Exploring Communication Dynamics: Eye-tracking Analysis in Pair Programming of Computer Science Education

TL;DR

This paper addresses communication breakdowns in pair programming within CS education by employing eye-tracking to capture gaze dynamics, complemented by questionnaires and focus-group interviews across student, expert, and mixed cohorts. The authors design a two-session, mixed-methods study with Java debugging tasks and AOI-based eye-tracking analyses to uncover how group composition shapes communication and task engagement. Key findings show that participants tend to prioritize code exploration over dialogue, with experts spending more time supporting novices in mixed groups and students exhibiting disengagement risks when paired with experts; pairing preferences and communication styles differ by role, influencing collaboration outcomes. The work advances understanding of group dynamics in PP and suggests pedagogical directions to enhance communication skills, including leveraging expert pairing and informing task design in CS education.

Abstract

Pair programming is widely recognized as an effective educational tool in computer science that promotes collaborative learning and mirrors real-world work dynamics. However, communication breakdowns within pairs significantly challenge this learning process. In this study, we use eye-tracking data recorded during pair programming sessions to study communication dynamics between various pair programming roles across different student, expert, and mixed group cohorts containing 19 participants. By combining eye-tracking data analysis with focus group interviews and questionnaires, we provide insights into communication's multifaceted nature in pair programming. Our findings highlight distinct eye-tracking patterns indicating changes in communication skills across group compositions, with participants prioritizing code exploration over communication, especially during challenging tasks. Further, students showed a preference for pairing with experts, emphasizing the importance of understanding group formation in pair programming scenarios. These insights emphasize the importance of understanding group dynamics and enhancing communication skills through pair programming for successful outcomes in computer science education.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: An Example of the Task with the three AOIs displayed: created three large AOIs, which are as follows: Answer, Non-answer, and Screen. This Fig.1 includes the answers with descriptions in the code.
• Figure 2: Average duration of whole fixations (top row) and number of saccades (bottom row) based on AOIs
• Figure 3: Comparison of number of whole fixations and saccades based on difficulty level