CLOVER

🔑 Keywords

AI Coding Assistants • VS Code Extension • Generative AI • Education Technology • Novice Programmers • Human-AI Interaction

🎯 Project Abstract

CLOVER is a VS Code extension that mimics the behavior of AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot—but with a twist: it intentionally presents a mix of correct and incorrect suggestions. This approach is designed to encourage critical thinking, reduce overreliance on AI, and foster deep learning among beginner programmers.

Unlike traditional assistants, CLOVER tracks user interactions—such as selection behavior, response time, and confidence levels—to generate insights about learning patterns. These insights are shared through an interactive statistics dashboard that promotes self-reflection and enables instructors to provide targeted feedback.

💡 High-Level Features

💬 Inline Suggestions: As users type, CLOVER provides both correct and incorrect AI-generated code suggestions.
🧠 Critical Engagement: Users must evaluate which suggestion (if any) is correct before accepting.
🧾 Explanations & Chat Support: Users can ask for inline or chat-based explanations of the code or concepts.
📊 Rich Analytics: All interactions are logged and analyzed to visualize user learning patterns.
🧑‍🏫 Instructor Dashboard: Enables monitoring of progress, identification of common misconceptions, and personalized intervention.

🧩 Conceptual Design

CLOVER integrates:

A VS Code extension frontend for inline interaction.
Google's Gemini API for generating suggestions and explanations.
A Golang backend to handle logging, data storage, and analytics processing.
A Supabase Database for data storage
A dashboard for user statistics and instructor tools.

All components are designed for seamless integration and minimal disruption to the coding workflow.

📚 Background & Motivation

AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot offer powerful assistance to experienced developers, but they often become crutches for new programmers who may blindly accept suggestions without fully understanding them. This fosters a passive learning approach and poor development habits.

CLOVER is designed to flip that narrative: instead of removing thinking from the loop, it puts learning first. By forcing users to pause and reflect on AI-generated content, we aim to turn code completion into a learning opportunity—enhancing both skill and confidence.