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[ARTICLE · art-47483] src=arxiv.org ↗ pub= topic=artificial-intelligence verified=true sentiment=· neutral

To tab or not to tab

Researchers at an undisclosed institution developed Clover, an AI code completion tool that logs student interactions and uses attention checks to measure critical engagement with code suggestions. The study found that higher rates of accepting code suggestions without review correlated with lower performance on attention checks, while longer dwell time on suggestions correlated with higher attention check performance. The findings highlight the need for tools that promote reflective engagement in AI-assisted programming.

read2 min views1 publishedJul 4, 2026
To tab or not to tab
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[Submitted on 29 Jun 2026]


[View PDF](/pdf/2606.30549)

Abstract:AI code completion tools, such as Github Copilot, provide students with code suggestions to help them write programs. However, recent qualitative studies suggest that students fail to critically evaluate these suggestions. We present Clover, a code completion tool that logs students' interactions with code suggestions and additionally offers attention checks to probe reflective engagement during programming tasks. We also develop a taxonomy of behavioral interaction metrics for AI-assisted programming, informed by literature. We analyzed relationships between interaction patterns, engagement with attention checks, and task performance. We observed that higher rates of tab accept were associated with lower attention check performance, while increased dwell time was associated with higher attention check performance. We conclude by discussing how programming process data and attention checks might support reflective engagement in AI-assisted programming.

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