Student Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Collaborative Problem-based Learning Using Online Pair Programming Tools

Abstract

his paper describes a qualitative study of how undergraduate students majoring in Information Technology perceive the effectiveness and evaluate the learning experience of pair-programming. The phenomenographic research approach was used to analyze student interviews and revealed 4 categories of descriptions: Effective Problem Solving, Participation, Enjoyment and Coding. Pair-programming as a teaching methodology was commonly perceived as a positive experience. The resulting outcome space maps a logical hierarchy of students’ conceptions of reality (categories of description). Findings of this research identify the factors that affect student engagement in a problem-solving process and can be used as a guiding principle on how to improve students’ learning experience of computer programming.