I love having my students pair program - but to make it "work" for me I learned from a lot of my mistakes. I just had the opportunity to lead a webinar about avoiding epic disasters when using pair programming. If you missed it, you can check out the recording here:
http://air.adobeconnect.com/p3vd0mgw7l9/
I usually have students start a set of exercises by pair programming and then split them later in the session. Since they've already worked together that day, I hope that it is more likely that they'll continue to collaborate (and I call it "buddy programming" rather than "solo" or "individual" programming). I think this helps me navigate the fact that there are both pros and cons of using pair programming.
Pros of pair programming
Students get the opportunity to discuss their ideas.
Students can recognize that programming isn't a solitary activity.
Students can receive emotional support from their partner to help them realize it isn't "just them" that is having trouble.
Students can more readily get help, even when you (the teacher) are busy trouble-shooting problems in a large classroom.
Students can practice the patience and self-regulation that is necessary for sharing a computer.
Cons of pair programming
Sometimes negative dynamics develop between pairs (aggressiveness or dismissiveness), which can errode students' confidence.
Sometimes students will only engage with the content half of the time (when they are using the keyboard and mouse).
Sometimes managing students' interpresonal issues interrupts from you (the teacher) helping students with the course content.
Students might not think they "really understand" something until they do it themselves.
What concerns do you have about using pair programming? What difficulities have you encountered in implementation? Are there other pros that I missed?
Submitted by Colleen LewisActivity Level:
5
Submitted on: 7 Apr 2015 - 10:29Group: CS in the Wild
