CSC-145 AI-Partnered App Creation
Turn your imagination into working applications - no coding experience required! Designed for students across all majors, this course teaches you to collaborate with AI to create websites, games, utilities, and interactive experiences. Through hands-on projects, students develop digital literacy, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to bring ideas to life using natural language and AI tools. Explore web technologies, design principles, and critical thinking about technology while building a portfolio of functional applications.
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Course Outline
Department
Computer Science
Course Description
Turn your imagination into working applications - no coding experience required! Designed for students across all majors, this course teaches you to collaborate with AI to create websites, games, utilities, and interactive experiences. Through hands-on projects, students develop digital literacy, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to bring ideas to life using natural language and AI tools. Explore web technologies, design principles, and critical thinking about technology while building a portfolio of functional applications.
Credit Hours
3Semester(s) Course Will Be Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
First Year Experience Course
No
Course Learning Outcomes
- Create functional applications of increasing complexity (from simple websites and tools to interactive games and browser extensions) by effectively prompting AI development tools and iteratively refining generated code.
- Debug, customize, and improve AI-generated applications by identifying errors, understanding code structure, implementing responsive design principles, and integrating real-world data sources.
- Design and build accessible applications that prioritize user privacy, security, and inclusive design while critically evaluating AI's capabilities, limitations, and societal impact.
- Develop and present a professional portfolio that showcases multiple completed projects, documents the development process, and communicates technical decisions and problem-solving approaches to diverse audiences.
Topic Outline
Phase 1: Getting Started & Building Confidence (Weeks 1-5)
- Learning to "talk" to AI to create applications
- Your first wins: making websites, simple games, and useful tools
- Understanding how to customize and improve AI-generated apps
- Figuring out what went wrong (and how to fix it)
- Making apps that look good on any device
- Building a collaborative knowledge base with classmates
- Small projects, big confidence
Phase 2: Creating More Sophisticated Apps (Weeks 6-10)
- Using advanced AI tools for better results
- Building apps that remember information and respond to users
- Creating interactive experiences and browser tools
- Connecting your apps to real-world data
- Planning before building: designing with intention
- Learning from each other through peer feedback
- Medium-sized projects that solve real problems
Phase 3: Professional Polish & Your Portfolio (Weeks 11-15)
- Working with professional-grade AI development tools
- Creating complex projects: advanced games and interactive experiences
- Building automations and custom scripts
- Publishing your apps so others can use them
- Assembling a portfolio that showcases your work
- Presenting your creations and explaining your process
- One or two bigger projects, refined to professional quality
Throughout the Course
- Understanding what AI can (and can't) do well
- Making apps that are safe, private, and accessible to everyone
- Reflecting on your process and documenting your journey
- Thinking critically about technology's role in society
- The joy of bringing your ideas to life