Date
Publisher
arXiv
Context: Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly influencing software engineering practice and education. While prior studies examine their technical performance and classroom use, limited research provides cost-aware and empirically grounded models for systematic institutional integration.
Objective: This study develops and validates a prediction model to identify cost-efficient strategies for integrating LLMs into software engineering education using motivating and demotivating factors.
Method: Based on our previously developed literature survey taxonomies [1], we operationalized 19 validated factors (9 motivators and 10 demotivators) into a structured survey completed by 126 stakeholders from multiple countries. Likert-scale responses were encoded and used to train probabilistic models (Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression) to estimate the likelihood of high LLM familiarity. The probability estimates were integrated into a Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based optimization framework to model trade-offs between predicted familiarity and implementation cost at global and category levels.
Results: Respondents perceived strong benefits in Programming Assistance and Debugging Support and Personalized and Adaptive Learning. Major concerns included Plagiarism and Intellectual Property Concerns, Over-Reliance on AI in Learning, and Reduced Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Optimization results indicate that governance-related mechanisms, particularly integrity and ethical safeguards, should be prioritized under cost constraints.
Conclusions: The study introduces an optimization-informed decision support framework linking stakeholder perceptions with probabilistic modeling and cost-effort analysis. The model supports staged and cost-aware LLM integration grounded in governance stability and pedagogically meaningful development.
Study at a glance
- Question: How can motivating and demotivating factors for integrating large language models into software engineering education be balanced and compared?
- Setting and data: Higher education institutions across multiple countries including Finland, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and China; 126 survey respondents, mostly university researchers and instructors.
- Method: Survey, probabilistic classification (Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression), and Genetic Algorithm optimization.
Why it matters
Although large language models increasingly influence software engineering education, systematic curriculum integration remains limited and lacks empirical evidence, structured decision-support models, and multi-stakeholder perspectives.
Key findings
- Programming and debugging assistance, personalized learning, and AI as a learning partner were rated as the strongest motivators for adopting large language models.
- Plagiarism and intellectual property concerns, student over-reliance, and reduced critical thinking were rated as the most prominent barriers to adoption.
- Both Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression achieved an accuracy of 0.461, performing below baseline in distinguishing respondents with higher versus lower familiarity.
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