Developing Critical Thinking Practices Interwoven with Generative AI Usage in an Introductory Programming Course

Software development has evolved significantly. In the past, developers were required to have comprehensive understanding of programming languages, algorithms, and computer architecture. However, with the emergence of the Internet, software libraries, frameworks, and forums became widely available, which utilize reusable software components that can reduce development time and costs. The advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Amazon CodeWhisperer, has further enhanced the developer's toolkit, as these tools can be used for a wide variety of tasks such as code generation, documentation, commenting and reviewing. As programming is often slow and requires trial and error, novice programmers can be tempted to apply the first solution found on the Internet or proposed by an AI tool without much critical reflection or notion of responsibility. Hence, the advances of AI have raised both excitement and concerns among Information Technology (IT)/Computer Science (CS) students and educators. Yet, AI tools are here to stay, and students must learn to use them responsibly. The aim of this paper is to investigate how to design learning activities that introduce Generative AI tools (GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT) for programming while promoting critical thinking practices among students in an introductory programming course in the first semester. Students' opinions and customs were surveyed before and after the AI-based programming assignment. The results indicate that students' awareness of the possibilities and limitations of AI, as well as practices of critical thinking in programming increased. This is encouraging as critical thinking is an integral part of best programming practices.