CS8, 09M, UCSB

H09: (Pair Programming Preparation, Part Deux) Total points: ? (printable PDF)

Accepted: on paper, in lecture on Monday, 08/31, (location TBA... check email/gauchospace/facebook)
No email submission allowed.

FILL THIS OUT WITH YOUR "PAIR PARTNER"—someone from the same lab section.
BUT NOT either of the same people you worked with on lab03/lab04.

Name One: (2 pts)______________________________   UCSBNetID (2 pts)  _____________________

Section (2 pts) Circle one:         Thu 11am           Thu 12:30pm

Name Two: (2 pts)______________________________   UCSBNetID (2 pts)  _____________________

Section (2 pts) Circle one:         Thu 11am           Thu 12:30pm

FILL THE NEXT PART OUT ONLY IF YOU ARE AUTHORIZED BY THE TA/INSTRUCTOR TO WORK IN A GROUP OF THREE


Name Three: ______________________________   UCSBNetID _____________________

Section, Circle one:         Thu 11am           Thu 12:30pm

1. (6 pts) You've been through one pair programming experience already, as well as having done some individual programming earlier in the quarter.
   
   So, now, rather than just give me back the answers from the video or reading online, you can share from your own experience.
   
   Complete this together—the whole idea of this exercise is to get you and your new pair partner talking about the pair programming process, to try to get you started on the right foot.
   
   Write down two things you personally would value in an ideal pair partner.
   
   
   • These could be qualities your previous partner had that you liked.
   • Or it could be qualities that you wish he/she had (but didn't).
   • To avoid any hurt feelings, I'd suggest that you be a little discreet about sharing which of those is the case. :-)
   
   
   (i)
   
   
   (ii)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. (6 pts) Along the same lines: write down two things you personally would prefer to avoid in an ideal pair partner.
   
   
   • These could be qualities your previous partner had that you didn't care for.
   • Or it could be qualities that you are really glad he/she didn't have!
   • Again, "discretion is the better part of valor"—in other words, "be nice".
   
   
   (i)
   
   
   (ii)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Please turn over for more problems

   Continued from other side
   
   

3. (10 pts) List at least two times that you and your pair programming partner can get together between now and next Thursday at 11AM, for at least 1-2 hours.
   
   Preferably, this time should be during the times that CSIL is open.    During Summer 2009, CSIL is open Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
   
   If you can't find a time to get together when CSIL is open, be sure that at least one of you has a laptop that is set up to work with Python and the cTurtle module, that has good wireless access, and that you have a place you can work together with a good wireless connection.
   
   NOTE: If you cannot find any such times, you may need to switch partners—if so talk to your TA. But before you do that, I want to encourage you to reallly try hard to find two such times.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. (10 pts) Please email the times you listed in item 3 to each other—and pleae be careful about the details!
   
   
   • Put "CS8 H09" in the subject line.
   • Please put your FULL NAMES in the body of the email (e.g. Agnes Nitt, Jason Ogg)
     • We need to know who are you, so we can give you credit for the assignment
     • Oddly enough, if all I have is an email address like grr234ftw@aol.example.com, I can't guess who you are!
   • cc this email address:
     Note: that email address is a special email account set up only for the purpose of receiving assignments like this one---use it ONLY for this assignment (or others like it)
     
     If you are sending email about something else, use the email addresses on the syllabus
     
     
     
5. There are two different ways that I've observed pair programmers work together, in practice:
   
   
   • The driver/navigator model, where two people sit at the same terminal and work on the same problem, as described in the pair programming video.
     
     
   • The "split up the work" way, where two people sit near each other, but at different terminals—divide the problem into two parts, work on different parts, and confer with each other only when they are stuck.
     
     

   A purist would say that only the first of these two methods is "truly" pair programming. The second way is some "other" kind of way of working together, but it isn't really pair programming.
   
   I want to encourage you, as much as possible, to try the first way of working. Experience across the country suggests that for most folks, this way is more productive (i.e. you get done faster), more fun, and you both will learn more. However, I want to acknowledge that everyone is different, and so I'm going to give you the freedom to work however you prefer.
   
   Discuss with your pair partner which of these models you are more comfortable with, and come to a consensus. Then write one or two sentences to answer each of the following questions:

   • (3 pts) Which way of working did you choose, and why?
     
     
     
     
   • (3 pts) Was it easy, or difficult to come to agreement between the two of you on this decision?