Proceedings of the World Conference on Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Impact of GenAI on Bachelor and Master Theses in Computer Science Degree Programs
Igor Miladinovic and Sigrid Schefer-Wenzl
ABSTRACT:
Bachelor and Master theses are cornerstones in academic education and provide an opportunity for students to dive deep into a research question and gain in-depth knowledge about a research topic. Over the past 500 years theses are usually provided in written form with rigorous plagiarism rules. However, the introduction and advance of Generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, bring into question the traditional form of theses in written form. The contributions of students cannot be clearly identified, as currently GenAI generated content cannot be detected reliably. In this work we systematically investigate the goal of final theses in computer science degree programs and the adequate methods by which it can be achieved. We defined the main goal of final theses as the last step in a degree program towards transforming students from learners to contributors. While this main goal of final theses remains still relevant with the advent of GenAI tools, the methods and formats by which this goal is achieved and presented may evolve. For example, many theses in computer science contain a summary of the state-of-the-art technologies, necessary for understanding the main contribution of the thesis. This part serves for developing written communication skills and understanding of the topic. GenAI tools are well suited to assist or event completely generate this part of the theses. Similarly, GenAI tools can support the generation of research ideas, research questions, practical implementations, surveys and related work, saving time for the students, which can be used for other activities.
keywords: AI, computer science, final theses, GenAI, higher education