CodeAid: Evaluating a Classroom Deployment of an LLM-based Programming Assistant that Balances Student and Educator Needs

Timely, personalized feedback is essential for students learning programming, especially as class sizes expand. LLM-based tools like ChatGPT offer instant support, but reveal direct answers with code, which may hinder deep conceptual engagement. We developed CodeAid, an LLM-based programming assistant delivering helpful, technically correct responses, without revealing code solutions. For example, CodeAid can answer conceptual questions, generate pseudo-code with line-by-line explanations, and annotate student's incorrect code with fix suggestions. We deployed CodeAid in a programming class of 700 students for a 12-week semester. A thematic analysis of 8,000 usages of CodeAid was performed, further enriched by weekly surveys, and 22 student interviews. We then interviewed eight programming educators to gain further insights on CodeAid. Findings revealed students primarily used CodeAid for conceptual understanding and debugging, although a minority tried to obtain direct code. Educators appreciated CodeAid's educational approach, and expressed concerns about occasional incorrect feedback and students defaulting to ChatGPT.