Debugging & Problem-Solving with AI

🎯 Lesson Objective:

Empower learners to use AI as a first-line debugger to quickly identify issues, understand errors, and get actionable solutions — making debugging faster and less frustrating.

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👋 Lesson Intro:

Debugging is part of every coder’s life — but it doesn’t have to be a headache.

AI tools can help you quickly pinpoint problems, explain error messages in plain English, and suggest fixes — all while you learn what went wrong.

This lesson will show you how to debug smarter, not harder, so you can keep your workflow smooth and efficient.

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💡 Key Concepts Covered:

1. How AI Understands Errors

• Feeding error messages and code snippets into AI.
• Asking AI to explain what the error means, in simple terms.
• Requesting step-by-step debugging guidance.

2. Common Debugging Prompts

• “Why does this function return undefined?” + code snippet
• “Explain this error: [paste error message]”
• “What edge cases might break this logic?”
• “Suggest how to fix this bug.”

3. Interactive Debugging Sessions

• Provide the AI with your current code and error context.
• Ask for test cases to verify fixes.
• Use AI to rewrite or refactor buggy code.

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🤖 Example Scenario:

You’re getting a “TypeError: cannot read property ‘map’ of undefined.”

Prompt:

“Here is my React code where I’m mapping over an array prop. Why am I getting ‘map of undefined’ and how do I fix it?”

AI explains it’s likely the prop isn’t initialized or fetched yet, suggests default empty array, and shows example fix.

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🧪 Activity: Debug a Real Bug

1. Find a piece of your code that’s throwing an error or acting weird.
2. Copy the error message and code snippet.
3. Use AI to explain the error and propose solutions.
4. Apply the fix and test it.

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📝 Assignment: Debug & Document

Submit:

• Your original buggy code + error message
• AI’s explanation and fix suggestion
• Your fixed code snippet
• A 3–5 sentence reflection on how AI changed your debugging approach

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🧰 Tools & Resources:

• ChatGPT or your preferred AI assistant
• Your development environment (VS Code, browser console)
• Debugging checklist PDF (provided)

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📌 Big Takeaway:

AI is like your pair programmer who never gets tired of helping you troubleshoot. Use it to understand errors faster and learn from every bug.