AI-Assisted Code Review as a Scaffold for Code Quality and Self-Regulated Learning: An Experience Report

Code review is central to software engineering education but hard to scale in capstone projects due to tight deadlines, uneven peer feedback, and limited prior experience. We investigate an LLM-as-reviewer integrated directly into GitHub pull requests (human-in-the-loop) across two cohorts (more than 100 students, 2023--2024). Using a mixed-methods design -- GitHub data, reflective reports, and a targeted survey -- we examine engagement and responsiveness as behavioral indicators of self-regulated learning processes. Quantitatively, the 2024 cohort produced more iterative activity (1176 vs. 581 PRs), while technical issues observed in 2023 (227 failed AI attempts) dropped to zero after tool and instructional refinements. Despite different adoption levels (93\% vs. 50\% of teams using the tool), responsiveness was stable: 32\% (2023) and 33\% (2024) of successfully AI-reviewed PRs were followed by subsequent commits on the same PR. Qualitatively, students used the LLM's structured comments to focus reviews and discuss code quality, while guidance reduced over-reliance. We contribute: (i) an in-workflow design for an AI reviewer that scaffolds learning while mitigating cognitive offloading; (ii) a repeated cross sectional comparison across two cohorts in authentic settings; (iii) a mixed-methods analysis combining objective GitHub metrics with student self-reports; and (iv) evidence-based pedagogical recommendations for responsible, student-led AI-assisted review.

Delving Into the Psychology of Machines: Exploring the Structure of Self-Regulated Learning via LLM-Generated Survey Responses

Large language models (LLMs) offer the potential to simulate human-like responses and behaviors, creating new opportunities for psychological science. In the context of self-regulated learning (SRL), if LLMs can reliably simulate survey responses at scale and speed, they could be used to test intervention scenarios, refine theoretical models, augment sparse datasets, and represent hard-to-reach populations. However, the validity of LLM-generated survey responses remains uncertain, with limited research focused on SRL and existing studies beyond SRL yielding mixed results. Therefore, in this study, we examined LLM-generated responses to the 44-item Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich \& De Groot, 1990), a widely used instrument assessing students' learning strategies and academic motivation. Particularly, we used the LLMs GPT-4o, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2 Flash, LLaMA 3.1-8B, and Mistral Large. We analyzed item distributions, the psychological network of the theoretical SRL dimensions, and psychometric validity based on the latent factor structure. Our results suggest that Gemini 2 Flash was the most promising LLM, showing considerable sampling variability and producing underlying dimensions and theoretical relationships that align with prior theory and empirical findings. At the same time, we observed discrepancies and limitations, underscoring both the potential and current constraints of using LLMs for simulating psychological survey data and applying it in educational contexts.