Teaching Augmented Coding

How should we teach software engineering in an AI pair programming era

Teaching coding fundamentally changes when developers work alongside AI assistants—the focus shifts from syntax and basic problem-solving to judgment, design tradeoffs, and reading/evaluating generated code. Senior engineers need new mental models for what students should practice, what AI handles, and how to build taste in a world where the assistant writes the first draft.

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Questions this essay answers

  • What should software engineering education emphasize when AI handles syntax and boilerplate?
  • How do we teach developers to effectively review and guide AI-generated code?
  • Does AI pair programming change which fundamentals matter most for junior engineers?
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