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Owlgorithm: Supporting Self-Regulated Learning in Competitive Programming through LLM-Driven Reflection

delete2026-01-01
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PRE
AI
J
Juliana Nieto-Cardenas
E
Edward J. Kramer
P
Peter Kurto
E
Ethan Dickey *
A
Andres Bejarano
DOI:10.1145/3770762.3772662delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
We present Owlgorithm, an educational platform that supports Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in competitive programming (CP) through AI-generated reflective questions. Leveraging GPT-4o, Owlgorithm produces context-aware, metacognitive prompts tailored to individual student submissions. Integrated into a second- and third-year CP course, the system-provided reflective prompts adapted to student outcomes: guiding deeper conceptual insight for correct solutions and structured debugging for partial or failed ones. Our exploratory assessment of student ratings and TA feedback revealed both promising benefits and notable limitations. While many found the generated questions useful for reflection and debugging, concerns were raised about feedback accuracy and classroom usability. These results suggest advantages of LLM-supported reflection for novice programmers, though refinements are needed to ensure reliability and pedagogical value for advanced learners. From our experience, several key insights emerged: GenAI can effectively support structured reflection, but careful prompt design, dynamic adaptation, and usability improvements are critical to realizing their potential in education. We offer specific recommendations for educators using similar tools and outline next steps to enhance Owlgorithm's educational impact. The underlying framework may also generalize to other reflective learning contexts.
Keywords:
Competitive Programming
Self-Regulated Learning
Generative AI in CS Education
Reflection
Educational Technology

Journal

P
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 57TH ACM TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION V.1, SIGCSE TS 2026
IF:
0
Papers:
170
Citations:
0

Organization

Purdue University System cover
Purdue University System
Scholars:
3.9W
Papers: 3.6W
Citations: 66
U
universidad nacional de colombia
Scholars:
1.7K
Papers: 867
Citations: 0