PAIR PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCES OF PROSPECTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TEACHERS

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the opinions and experiences of undergraduate students regarding a pair programming method used in their programming course. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data for the study. The pair programming method required students to work in pairs throughout the semester. The participants of the study consist of 29 sophomores from computer education and instructional technologies department enrolled on the programming languages course. Collaboration Experiences, Team Member Evaluation, and Self-Assessment forms and a semi-structured interview form were used to collect data. The findings indicate that all the students were positive about the lessons. According to the students, collaboration within pairs was carried out successfully. At the end of the course, students stated that the lessons were sufficient for coding, and they achieved a good performance. In addition, the students were satisfied with the collaboration of their partner and the opportunities they had to improve their communication skills thorough pair programming. In addition, students emphasized that pair programming reduced the instructor’s workload. However, a few students also stated that the process had some limitations. The findings of the study will be useful particularly for instructors while designing programming instruction.