Papers
Topics
Authors
Recent
Assistant
AI Research Assistant
Well-researched responses based on relevant abstracts and paper content.
Custom Instructions Pro
Preferences or requirements that you'd like Emergent Mind to consider when generating responses.
Gemini 2.5 Flash
Gemini 2.5 Flash 153 tok/s
Gemini 2.5 Pro 48 tok/s Pro
GPT-5 Medium 28 tok/s Pro
GPT-5 High 18 tok/s Pro
GPT-4o 100 tok/s Pro
Kimi K2 220 tok/s Pro
GPT OSS 120B 447 tok/s Pro
Claude Sonnet 4.5 36 tok/s Pro
2000 character limit reached

An Exploratory Study on Upper-Level Computing Students' Use of Large Language Models as Tools in a Semester-Long Project (2403.18679v2)

Published 27 Mar 2024 in cs.SE and cs.HC

Abstract: Background: LLMs such as ChatGPT and CoPilot are influencing software engineering practice. Software engineering educators must teach future software engineers how to use such tools well. As of yet, there have been few studies that report on the use of LLMs in the classroom. It is, therefore, important to evaluate students' perception of LLMs and possible ways of adapting the computing curriculum to these shifting paradigms. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore computing students' experiences and approaches to using LLMs during a semester-long software engineering project. Design/Method: We collected data from a senior-level software engineering course at Purdue University. This course uses a project-based learning (PBL) design. The students used LLMs such as ChatGPT and Copilot in their projects. A sample of these student teams were interviewed to understand (1) how they used LLMs in their projects; and (2) whether and how their perspectives on LLMs changed over the course of the semester. We analyzed the data to identify themes related to students' usage patterns and learning outcomes. Results/Discussion: When computing students utilize LLMs within a project, their use cases cover both technical and professional applications. In addition, these students perceive LLMs to be efficient tools in obtaining information and completion of tasks. However, there were concerns about the responsible use of LLMs without being detrimental to their own learning outcomes. Based on our findings, we recommend future research to investigate the usage of LLM's in lower-level computer engineering courses to understand whether and how LLMs can be integrated as a learning aid without hurting the learning outcomes.

Citations (4)

Summary

We haven't generated a summary for this paper yet.

Lightbulb Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

Continue Learning

We haven't generated follow-up questions for this paper yet.

List To Do Tasks Checklist Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

Collections

Sign up for free to add this paper to one or more collections.

X Twitter Logo Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

Tweets

This paper has been mentioned in 2 tweets and received 0 likes.

Upgrade to Pro to view all of the tweets about this paper: