Gary E. Schubert, MS, MFA, Associate Professor of
Art and Computer Science
Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, West Virginia
West Virginia University Doctoral Candidate in Technology
Education
Research Title: "Pair Programming in CS1 & CS2"
Research Summary
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Introduction
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I am interested in finding better ways to recruit, retain, and educate
undergraduate computer science majors. Over the last 15 years, I have experimented
with many ideas and approaches to this. I think that the "pair programming"
methodology has promise in undergraduate computer science education in
addressing some of these issues. Prior research shows Pair Programming
to be effective in upper level software engineering classes. I am developing
a protocol to research this in CS1 and CS2.
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Theoretical background
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Previous research in the area
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Goals of the research
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To find better ways of educating undergraduate computer science majors.
Is "pair programming" a better way?
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Current status
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I am doing preliminary informal work on developing an appropriate and defensible
experimental design by using Pair Programming in CS1 & CS2 courses
I am teaching at West Virginia University, in the CSEE Department. This
is to determine what the issues and variables are, so that they can be
controlled for in the experimental design of a formal study.
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Interim conclusions
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Presently, there are too many uncontrolled variables in the environment
that I have access to, to be able to conduct a valid quantitative, or even
qualitative, research experiment without a careful preliminary study to
determine what all the factors are and how to control for them.
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Open issues
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What are the "first-order" issues with regard to studying "pair programming"
in CS1 & CS2.
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Do traditional freshmen and sophomore pre-CS and computer science majors
have enough "maturity" to be able to use the pair programming methodology
to work with and learn CS1 & CS2 course content?
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How do you handle the "non-team" or poor team players?
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How do you handle the missing team member or odd-man out situation?
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Current stage in your program of study
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I have 6 hours of required classes, 6 hours of research, comps, dissertation
and defense left. Proceeding at my present rate of 3 hours per regular
semester, it will take me another two years to complete the doctorate.
(I hope to get a one semester fellowship in the spring of 2003 to wrap
it up. Otherwise, I am still working full-time and going to graduate school
part-time.)
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What you hope to gain from participating in the Doctoral Consortium
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Contact with faculty and graduate students interested in my area of research
who can help with ideas, solutions, feedback and critiques.
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Bibliographic references
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