Exploring the effects of collaboration scripts embedded in a distributed pair programming system

Abstract

Collaboration scripts provide an integrated framework aimed to foster fruitful collaboration in collaborative learning settings. Since pair programming is also a form of collaborative learning, we explored whether collaboration scripts can improve collaboration in distributed pair programming. For this purpose, we incorporated collaboration scripts in an existing distributed pair programming system. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the new system by a group of students. Our goal was to examine students' perceptions of computer mediated scripted collaboration and furthermore to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptive role switching in students' participation. The study showed that students' attitude toward distributed pair programming and scripted collaboration was quite positive, however they prefer to distribute tasks by themselves which led half of them not to follow system's suggestions for role distribution.