A paper co-authored by Lecturer Kazumasa Shimari was presented at CSEE&T 2026 in Florence, Italy, on July 21, 2026.
Practical Implementation Report on Introducing Spec-Driven Development Using AI Agents in Software Development PBL
Authors: Hidetake Tanaka, Hiroshi Igaki, Kazumasa Shimari, Kiyoshi Honda and Naoki Fukuyasu
Publication / venue: 38th International Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training, 2026.
Abstract
In recent years, autonomous AI agents such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code have been rapidly gaining popularity. This study reports on the practical implementation of Spec-Driven Development, a software development methodology premised on AI agents, within a Software Development Project-Based Learning (SDPBL) course for third-year undergraduate students. We defined a workflow consisting of four phases, namely investigation, planning, implementation, and review. We also established an environment tailored for the SDPBL course where AI agents generate documentation and code during each phase. We analyzed the results from three perspectives, namely students’ subjective AI usage, implementation throughput, and code comprehension. The analysis reveals that AI usage patterns varied across development phases and teams. Moreover, while AI agent utilization increased implementation throughput, it also tended to encourage students to proceed with development without fully understanding the code. This study demonstrates that regular verification of code comprehension by instructors and appropriate feedback are essential for maintaining educational effectiveness when introducing SDD into SDPBL.
Source: Abstract
Presentation report: NAIST Software Engineering Laboratory