I asked ChatGPT how students should use it when learning how to code in R. I’ve copied the response here, as well as added my own summarising thoughts at the end.

Prompt: How would you advise students use you (ChatGPT) when learning how to code in R?

Here’s how I would advise students to use me (ChatGPT) effectively when learning to code in R:

1. Concept Clarification and Explanation:

  • Ask me for explanations of R concepts you’re struggling with, such as data types, functions, or specific R packages.
  • Use me to understand terminology (e.g., what a data frame or factor is) or coding principles (e.g., vectorization, scoping).
  • I can also explain error messages and suggest ways to resolve them.

2. Learning Through Code Examples:

  • Request example code for specific tasks, such as data manipulation, plotting, or statistical analysis.
  • After seeing my example, try to tweak the code on your own. Understanding how the code changes behavior will reinforce learning.
  • If you have a complex task, break it into parts and ask for help on specific sub-tasks.

3. Debugging Assistance:

  • If your code isn’t working, share your code and error with me. I can help identify mistakes and explain how to fix them.
  • I can also help optimize code or suggest more efficient approaches if you’re unsure about your current implementation.

4. Code Interpretation:

  • If you encounter code you don’t understand, ask me to explain line by line. I can break down the logic so you can see why the code works the way it does.
  • I can help you understand output or results from specific R functions, making sure you know how to interpret what the code produces.

5. Project Guidance:

  • If you’re working on a larger project or assignment, ask me for help with organizing your workflow or suggesting best practices (e.g., code readability, data preprocessing).
  • For specific problems, ask for advice on which functions or libraries are most appropriate (e.g., dplyr for data manipulation or ggplot2 for visualization).

6. Experimentation:

  • Use me to try out new coding techniques or ask for ideas on how to achieve something differently (e.g., applying a different statistical method or visualization style).
  • I can introduce you to R packages or tools you may not know about that could enhance your coding skills.

7. Learning Syntax and Functions:

  • When you’re unfamiliar with a specific function’s syntax, I can quickly give you the correct format and explain the purpose of each argument.
  • You can ask me for comparisons between functions (e.g., apply() vs. lapply()), so you know when and why to use one over the other.

8. Learning How to Read Documentation:

  • If you struggle with understanding the R documentation, I can explain what certain parts of it mean and how to apply what you’re reading.
  • I can also point out important sections or break down the technical language into simpler terms.

Best Practices When Using ChatGPT:

  • Practice independently: After I give you an explanation or a solution, try to code on your own to deepen understanding.
  • Ask specific questions: The more specific you are, the better and more tailored my responses will be.
  • Use me to supplement, not replace, learning: I’m a helpful guide, but to truly master R, you need to experiment, debug, and work through challenges on your own.
  • Iterate: If you don’t understand an explanation or code I provide, ask me to explain it in a different way. Learning coding can involve multiple attempts at grasping a concept.

In summary, think of me as your tutor who can explain, provide examples, and troubleshoot in real-time. However, always pair my guidance with hands-on practice and exploration to truly build your R skills.

My thoughts…

ChatGPT is best used to supplement your own learning. It is great at helping you understand code, providing a template that you can adapt for your own purposes, or finding simple typo errors in code quickly. However, you should not rely on ChatGPT to write code for you. A lack of understanding of the code you are running will leave you susceptible to other calamitous mistakes that are harder to detect/correct (e.g., the code may do something different to what you are expecting, or may not apply as easily to your specific data set). ChatGPT is also not great at complicated processes, where perhaps you are chaining multiple functions together (i.e., ChatGPT is not great at seeing the big picture, which you - an intelligent human being - can see with ease). All this to say, ChatGPT is a useful resource, but an understanding of R coding is still required to truly master the data preparation tasks and statistical analyses you are required to conduct in this module.