am excited to see how AI Teaching Assistant will provide teachers around the world with the information they need to help their students learn, and the time to focus on their craft.”