This course permits students to use A.I. on most assignments. A consequence of this is a strong likelihood of some changes in what gets learned, as well as how learning will take place. As one form of regulation of the learning process, each student in CSE 415 this term is required to maintain a learning diary. Entries are encouraged for each course item, including classes, worksheets, and exams. However, they are only required for the 7 assignments. When turning in an assignment, turn in a learning diary entry for it at the same time. Both the assignment and the learning diary entry should be uploaded to Gradescope.

Below is a template that can be used as a starting point for one of your learning diary entries. (Note: this template may be updated after Assignment 1.)

First copy the template into your own file, in Word or whatever editing system you prefer. Change the basic data such as your name, etc., to be correct for you and the assignment you are submitting for.

After each paragraph of instructions, write a paragraph or more to tell that part of your situation or story. Use a different font, or color to distinguish your answers from the instructions..

Learning Diary Entry in CSE 415 (Spring, 2026)

Student name: John Doe
Assignment number:  A1
Main topic(s) covered. Python

Date/Time: (e.g., Jan. 1/8:30 PM)

Goals: The intentions guiding this session are articulated here,
including what was hoped to be explored, clarified, or accomplished,
and why these goals were considered meaningful at this stage of
learning.

Activities: The work undertaken during the session is described,
including key actions, code development, and resources
consulted. Attention is given to how these activities unfolded and how
they contributed to progress or raised new questions.

Challenges & Solutions: Points of difficulty are examined in detail
(e.g., an off-by-one runtime error), including how they were
recognized, how understanding evolved, and what strategies or insights
led to partial or full resolution.

Reflections/Learnings: Emerging understandings are articulated,
including concepts that have become clearer, connections that have
been recognized, and any shifts in perspective or approach that have
occurred.

Next Steps: Remaining uncertainties and open questions are identified,
along with thoughtful consideration of what should be explored next
and how future efforts might be adjusted to support deeper
understanding.

For the record: Provide either the full prompting conversation for
your AI-assisted coding on this assignment (if the conversation is not
longer than 50K bytes) or just your own prompts if the full
conversation is longer than that (not including code or plan files
written to your file system by the agent).  If your own prompts
involve prompting files, (e.g., claude.md), include them if they are
short (under 5K bytes each), otherwise include a mention of what they
contain.  This section should not be more than 100K bytes in total.