As a developer or code enthusiast, you need to be as skilled in using AI tools as you are programming languages and frameworks. That’s a big reason why we recently enhanced our interactive learning environment with built-in AI tools that help you learn and expanded our catalog to include new AI-centered courses and case studies.
Case studies are project-oriented exercises that focus on specific applications of AI. With these short-form case studies, you’ll get hands-on experience working with a generative AI simulator that mimics ChatGPT and learn how to tactically leverage AI in your daily life. Along the way you’ll also complete projects that you can add to your portfolio or re-do with your own spin. Another bonus? You only need an hour to finish most of these case studies.
All you need to complete these free case studies is some foundational programming knowledge and a Codecademy account. The case studies with hands-on coding work use the programming language Python — but keep in mind that the concepts and techniques used here can transfer over to other languages. (You might want to take our free course Intro to ChatGPT as a primer before you jump in and use the AI simulator.)
Learn something new for free
While you’ll be collaborating with some helpful AI systems in these exercises, it’s a great idea to seek out some human feedback, too. We recommend sharing your finished solutions in Codecademy forums to get perspective and pointers from your fellow learners. Read on to discover the types of free case studies that’ll make you a better programmer and AI practitioner.
Debug code
Using AI tools to clean up code is more complicated than copying and pasting syntax into a chatbot and prompting it to “debug this, pls.” In Debug Python Code with Generative AI Case Study, you’ll gain proficiency working with generative AI to debug code for you. We’ll teach you to adeptly craft generative AI prompts that identify and resolve issues within your codebase and give you guidance on how to double-check the chatbot’s work. This skill makes the software development process much more efficient and will give you a leg up when it comes time to debug a project that you or a colleague built.
Code more efficiently
You’ll probably get to a point in your coding journey where you have to work with someone else’s code, whether you join an engineering team with a legacy codebase or collaborate on an open-source project. Get practice refactoring code so that it’s readable, maintainable, testable, and efficient in the case study Optimizing Code with Generative AI. We’ll give you a snippet of Python code that needs to be improved, and you’ll use a generative AI tool like ChatGPT to optimize and complete it.
Practice pair programming
You can use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to pair program. Instead of having another set of human eyes on your code, you’ll collaborate with an AI system to catch errors, provide feedback, and suggest improvements in real-time. In our case study Try Pair Programming with Generative AI, you’ll prompt AI to act as a driver in the driver-navigator style of pair programming. Of course, there are aspects of IRL pair programming that AI can’t replicate (like communicating effectively and building camaraderie), but this will simulate a pair programming scenario and help you become more familiar with the process.
Automate unit testing
Comprehensive unit tests are crucial for software development because they help you weed out bugs early in the development process. But thoroughly testing individual components and functionalities of code can get tedious, which is where AI tools can come in handy. Delve into unit tests for a Python program in the case study Unit Testing with Generative AI. You’ll get to generate unit tests for all the functions of a Python class, which is a technique you can replicate with more complicated projects in other languages, too.
Create marketing assets
Use generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E 3 to create marketing assets for a fictional company in the case study Creating Marketing Assets with Generative AI. Whether you’re a professional marketer or just curious how to strategize using generative AI, you’ll get hands-on practice writing prompts and generating content like ad copy or product descriptions. You can also take a closer look at these skills in the free course Prompt Engineering for Marketing.
Adjust your writing tone
Knowing how to communicate information to different audiences and stakeholders is an awesome skill to have in your career, and AI can help you reword or translate written blurbs effectively. In Differentiate for Language and Reading Level with Generative AI, you’ll learn how generative AI can help you adjust the reading level of written material so it’s suitable for a range of audiences with varying English levels.
Build your resume
Are you in the thick of the job hunt, or casually keeping an eye on companies that are hiring? Get a head start on reworking your resume with the case study Streamline Resume Creation with Generative AI. We’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to craft a polished, professional, and tailored resume that fits a job description. We know that applying to jobs can feel like a chore, but you can refine your resume in an hour or less with this case study.
Get creative
Generative AI can be an incredible brainstorming tool because it’s capable of remixing ideas and instantly producing lots of different options for you to consider. In the case study Creating Quick STEAM Activities, we’ll have you assume the mindset of a teacher and use generative AI to help you come up with STEAM activities for students. Even if you’re not a teacher, this will introduce you to a handy use for generative AI that you can carry with you to your next project.
More AI courses and practice
With the new AI-powered features in our learning environment, you can gain experience using AI tools while you master a programming language in all our courses and paths. Explore the rest of our AI courses to get in-depth training on key topics in tech, and if you’re looking for more projects that you can do for practice or your portfolio, check out the projects library.
