Share Paper: Pair Programming: Leveling the Field for Students with Learning Disabilities

  1. Silvana Watson, Old Dominion University, United States
  2. Ling Li, Old Dominion University, United States
  3. Li Xu, Old Dominion University, United States
  4. Wu He, Old Dominion University, United States
  5. Shana Pribesh, Old Dominion University, United States
  6. Debbie Major, Old Dominion University, United States
Tuesday, March 30 12:45 PM-1:00 PM Room 3

Abstract: This paper is the report on the findings of a three-year study conducted in undergraduate computer science courses. It also describes the changes made to deal with COVID-19 during the summer and fall of 2020. We collected data on over 800 students with approximately 35 students identified as having learning disabilities (LD). These students were not professional programmers in a computer science department; rather, they were students from a Business College. Our preliminary results show that pair programming improved (a) teamwork and communication between the pairs; (b) confidence in students; and (c) comprehension and learning for all students. Thus, our ...