The integration of generative AI tools like ChatGPT into software engineering workflows opens up new opportunities to boost productivity in tasks such as unit test engineering. However, these AI-assisted workflows can also significantly alter the developer's role, raising concerns about control, output quality, and learning, particularly for novice developers. This study investigates how novice software developers with foundational knowledge in software testing interact with generative AI for engineering unit tests. Our goal is to examine the strategies they use, how heavily they rely on generative AI, and the benefits and challenges they perceive when using generative AI-assisted approaches for test engineering. We conducted an observational study involving 12 undergraduate students who worked with generative AI for unit testing tasks, using ChatGPT running the GPT-3.5 model. We identified four interaction strategies, defined by whether the test idea or the test implementation originated from generative AI or from the participant. Additionally, we singled out prompting styles that focused on one-shot or iterative test generation, which often aligned with the broader interaction strategy. Students reported benefits including time-saving, reduced cognitive load, and support for test ideation, but also noted drawbacks such as diminished trust, test quality concerns, and lack of ownership. While strategy and prompting styles influenced workflow dynamics, they did not significantly affect test effectiveness or test code quality as measured by mutation score or test smells.

Software testing research has provided metrics on efficiency, error rates, and insights into the effectiveness of testing methodologies and tools. However, these tell only a part of the story. The qualitative dimension, which studies experiences, perceptions, and decision-making processes is crucial, but less prevalent in literature. This study aims to systematically map qualitative research in software testing to consolidate and categorize the methodologies used in qualitative testing research, highlight their importance, and identify patterns, gaps, and future directions. We conducted a systematic mapping study , identifying and analyzing 102 primary studies from 2003 to 2023. We categorized the studies according to research strategies, data collection, and data analysis methods. We identified case studies and grounded theory as the most prevalent research strategies. Researchers primarily used semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to understand how practitioners work and gather stakeholder perspectives. The subject areas most covered by qualitative studies included software testing processes and risks, and test automation. Areas such as test oracles, and machine learning were underrepresented. We also assessed the quality of reporting and the methodological rigor, emphasizing the challenges and limitations identified during the process. Through this study, we provide a comprehensive overview of qualitative research practices in software testing, revealing trends, gaps, and methodological insights.

ABSTRACT Code review is a widely utilized practice that focuses on improving code via manual inspections. However, this practice is not addressed adequately in a typical software engineering curriculum. We aim to help address the code review practice knowledge gap between the software engineering curricula and the industry with a serious game approach. We determine our learning objectives around the introduction of the code review process. To realize these objectives, we design, build, and test the serious game. We then conduct three case studies with a total of 280 students. We evaluated the results by comparing the student's knowledge and confidence about code review before and after case studies, as well as evaluating how they performed in code review quizzes and game levels themselves. Our analysis indicates that students had a positive experience during gameplay, and an in‐depth examination suggests that playing the game also enhanced their knowledge. We conclude that the game had a positive impact on introducing the code review process. This study represents a step taken toward moving code review education from industry starting positions to higher education. The game and its auxiliary materials are available online.

Software testing is a necessary aspect of software development. With high expectations placed on software testers and a shortage of qualified professionals, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have emerged as a potential solution to improve software testing education. MOOCs provide accessible education, bridging the gap between formal education and industry expectations. We investigate key aspects of and compare concepts of software testing MOOCs with university curricula and industry expectations. The findings show that a MOOC on average covers more concepts than a single university course. Additionally, MOOCs align well with what the industry expects from software testing practitioners.

We propose a complementary board game that aims to familiarize students with usage of tools in software engineering, their functionality and how they fit together in order to form a tool-stack for modern development paradigms like Agile and DevOps for an Application Lifecycle Management course.

Code review, a manual inspection of source code by developers other than the author, is a frequently used practice for improving code quality in the software development life-cycle. Employing a tool-based review of code changes has become the norm for a wide variety of open source and industrial systems. Despite its widespread usage and importance, software development practices such as code review are often not addressed in typical Software Engineering education. To address this knowledge gap, we propose to use a serious game approach for teaching code review practices. In this study, we define our learning objectives and design a code review serious game along with its companion quizzes. Then we conduct a small preliminary experiment in order to procure feedback. Using the results of the experiment and participant interviews, we improve our game prototype for integration into a software engineering course while optimizing the initial experiment for student's benefit. We document the process, lessons learned and the future directions of the game. The results we gather indicate that the game is ready to be used in a software engineering course setting.

The application of code review in a development environment is essential, but this skill is not taught very often in an educational context despite its wide usage. To streamline the teaching process of code review, we propose a browser based "Code Review Serious Game" (CRSG) with high accessibility, progressive level difficulty and an evolvable foundation for prospective improvements or changes. The application is built as a serious game to reinforce the learning experience of its users by immersing them in its story and theme, helping them learn while having fun. The effectiveness of the game components are measured with a case study of 132 students of 2 software engineering courses. The promising result of this case study suggests CRSG can indeed be used effectively to teach code review. The demo video for the game can be accessed at https://youtu.be/FLnr3p4bhOg, and CRSG itself at: https://github.com/barisardic/crsg.