Harnessing Hype to Teach Empirical Thinking: An Experience With AI Coding Assistants

Abstract

Software engineering students often struggle to appreciate empirical methods and hypothesis-driven inquiry, especially when taught in theoretical terms. This experience report explores whether grounding empirical learning in hype-driven technologies can make these concepts more accessible and engaging. We conducted a one-semester seminar framed around the currently popular topic of AI coding assistants, which attracted unusually high student interest. The course combined hands-on sessions using AI coding assistants with small, student-designed empirical studies. Classroom observations and survey responses suggest that the hype topic sparked curiosity and critical thinking. Students engaged with the AI coding assistants while questioning their limitations -- developing the kind of empirical thinking needed to assess claims about emerging technologies. Key lessons: (1) Hype-driven topics can lower barriers to abstract concepts like empirical research; (2) authentic hands-on development tasks combined with ownership of inquiry foster critical engagement; and (3) a single seminar can effectively teach both technical and research skills.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Schematic overview of the seminar structure, showing instructional sessions where content was taught to students (pink), sessions involving student activities (blue), and milestones with deliverables due at each point (orange). The timeline is organized by week; numbers indicate weeks with an on-site session or a milestone deliverable.
• Figure 2: Number of student applications for each seminar offered over the past four semesters, highlighting our seminar with 168 applications.