Willamette University will lead a multi-institution, five-year, $2 million National Science Foundation grant to transform how software engineering is taught. Lucas Cordova, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Willamette University’s School of Computing and Information Sciences will partner with Jeffrey Carver of the University of Alabama and Gursimran Walia of Augusta University to develop a tool called Software Engineering Tutor (SE Tutor), an AI-infused customizable teaching and learning platform that helps translate dense code into actionable feedback.
Unlike current tools, which simply point out coding errors and provide solutions, SE Tutor motivates learning by encouraging students to determine on their own how to fix software and coding problems. Rather than providing shortcuts and easy answers, the system identifies gaps in the student’s knowledge and suggests pathways for further learning.
“As AI generates code faster than students can comprehend it, deeply understanding how to build software has never mattered more,” Cordova said.
The demand for software engineers continues to grow, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting 10% growth for the field over the next decade. Improvements in tools for training software engineers will help address nationwide and global demand for this important sector.
The researchers previously developed the NSF-funded Testing Tutor, which empirical studies have shown to produce lasting improvements in students’ software testing skills. By building inquiry-based feedback around the output of industry-grade software development tools, the team successfully helped students write more effective tests and higher-quality software.
“Now, we’re applying that approach to every stage of building software while expanding the research to investigate how additional proven psychological learning theories can strengthen student learning,” Cordova said.
The development of the SE Tutor platform extends their success from testing to the entire software development lifecycle. Grounded in proven theories of how people learn, the platform will enable educators to plug in the industry-grade tools students will encounter in the workforce, translating their dense output into feedback that teaches the concepts behind the code and helps students grow into stronger software engineers.
The grant also supports student research opportunities, dedicated faculty research time, and national workshops for computing educators.
“What excites me most is that this grant creates funded research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at Willamette and our two partner institutions, placing them at the heart of designing, building, and studying the platform,” Cordova said.
The team plans to bring SE Tutor into classrooms nationwide through faculty partnerships and workshops hosted across the three campuses, translating their research into practice and helping shape the future of software engineering education.
Cordova’s previous work on pedagogical technologies has led to powerful collaborative research opportunities for Willamette students, resulting in award-winning conference presentations. Bringing together artificial intelligence, hands-on research experiences, and student- faculty collaboration, Cordova’s work continues to contribute cutting-edge research to the field while providing rich new opportunities for student experiential learning at Willamette.
