  Computational thinking, and by extension, computer programming, is
notoriously challenging to learn. Conversational agents and generative
artificial intelligence (genAI) have the potential to facilitate this learning
process by offering personalized guidance, interactive learning experiences,
and code generation. However, current genAI-based chatbots focus on
professional developers and may not adequately consider educational needs.
Involving educators in conceiving educational tools is critical for ensuring
usefulness and usability. We enlisted nine instructors to engage in design
fiction sessions in which we elicited abilities such a conversational agent
supported by genAI should display. Participants envisioned a conversational
agent that guides students stepwise through exercises, tuning its method of
guidance with an awareness of the educational background, skills and deficits,
and learning preferences. The insights obtained in this paper can guide future
implementations of tutoring conversational agents oriented toward teaching
computational thinking and computer programming.
