Generative AI is changing how software is developed and how students learn. Rather than focusing only on whether coding should still be taught, this talk explores how AI can be integrated into the broader learning environment in IT and software engineering education. Drawing on lessons learned from a multi-year NSF-funded S-STEM project, it presents an evidence-based approach to supporting student success through mentoring, project-based learning, and experiential activities.
The talk outlines four practical areas for AI integration: curriculum design, faculty support, course content, and hands-on student projects. It argues that education should shift from code production to system-level thinking, and offers practical strategies for scalable adoption.
Department of Information Technology
Georgia Southern University
Dr. Lei Chen is a Tenured Full Professor with the Department of Information Technology at Georgia Southern University, where he serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator for all the doctoral and master's computing programs. Before 2015, he was a Tenured Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director at Sam Houston State University.
Dr. Lei Chen received a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Software Engineering from Auburn University, USA, in August 2007. His research interests focus on the security, privacy, and digital forensics of networks, information, cloud, Big Data, and mobile, handheld, and wireless networks. Dr. Chen is a senior member of the IEEE and a senior member of the EAI. He served as the Vice Chair for the IEEE Savannah Section.
His scholarly activities are supported by the National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, and other agencies, from which he secured about $3M funding as a PI or Co-PI. Dr. Chen has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed scholarly works, including publications with high-impact journals and conferences, such as the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, IEEE IoT Journal, and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.
Dr. Chen has served as the editor, associate editor, lead and guest editor for multiple high-impact journals, including but not limited to Elsevier Journal of Network and Applications, Springer MONET, and IEEE COMSOC Multimedia Communications Technical Committee, Communications - Frontiers. He has been a regular reviewer for IEEE IoT, Elsevier Future Generation Computer Systems, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, among many others. He has also served as chair and organizer for many international conferences and workshops, including but not limited to the MobiSec workshop with IEEE INFOCOM, IEEE GLOBECOM, IEEE ICNC, and EAI MobiMedia.
