Novices' Perceptions of Web-Search and AI for Programming

James Skripchuk, John Thomas Bacher, Yang Shi, Keith Tran, Thomas W. Price

Abstract: External help resources are frequently used by novice programmers solving classwork in undergraduate computing courses. Traditionally, these tools consisted of web-based resources such as tutorial websites and Q&A forums. With the rise of AI code-generation and explanation tools, understanding how students use external resources and their roles in classroom have become especially relevant. Despite this, little research has directly investigated the extent to which students intent to use these tools and what factors influence their beliefs. It is unknown when students think it is appropriate to use these tools and what features they find valuable. Understanding these beliefs would allow instructors and researchers to better focus their efforts on what aspects of pedagogy and tool usage should be addressed. We administered a pilot vignette-style survey to introductory programming classes at an R1 University (n=45), giving students scenarios of external resource usage while questioning their attitudes, subjective norms, and their perceived behavioral control on using these external resources. We share preliminary findings on free response data, showcasing the variety of beliefs and opinions that novice programming students have on when and how much external resource usage is acceptable in the classroom. Some students felt that AI tools can provide more exact solutions than searching for help online, but also expressed that this exactness could be detrimental to their learning. Others expressed awareness that professionals use these resources, and expressed a desire to learn how to use them in a way to help their educational and career goals.