  Context: Evidence-based software engineering (EBSE) can be an effective
resource to bridge the gap between academia and industry by balancing research
of practical relevance and academic rigor. To achieve this, it seems necessary
to investigate EBSE training and its benefits for the practice. Objective: We
sought both to develop an EBSE training course for university students and to
investigate what effects it has on the attitudes and behaviors of the trainees.
Method: We conducted a longitudinal case study to study our EBSE course and its
effects. For this, we collect data at the end of each EBSE course (2017, 2018,
and 2019), and in two follow-up surveys (one after 7 months of finishing the
last course, and a second after 21 months). Results: Our EBSE courses seem to
have taught students adequately and consistently. Half of the respondents to
the surveys report making use of the new skills from the course. The
most-reported effects in both surveys indicated that EBSE concepts increase
awareness of the value of research and evidence and EBSE methods improve
information gathering skills. Conclusions: As suggested by research in other
areas, training appears to play a key role in the adoption of evidence-based
practice. Our results indicate that our training method provides an
introduction to EBSE suitable for undergraduates. However, we believe it is
necessary to continue investigating EBSE training and its impact on software
engineering practice.
