Collaboration in Computer Science Education
Investigating the Correlation Between Prior Programming Experience and Task Division
J.J. Woods (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
Merel Steenbergen – Mentor (TU Delft - Web Information Systems)
Efthimia Aivaloglou – Graduation committee member
Mitchell Olsthoorn – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Software Engineering)
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Abstract
In this project, the topic of collaboration in computer science education was researched, specifically regarding the correlation between prior programming experience and task distribution in student software development projects. Students selfreported prior programming experience, including their years of study, years of coding experience, their experience rank from 1-10, and their experience compared to their classmates via a survey. A thematic analysis of transcriptions of weekly sprint meetings was then conducted to capture students’ reasoning behind task allocation. Additionally, a quantitative analysis correlated self-reported experience levels with Git metrics including task types (taken from tags), task difficulty (weight), and task reassignment frequency (assignees). While the quantitative analyses found no significant correlation between prior experience and task distribution, the thematic analysis found that students often cited prior experience, in addition to personal interest and time constraints as common reasons for task distribution decisions. These findings suggest that task allocation is affected by multiple factors. While prior experience may have an influence, other factors are likely more impactful.