Context: The productivity of software engineers is a major industry concern. The debate on productivity has evolved over the years, from oversimplistic quantitative analyses to multidimensional approaches. Rather than being confined to industry or research, reflections on productivity should begin at the undergraduate education, preferably with hands-on experiences. Objective: This study investigates the perceptions of productivity among professors and students in a capstone program of a software engineering undergraduate course. Method: We conducted six semi-structured interviews with professors and administered a questionnaire to students. We used thematic analysis to understand their perspectives. Results: Professors actively look for a variety of signs and cues of productivity, including learning signs, which are relevant for an educational context, and for behavioral cues and work attitudes that signal engagement. Students collectively also have a multifaceted view of productivity, but would benefit from further discussion on the topic, in preparation to deal with productivity issues in the software industry. Professors also consider contextual factors that impact productivity. Conclusions: Although the industrial and academic environments differ, they also share relevant similarities that make discussions about productivity potentially fruitful in capstone projects. For instance, the perspectives of both industry professionals and students match dimensions of the SPACE (Satisfaction and Well-Being, Performance, Activity, Communication and Collaboration, Efficiency and Flow) framework.

@inproceedings{paperbot12050,
  title = {Examining Productivity in Educational Environments},
  author = {Vinicius F. Gonçalves and João Pedro T. E. Santo and Guilherme F. Silva and Caio F. A. Tome and Jucele F. A. Vasconcellos and Patrícia G. F. Matsubara},
  booktitle = {ICSE},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1145/3786580.3786993}
}