FSE 2025
Mon 23 - Fri 27 June 2025 Trondheim, Norway
co-located with ISSTA 2025
Tue 24 Jun 2025 14:20 - 14:40 at Aurora A - Process Chair(s): Trey Woodlief

Context: Chatbots based on large language models are becoming an important tool in modern software development, yet little is known about how programming beginners interact with this new technology to write code and acquire new knowledge. Thus, we are missing key ingredients to develop guidelines on how to adopt chatbots for becoming productive at programming.
Objective: With our research, we aim at identifying these ingredients. Specifically, we want to understand how programming beginners use conversational chatbots when writing source code. Method: To this end, we study programming beginners’ interaction with a chatbot in a CS2 course while they were solving programming assignments. Additionally, we evaluate the correctness of submitted solutions and compare them to solutions of beginners who did not use a conversational chatbot. Findings: We analyzed 756 prompts of 129 conversations, most of them focusing on code generation. Interestingly, conversations that contain prompts asking for debugging or testing of code are linked with higher success rates, indicating that deeper engagement with code leads to higher quality code. Moreover, prompts without sufficient context often lead to unsatisfying results. Implications: While not surprising, this underpins the importance that programming beginners need to know how to use chatbots, instead of merely using it as code generators without investing time in code quality. Moreover, companies should employ prompt guidelines, in which code quality prompts might be enforced after a code generation prompt has been stated.

Tue 24 Jun

Displayed time zone: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna change

14:00 - 15:30
ProcessIndustry Papers / Ideas, Visions and Reflections / Journal First / Research Papers at Aurora A
Chair(s): Trey Woodlief University of Virginia, United States
14:00
10m
Talk
Non-Knowledge as a New Lens on Software Engineering
Ideas, Visions and Reflections
Jacob Krüger Eindhoven University of Technology, Xenia Marlene Zerweck Harz University of Applied Sciences, Sol Martinez Demarco Harz University of Applied Sciences, Alena Bleicher Harz University of Applied Sciences, Thomas Leich Harz University of Applied Sciences, Germany
14:10
10m
Talk
To Co-locate or Not to Co-locate? On the Impact of Hybrid Work to Software Design Process
Ideas, Visions and Reflections
Tommi Mikkonen University of Jyvaskyla, Mahum Adil Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Ilenia Fronza Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Italy, Gennaro Iaccarino Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano, Petri Ihantola University of Jyväskylä
14:20
20m
Talk
“Ok Pal, we have to code that now”: Interaction Patterns of Programming Beginners with a Conversational Chatbot
Journal First
Alina Mailach Leipzig University, Dominik Gorgosch Chemnitz University of Technology, Norbert Siegmund Leipzig University, Janet Siegmund Chemnitz University of Technology
14:40
20m
Talk
Revolutionizing Newcomers' Onboarding Process in OSS Communities: The Future AI Mentor
Research Papers
Xin Tan Beihang University, Xiao Long , Yinghao Zhu Beihang University, Lin Shi Beihang University, Xiaoli Lian Beihang University, China, Li Zhang Beihang University
DOI Pre-print
15:00
20m
Talk
OurCode: Experiences Transitioning University Research into a Developer Tools Startup
Industry Papers
Consuelo Lopez OurCode Inc., Sahar Mehrpour George Mason University, USA, Austin Henley Carnegie Mellon University, Thomas LaToza George Mason University
15:20
10m
Talk
Polymer: Development Workflows as Software
Ideas, Visions and Reflections
Dhasarathy Parthasarathy Volvo Group, Yinan Yu Chalmers University of Technology, Earl T. Barr University College London

Information for Participants
Tue 24 Jun 2025 14:00 - 15:30 at Aurora A - Process Chair(s): Trey Woodlief
Info for room Aurora A:

Aurora A is the first room in the Aurora wing.

When facing the main Cosmos Hall, access to the Aurora wing is on the right, close to the side entrance of the hotel.

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