A pair-programming experiment in a non-programming course

ABSTRACT

Pair programming is a concept where two programmers work side by side at the same computer, writing code jointly. One of them, called the driver, is in control of the keyboard and mouse. The other, called the navigator, observes what the driver is doing and offers advice. It is the driver's job to write the code. The navigator has a chance to observe the larger picture, evaluating the driver's code for correctness of design and implementation. Studies have shown that pair programming is very effective. Two programmers can finish a task in little over half the elapsed time that a single programmer takes. And the quality of the code-measured in terms of absence of defects-is much higher.In the past few years, pair programming has made inroads into industry and into programming courses. However, it has not typically been used in courses that teach subjects other than programming or software engineering, nor has it been used in the analysis of experimental results. This paper reports on an experiment in a combined senior/masters-level computer architecture class, using Hennessy & Patterson's Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach as a text. Students were required to implement three projects simulating various aspects of a microarchitecture (cache, branch predictor, dynamic instruction scheduler). Then they engaged in an experimental analysis to find the best configuration in a design space. Students reported high levels of satisfaction with the experience of pair programming. Pair programmers obtained significantly higher grades on Project 1; however, differences on the other projects were not statistically significant.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.3 Coding Tools and Techniques

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES
      D.1.5 Object-oriented Programming

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

General Terms:
Languages, Reliability

Keywords:
computer architecture, laboratory exercises, pair programming