Conference Paper2025Cited by 7

Improving User Engagement and Learning Outcomes in LLM-Based Python Tutor: A Study of PACE

Muhtasim Ibteda Shochcho, Mohammad Ashfaq Ur Rahman, Shadman Rohan, Ashraful Islam, Hasnain Heickal, AKM Mahbubur Rahman, M. Ashraful Amin, Amin Ahsan Ali

Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 1-12, ISBN: 9798400713958

  • Quality Education — Relevance: 95%
DOI: 10.1145/3706599.3720240

Abstract

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being adopted for educational applications, but sometimes, limited internet access and budget constraints restrict their accessibility. Small Language Models (SLMs) have emerged as viable alternatives, capable of providing effective tutoring in resource-constrained contexts. This paper introduces PACE (Python AI Companion for Enhanced Engagement), a system leveraging SLMs to deliver step-by-step guidance and adaptive feedback for teaching Python. An evaluation with varying levels of learners showed PACE’s effectiveness, achieving a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 77.28. While participants were generally satisfied with its clarity and personalized feedback, they identified some areas for improvement, such as loss of context during lengthy conversations. This study examines (1) the PACE system’s effectiveness in programming education according to learners, (2) learners’ trust in PACE versus traditional resources, and (3) design recommendations to enhance engagement and learning outcomes. PACE contributes to advancing cost-effective, scalable programming education.

Keywords

  • learning outcomes
  • user engagement
  • large language models
  • Pace
  • Python programming education
  • programming education
  • automated feedback

CCDS Authors

Muhtasim Ibteda Shochcho
Muhtasim Ibteda Shochcho

Muhtasim Ibteda Shochcho

  • Alumni, CCDS

  • Software Engineer

    Bangladesh Finance PLC

  • BSc

    Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Published at

CHI, BEA

Mohammad Ashfaq Ur Rahman
Mohammad Ashfaq Ur Rahman

Mohammad Ashfaq Ur Rahman

  • Alumni, CCDS

  • Master's Student

    University of Surrey, United Kingdom

  • BSc

    Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Published at

CHI, BEA

Shadman Rohan
Shadman Rohan

Shadman Rohan

  • Alumni, CCDS

  • Lecturer

    Dhaka International University, Bangladesh

  • BSc

    North South University, Bangladesh

Published at

CHI, BEA, BLP

Ashraful Islam, PhD
Ashraful Islam

Ashraful Islam, PhD

  • Center Director, CCDS
  • Director, HCI Wing

Published at

CHI, UIST, UbiComp, IJCNN, ICIP, HCII, ICDMW, BLP, Pattern Recognition, IEEE Internet of Things Journal, JMIR, JMIR Human Factors, JMIR Formative Research, IEEE Access, Smart Agricultural Technology, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, PLOS ONE

Hasnain Heickal
Hasnain Heickal

Hasnain Heickal

  • Collaborator, AI/ML Wing

  • Ph.D Candidate

    University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Published at

CHI

AKM Mahbubur Rahman, PhD
AKM Mahbubur Rhman, PhD

AKM Mahbubur Rahman, PhD

  • Director, DS & IPT Wings

  • Associate Professor

    Department of Computer Science and Engineering

    Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Published at

CHI, ECCV, WACV, PAKDD, LREC, IJCNN, ICPR, ICIP, HCII, BEA, Scientific Reports, Information Sciences

Prof. M Ashraful Amin, PhD
M Ashraful Amin, PhD

Prof. M Ashraful Amin, PhD

  • Founder Director, CCDS
  • Director, AI/ML, HCI & DS Wings

Published at

ACL, CHI, UbiComp, ECAI, WACV, PAKDD, IJCNN, ICPR, ICIP, HCII, CLEF, BLP, Scientific Reports, Pattern Recognition, JMIR, IEEE Access, Smart Agricultural Technology, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, PLOS ONE

Prof. Amin Ahsan Ali, PhD
Amin Ahsan Ali, PhD

Prof. Amin Ahsan Ali, PhD

  • Director, AI/ML Wing
  • Supervisor, ComBio Wing

  • Professor

    Department of Computer Science and Engineering

    Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Published at

ACL, CHI, UbiComp, ECCV, IJCAI, ECAI, WACV, IPSN, PAKDD, LREC, IJCNN, ICPR, ICIP, BEA, BLP, ICMLA, Scientific Reports, Scientific Data, Pattern Recognition, Information Sciences, Ad Hoc Networks, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, PLOS ONE

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Cited By

  1. 1.Xiaokang Lei, Ching Christie Pang, Yuyang Jiang, Xin Tong, Pan Hui. (2026). Co-designing Digital Humans for Online Learning: A Framework for Human-AI Pedagogical Integration. Lecture notes in computer science, 536–559[10.1007/978-3-032-30784-2_34]
  2. 2.Haiyang Xu, Yunhui Song, Black Sun, Niklas Elmqvist. (2026). EchoMind: Augmenting Recorded Presentations with Context-Grounded Conversational Agents and Collective Viewer Signals. Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 1–20[10.1145/3829807.3829883]
  3. 3.Kashif Imteyaz, Isabel Lopez, Nakul Rajpal, Hunjun Shin, Saiph Savage. (2026). Upskilling with Generative AI: Practices and Challenges for Freelance Knowledge Workers. , 1–18[10.1145/3808045.3808068]
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  5. 5.Yasunobu Sumikawa, Akikazu Takada, Akira Ichinose, Ari Murakami, Yuki Toyono, Ryohei Ikejiri, Meiko Sakasegawa, Kaoru Sekine, Yuhei Yamauchi. (2026). Real-Time Discussion Transition and Main Theme Analyses for Teacher Support. Web Intelligence, 24(1-2), 20–36[10.1177/24056456261438366]
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  7. 7.Zackary P. T. Sin, Miffy H. T. Cheung, Ye Jia, XiangZhi Eric Wang, Matthew W. H. Lai, Chen Li, Xiao Huang, Peter H. F. Ng, George Baciu, Qing Li. (2026). PockeTA: Virtual Teaching Assistant Platform with Course Context. Lecture notes in computer science, 41–55[10.1007/978-981-92-0042-9_4]
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