一句话：两年纵向研究显示，最新 LLM 在软件工程项目式学习中既是提升弱者的均衡器，也是拉大差距的放大器。
随着 LLM 重塑软件开发，将 LLM 增强实践整合进软件工程（SE）教育变得迫切。已有研究多关注入门编程或孤立 SE 任务，开放式的项目式学习（PBL）中的影响尚不明确。本文开展两年纵向研究，对比 2024 队列（主要使用早期免费 LLM，n=48）与 2025 队列（主要使用最新付费 LLM，n=46）。结果表明，最新 LLM 既是“均衡器”，提升包括编程薄弱学生在内的平均表现，提供更真实的 SE 实践机会；又是“放大器”，显著拉大绝对成绩差距，给解决教育不平等带来新的教学挑战。
As LLMs reshape software development, integrating LLM-augmented practices into SE education has become imperative. While existing studies explore LLMs’ educational use in introductory programming or isolated SE tasks, their impact in more open-ended Project-Based Learning (PBL) remains unexplored. This paper introduces a two-year longitudinal study comparing a 2024 (primarily using early free LLMs, n=48) and 2025 (mostly using the latest paid LLMs, n=46) cohort. Our findings suggest the latest “equalizers,” boosting average performance even for programming-weak students, providing opportunities for more authentic SE practices; yet also as “amplifiers,” dramatically widening absolute performance gaps, creating new pedagogical challenges for addressing educational inequities.
@inproceedings{paperbot12004,
title = {Amplifiers or Equalizers? A Longitudinal Study of LLM Evolution in Software Engineering Project-Based Learning},
author = {Hana Kataoka and Jialong Li and Yutaka Matsuno},
booktitle = {ICSE},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1145/3786580.3786960}
}