Practical Implementation Report on Introducing Spec-Driven Development Using AI Agents in Software Development PBL
2026-08-31 • Software Engineering
Software Engineering
AI summaryⓘ
The authors studied how AI tools like GitHub Copilot can help students in a software development course. They created a process with four steps—investigation, planning, implementation, and review—where AI helps write code and documentation. Their analysis showed that using AI made coding faster but sometimes led students to use code without fully understanding it. The authors suggest teachers need to regularly check students’ understanding and give feedback to keep the learning effective when using AI in projects.
autonomous AI agentsGitHub CopilotSpec-Driven DevelopmentSoftware Development Project-Based Learningimplementation throughputcode comprehensionAI-assisted programmingeducational feedback
Authors
Hidetake Tanaka, Hiroshi Igaki, Kazumasa Shimari, Kiyoshi Honda, Naoki Fukuyasu
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.