Pair Programming Interactions in Middle School

Abstract

Pair programming is considered a best practice since it has been shown to reduce the gender gap and increases confidence for university students in introductory computer programming courses. However, little is known about what it looks like in middle school. This study was designed to provide detailed descriptions of what pair programming looks like, how it varies across demographic groups, and how it changes over time. The data presented in this poster is from a subset of a larger study (81 middle school students) which consists of 66 (28 girls; 38 boys) students (55% Latino/a; 23% White) who worked in 33 same-gender pairs (42% female) to design and program their own video game. Data include video and audio recordings, screen capture files and logging files. The findings suggest that students are spending log periods of time not interacting, and those with more experience have a third person present more often while programming. When pairs are interacting specifically about their game the girls spend more time engaging constructively around ideas and solutions in comparison to boys. The results will be used to inform strategies to support effective pair programming in middle school, and to inform future studies.