Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, and its application in education,
particularly in programming, has attracted considerable attention. However, limited
research has explored the direct impact of AI tools on programming skills among Sri
Lankan undergraduates, particularly in relation to access, teacher preparedness, and
educational equity. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of AI tools on the
development of programming skills among IT and IS undergraduates in state
universities in Sri Lanka. It addresses psychological and practical elements such as
knowledge, motivation, attitude, and access to AI tools. The research adopted a
quantitative research design, and data were collected through a structured
questionnaire. Although the Morgan Table recommended a sample size of 364
undergraduates, practical challenges in achieving proportional representation across
universities necessitated an adjustment. To ensure balanced representation, a sample
of 450 undergraduates was targeted, comprising 30 students from each of the 15
universities. Ultimately, responses from 457 undergraduates were collected and
analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and
multiple regression analysis were used in data analysis. It was concluded that the four
factors positively affected the programming skills. These findings confirm that well integrated AI tools can positively enhance students’ programming skills. Depending
on these findings, AI tools can be integrated into the curriculum of relevant subjects
to support students in effectively using them for programming and problem-solving
tasks. AI-based coding workshops, competitions, and literacy programs can be
introduced, and leveraging campus resources can be done to improve accessibility
and increase students’ engagement. Therefore, the bottom line is that AI tools are not
only a technological trend but a revolutionary process that turns undergraduates into
competent and future-driven programmers.
