Wiki Page, AP CSP: Pair Programming

Wiki Page
2016-07-21T11:18:40-06:00

What Is Pair Programming?

Pair programming is a collaborative learning method in which students program in pairs instead of individually. This approach significantly improves college students’ programming competency and increases the likelihood that both male and female students become and remain computer science majors.

Pair Programming Basics

When working on programming assignments, whether in lab or elsewhere, you will use the “Pair Programming” approach. In pair programming, two programmers share one computer. One student is the “driver,” who controls the keyboard and mouse. The other is the “navigator,” who observes, asks questions, suggests solutions, and thinks about slightly longer-term strategies. The two programmers switch roles about every 5 to 20 minutes. Working in pairs should make you much better at programming than would working alone. The resulting work of pair programming nearly always outshines that of the solitary programmer, with pairs producing better code in less time.

“[Pair programming] makes learning programming faster and more fun. I have had
previous experience working both alone and with partners. I definitely agree that
working with partners is more profitable.” – CS student

To “learn the do’s and don’ts” of pair programming and to see pairs in action, view this entertaining video about pair programming from North Carolina State University:

Safari Video Link: Introduction to Pair Programming

You will work with one partner for the first three assignments and a different partner for the last three. For each of these two pairings, the instructor will select the student partners. Later in the course, there may be an opportunity for you to select your partner.

You will likely need to arrange times to meet outside of class. We expect everyone to be flexible and professional in arranging those times as necessary; if your schedule is highly constrained, explore possible meeting times with your prospective partner before you commit to the partnership.

The Partnership

The instructor will try to pick a partner whose experience and skill level with programming is similar to your own. This may not always be possible and it is sometimes hard to compare skill levels, but students tell us (and other data support) that pairs are most productive when the partners start at about the same level.

Still, people often pair up with another whose skills are different. This happens more often than not, as no two people have an identical skill set. The differences may be great or small, but this is exactly like most real-world working situations. Part of accomplishing a task is to get the most out of each member and make each member stronger and more productive on subsequent tasks.

Students bring different strengths to the process, regardless of how much experience they have had with programming. Both experienced and inexperienced students will need to draw on their reasoning and problem solving skills. A more experienced partner may sometimes feel frustrated or slowed down by a less experienced partner, but the experienced partner still benefits from the teamwork in many ways. The less experienced partner’s requests for clarification often uncover flaws in an approach or solution; the exercise of providing a clear explanation solidifies and deepens the explainer’s own understanding and the teamwork and communication skills they gain have great value in both the academic realm and the job market.

“My partner had never coded anything before so I was able to teach him
a little bit about how it worked. The teaching bit helped me a lot with
understanding the labs and passing the exams.” – CS student

The less experienced partner may feel that questions hold the other partner back or that there is no benefit to participating actively, but pair programming studies show that paired work is consistently better than work the stronger partner does alone. It is each partner’s job to understand the whole task; that means asking questions when necessary and answering them when possible.

It may be instructive to read a selection of students’ partner evaluation comments from similar courses that have used pair programming; they give a picture of what good partnerships are like (and a few disasters, too). Read Pair Programming Evaluations from the University of California, Irvine Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences [42].

Dealing with Differences

If you believe your partner is not participating appropriately in pair programming (e.g., she or he often does not come to lab, does not keep in touch, or does not come to lab prepared to work) please first address your concerns to your partner, and try to agree on what should be done to make the pair programming experience work well for both of you. If that approach is not successful, explain the issues to your teaching assistant or the instructor, who will work with you and your partner to improve the situation.

If your partner drops the course or otherwise stops participating, notify your instructor or teaching assistant immediately so he or she can pair you with another student. In rare cases you may be asked to join another partnership or, as a last resort, to work alone until a suitable partner can be found.

How Pair Programming Affects Your Grade

All graded items in this course are completed individually, so how your partner scores on these items will not affect your score on them. That noted, lab attendance and completion of lab assignments is critical to your test performance, so you are expected to work collaboratively with a partner using the pair programming methods outlined during labs. Failure to participate fully and cooperatively will count against you; you could receive a five- or ten-point deduction in your total course points. Since there are two pairings during the course, your total point reduction could be up to 20 points.

At the end of Assignment Three and at the end of the course you will be asked to individually submit a brief partner evaluation. This is required and due when indicated on the Course Schedule. As discussed in the Course Reference, you earn 5 points for a cursory evaluation, 10 points for an evaluation that is thorough or insightful, and no points if you turn an evaluation in late or not at all.

Seek Clarification

Pair programming is shown to help, not hinder, your successful completion of the introductory course. It is important that you understand the processes and expectations up front so you can gain the most benefit. If you are unsure of any of the aspects of pair programming and how it is implemented in the course, see your instructor right away.