CS1-CR course structure: unrestricted AI use with mandatory oral code review interviews and a flipped classroom¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

CS1-CR is a CS1 course design in which students may freely use generative AI on coding assignments but must complete "an oral, in-person code review (CR) interview session with a TA or instructor within 48 hours after each submission deadline". Rubric scores count for 30% of the assignment grade and code review performance for 70%, with a zero for missing the session. One of three weekly class days was cancelled for interviews, replaced by a flipped classroom with pre-class lecture videos and in-class coding activities. Eleven TAs were trained via mock interviews and structured per-assignment interview protocols.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Trained TAs with a structured per-assignment interview protocol
Scheduling infrastructure (tutoring center app) and a free weekly class day for interview sessions

Constraints¶

Adds extra student-TA contact time, making truly controlled studies difficult
Scaling beyond about 100 students with the same number of TAs is untested

Target Learners¶

University introductory computer science (CS1) students

Learning Goals¶

Understanding and justifying submitted code
Core programming concepts such as Python syntax, logic, tracing, and functions

Claims¶

Students in both conditions named awareness of their reliance on AI as the most valuable course outcome, and unrestricted-AI students described shallow engagement they could not stop [+W]

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Peter Fowles, Erik Falor, Sulove Bhattarai, John Edwards, and Seth Poulsen. (2026). Combating Harms of Generative AI in CS1 with Code Review Interviews and a Flipped Classroom. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.21374

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`cs1-cr-course-structure`
`title`	`CS1-CR course structure: unrestricted AI use with mandatory oral code review interviews and a flipped classroom`
`description`	`CS1-CR is a CS1 course design in which students may freely use generative AI on coding assignments but must complete "an oral, in-person code review (CR) interview session with a TA or instructor within 48 hours after...`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:settle-candidates` on `2026-10-10`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `peter-fowles-2026`

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