Extending the Pair Programming Pedagogy to Support Remote Collaborations in CS Education

Abstract

Pair programming has been shown to have demonstrable benefits in computer science education at collegiate levels.  However, because it is an approach that involves two programmers working collaboratively at one computer, the model does not work as well when a project involves remote collaborators, or with teams of more than two students.  In this paper, I outline an approach that is more appropriate for remote collaborations and that can involve teams with more than two members.  Another problematic issue with pair programming is that one student in the pair can end up completing the lion’s share of a programming task even though during pair programming sessions students are supposed to voluntarily follow rules that equalize the programming effort.  The remote approach outlined here involves a client-server management model that alleviates the problem of how to ensure a more equitable distribution of the collaborative tasks.