Resources

Feel free to adjust the tone and formatting to match your course style or institutional policies.

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💻 AI Coding Tools Policy (e.g., GitHub Copilot)

In this course, students are permitted to use AI-assisted coding tools such as GitHub Copilot under the following conditions:

• ✅ Review and Revise
  You must review, understand, and revise any code suggestions before using them in assignments.
• ✅ Academic Integrity
  You are responsible for ensuring that all submitted work aligns with course outcomes and the college’s academic integrity policy.
• ✅ Annotate Copilot Use
  All AI-generated code must be clearly annotated in your comments.
  Example: // Suggested by GitHub Copilot and modified
• ⚠️ Understand Your Code
  Over-reliance on Copilot without demonstrating understanding may negatively impact your grade and your ability to succeed in future coursework.

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📣 Remember:
Copilot can be a helpful learning partner, but it does not replace your role as the coder. Use it to enhance your thinking, not bypass it.

These prompts can be used in discussion boards, learning journals, exit tickets, or post-lab reflections to help students think critically about their experience using GitHub Copilot.

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✏️ Suggested Prompts

1. What suggestion did Copilot give you, and how did you evaluate its quality?
2. Did you accept Copilot’s code exactly as suggested? Why or why not?
3. How did using Copilot change the way you approached the problem?
4. If you were working with a human partner, how might your discussion differ from working with Copilot?
5. What are the benefits and risks of using an AI assistant when learning to code?
6. What did you learn about your own coding habits by reviewing Copilot’s suggestions?
7. How did Copilot's suggestion compare to how you would’ve solved the problem on your own?
8. Was there a time you rejected Copilot’s suggestion? What made you decide not to use it?
9. Did using Copilot help or hinder your ability to troubleshoot a bug or error? Explain.
10. If you were to mentor a new student on using Copilot responsibly, what advice would you give them?

These prompts are designed to spark conversation around the responsible use of GitHub Copilot and other AI tools in educational settings. Use them during class discussions, orientation activities, or in online forums.

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💬 Ethics Prompts

1. When is it appropriate to use AI tools in coding courses? When is it not?
2. How can we ensure that AI supports learning instead of replacing it?
3. Should students be required to disclose AI-generated content? Why or why not?
4. How would you explain your Copilot usage during a technical interview?
5. If two students submit similar code with Copilot annotations, should it be treated as collaboration or plagiarism?
6. Should different levels of AI assistance be allowed for beginners vs. advanced students?
7. What responsibility do students have to understand the code Copilot suggests?
8. Can using Copilot ever be considered a form of academic dishonesty? When?
9. Is there a difference between using Copilot and copying from Stack Overflow? Why or why not?
10. Should faculty create separate rubrics for Copilot-assisted assignments? What might those include?
11. What values should guide our use of AI tools in school and work environments?
12. Do AI tools like Copilot level the playing field or widen achievement gaps? Explain your view.
13. What are potential risks of becoming too dependent on Copilot for your coding tasks?
14. How might AI tools change the future role of software developers—and what does that mean for your education?

This guide helps faculty integrate GitHub Copilot into their courses in a thoughtful, structured, and inclusive way. Use these strategies to ensure Copilot becomes a learning partner—not a shortcut.

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🧱 Scaffolding GitHub Copilot Use

🎯 Goal: Guide students in learning how to use Copilot critically—not just that it exists.

Why It Matters

Without structure, students may:

• Over-rely on AI-generated code
• Skip foundational problem-solving steps
• Miss opportunities to build independent confidence

Scaffolding supports gradual, intentional use and encourages judgment over automation.