Generative AI tools are changing software development, but how does that impact how we teach it? In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, NSS Founder John Wark sits down with Lead Instructor Steve Brownlee to discuss the intentional way generative AI has been integrated into NSS’s full-stack software development bootcamp.

They cover NSS’s AI journey: from initially coaching students to use AI as a personalized learning assistant (and not for code generation) to teaching "reverse engineering" workshops where students learn to prompt AI to build projects they just completed themselves.

Steve shares how NSS remains focused on building strong foundational skills first, emphasizing that students must know how to write good code before they can effectively review and manage AI-generated code. They also look ahead at new professional development courses, like Agentic AI for Developers, and what the rise of AI Engineering means for the tech industry.


SHOW NOTES:
04:00 The Evolution: Integrating GenAI into the Bootcamp
07:17 Using NotebookLM as a Personalized Learning Tool
09:58 Creating Sample Data with an LLM
11:31 The "Reverse Engineering Workshop": Learning to Prompt
18:27 Using AI to Complete Features in a Final Project
23:25 The Most Important Skill: Learning How to Learn
25:09 Beyond the Bootcamp: The Agentic AI for Developers Workshop
30:48 How Agentic AI Works: Your "Coding Intern"
35:24 What's Next? A New Class on Debugging Existing Code
43:09 The Future: What is AI Engineering?
51:38 Final Thoughts: An Exciting Time for Developers

LINKS:
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/