Software engineering students often struggle to appreciate empirical methods and hypothesis-driven inquiry, especially when taught in theoretical terms. This experience report explores whether grounding empirical learning in hype-driven technologies can make these concepts more accessible and engaging. We conducted a one-semester seminar framed around the currently popular topic of AI coding assistants, which attracted unusually high student interest. The course combined hands-on sessions using AI coding assistants with small, student-designed empirical studies. Classroom observations and survey responses suggest that the hype topic sparked curiosity and critical thinking. Students engaged with the AI coding assistants while questioning their limitations -- developing the kind of empirical thinking needed to assess claims about emerging technologies. Key lessons: (1) Hype-driven topics can lower barriers to abstract concepts like empirical research; (2) authentic hands-on development tasks combined with ownership of inquiry foster critical engagement; and (3) a single seminar can effectively teach both technical and research skills.
@article{arxiv.2604.01110,
title = {Harnessing Hype to Teach Empirical Thinking: An Experience With AI Coding Assistants},
author = {Marvin Wyrich and Norman Peitek and Kallistos Weis and Sven Apel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.01110},
year = {2026}
}