How Far Are We? The Triumphs and Trials of Generative AI in Learning Software Engineering
Abstract
Conversational Generative AI (convo-genAI) is revolutionizing Software Engineering (SE) as engineers and academics embrace this technology in their work. However, there is a gap in understanding the current potential and pitfalls of this technology, specifically in supporting students in SE tasks. In this work, we evaluate through a between-subjects study (N=22) the effectiveness of ChatGPT, a convo-genAI platform, in assisting students in SE tasks. Our study did not find statistical differences in participants' productivity or self-efficacy when using ChatGPT as compared to traditional resources, but we found significantly increased frustration levels. Our study also revealed 5 distinct faults arising from violations of Human-AI interaction guidelines, which led to 7 different (negative) consequences on participants.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{Choudhuri-al:ICSE24,
author = {Rudrajit Choudhuri and
Dylan Liu and
Igor Steinmacher and
Marco Aur{\'{e}}lio Gerosa and
Anita Sarma},
title = {How Far Are We? The Triumphs and Trials of Generative {AI} in Learning Software Engineering},
booktitle = {ICSE},
pages = {184:1--184:13},
publisher = {{ACM}},
year = {2024},
}