Better, Not More Expensive, Faster? The Perceived Effects of Pair Programming in Survey Data

There are many different techniques used with agile software development methods. Some of these, such as common coding guidelines and test driven development, are widely adopted and there appears to be a consensus that they can be beneficial. Others, however, are more controversial, none more so perhaps than pair programming. This technique meets resistance both from developers, who do not always wish to program with another person, and from managers, who see the sharing of a workstation as a potential barrier to programmer productivity. Its supporters, however, claim that it can have many benefits, in particular improving software quality. In this paper we look at the outcomes of previous research into the effects of pair programming and analyse some survey data to see how practitioners perceive its potential benefits for project outcomes in terms of quality, productivity, stakeholder satisfaction and cost. We conclude that the survey data appears to reinforce many of the previous claims made for the benefits of pair programming, but also raises questions that need further investigation

A Coding Scheme Development Methodology Using Grounded Theory for Qualitative Analysis of Pair Programming

A number of quantitative studies of pair programming (the practice of two programmers working together using just one computer) have partially conflicting results. Qualitative studies are needed to explain what is really going on. We support such studies by taking a grounded theory (GT) approach for deriving a coding scheme for the objective conceptual description of specific pair programming sessions independent of a particular research goal. The present article explains why our initial attempts at using GT failed and describes how to avoid these difficulties by a predetermined perspective on the data, concept naming rules, an analysis results metamodel, and pair coding. These practices may be helpful in all GT situations, particularly those involving very rich data such as video data. We illustrate the operation and usefulness of these practices by real examples derived from our coding work and present a few preliminary hypotheses regarding pair programming that have surfaced

Evaluation of the expanded public works programme as poverty reduction strategy in Buffalo City Municipality

One socio-economic problem that South Africa is currently facing is the youth and women unemployment rate, which is among the highest in the world. The Government of South Africa has been involved in a number of initiatives, along with the advancement of a labour-intensive Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) to reduce unemployment and poverty. The EPWP was initiated in 2004 with the aim of putting the unemployed into productive work in the social services of the public sector where relevant training and transfer of appropriate skills are provided to EPWP beneficiaries. However, the EPWP provides only temporary job opportunities that have little impact on the beneficiaries' lives. The main objective of the study was to analyse the Expanded Public Works Programme as a strategy for poverty reduction in order to assess its effectiveness on poverty reduction in Buffalo City Municipality, and to learn best practices that can be emulated by other municipalities or other programmes of Buffalo City Municipality. The secondary aim of the study was to suggest possible solutions and ways to overcome the problems and challenges faced by the metropolitan municipality of Buffalo City in tackling poverty reduction. Another goal was to explore whether the job prospects in Public Works would improve participants' future employability after they leave EPWP. Lastly, the study forwards suggestions on how best to use the EPWP as a tool to provide disadvantaged youth and women with sustainable job opportunities. The sample comprised of ten (10) individuals, and it was arrived at using purposive sampling. The self-administered questionnaire was sent to two (2) councilors and eight (8) EPWP managers involved in the EPWP management in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The data was collected through the self-administered questionnaire, followed by telephone follow-ups for points of clarity, because the study took place at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which took everyone by surprise and left the whole world astonished as it seemed no one was fully prepared for the disaster. The study found that, overall, the design elements and implementation aspects of EPWP are not ideal for helping the unemployed to become more employable on a large scale. Other issues include the absence of advanced skills training for EPWP participants; the unsustainable essence of the administration of the EPWP, and the non-approval of the draft EPWP policy. This study suggests measures with regard to EPWP coordination, enhanced project monitoring, preparation, indigent requirements and acceptance of the EPWP regulation under the BCMM. The study also recommends, in addition to the above, properly consulted management framework according to international best practices of programme management and evaluation to allow the EPWP to achieve its goals more effectively.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 202

Evaluation of the expanded public works programme as poverty reduction strategy in Buffalo City Municipality

One socio-economic problem that South Africa is currently facing is the youth and women unemployment rate, which is among the highest in the world. The Government of South Africa has been involved in a number of initiatives, along with the advancement of a labour-intensive Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) to reduce unemployment and poverty. The EPWP was initiated in 2004 with the aim of putting the unemployed into productive work in the social services of the public sector where relevant training and transfer of appropriate skills are provided to EPWP beneficiaries. However, the EPWP provides only temporary job opportunities that have little impact on the beneficiaries' lives. The main objective of the study was to analyse the Expanded Public Works Programme as a strategy for poverty reduction in order to assess its effectiveness on poverty reduction in Buffalo City Municipality, and to learn best practices that can be emulated by other municipalities or other programmes of Buffalo City Municipality. The secondary aim of the study was to suggest possible solutions and ways to overcome the problems and challenges faced by the metropolitan municipality of Buffalo City in tackling poverty reduction. Another goal was to explore whether the job prospects in Public Works would improve participants' future employability after they leave EPWP. Lastly, the study forwards suggestions on how best to use the EPWP as a tool to provide disadvantaged youth and women with sustainable job opportunities. The sample comprised of ten (10) individuals, and it was arrived at using purposive sampling. The self-administered questionnaire was sent to two (2) councilors and eight (8) EPWP managers involved in the EPWP management in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The data was collected through the self-administered questionnaire, followed by telephone follow-ups for points of clarity, because the study took place at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which took everyone by surprise and left the whole world astonished as it seemed no one was fully prepared for the disaster. The study found that, overall, the design elements and implementation aspects of EPWP are not ideal for helping the unemployed to become more employable on a large scale. Other issues include the absence of advanced skills training for EPWP participants; the unsustainable essence of the administration of the EPWP, and the non-approval of the draft EPWP policy. This study suggests measures with regard to EPWP coordination, enhanced project monitoring, preparation, indigent requirements and acceptance of the EPWP regulation under the BCMM. The study also recommends, in addition to the above, properly consulted management framework according to international best practices of programme management and evaluation to allow the EPWP to achieve its goals more effectively.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 202

Rethinking Productivity in Software Engineering

Get the most out of this foundational reference and improve the productivity of your software teams. This open access book collects the wisdom of the 2017 "Dagstuhl" seminar on productivity in software engineering, a meeting of community leaders, who came together with the goal of rethinking traditional definitions and measures of productivity. The results of their work, Rethinking Productivity in Software Engineering, includes chapters covering definitions and core concepts related to productivity, guidelines for measuring productivity in specific contexts, best practices and pitfalls, and theories and open questions on productivity. You'll benefit from the many short chapters, each offering a focused discussion on one aspect of productivity in software engineering. Readers in many fields and industries will benefit from their collected work. Developers wanting to improve their personal productivity, will learn effective strategies for overcoming common issues that interfere with progress. Organizations thinking about building internal programs for measuring productivity of programmers and teams will learn best practices from industry and researchers in measuring productivity. And researchers can leverage the conceptual frameworks and rich body of literature in the book to effectively pursue new research directions. What You'll Learn Review the definitions and dimensions of software productivity See how time management is having the opposite of the intended effect Develop valuable dashboards Understand the impact of sensors on productivity Avoid software development waste Work with human-centered methods to measure productivity Look at the intersection of neuroscience and productivity Manage interruptions and context-switching Who Book Is For Industry developers and those responsible for seminar-style courses that include a segment on software developer productivity. Chapters are written for a generalist audience, without excessive use of technical terminology. ; Collects the wisdom of software engineering thought leaders in a form digestible for any developer Shares hard-won best practices and pitfalls to avoid An up to date look at current practices in software engineering productivit

Designing Exhibits For Gender Equity

Gender equity has been a national and global aim for over half a century (Ceci & Williams, 2007; National Center for Education Statistics, 2003; National Science Board, 2008). While gains have been made, one area where inequity remains is spatial reasoning ability, where a large gender gap in favor of males has persisted over the years (Else-Quest, Linn, & Shibley Hyde, 2010; National Science Board, 2008; Ruble, Martin, & Berenbaum, 2006). This gender gap in spatial reasoning has had substantial societal impact on the career interests of females in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), contributing to the larger societal need to engage non-dominant groups in these fields to reduce outsourcing (Ceci & Williams, 2007; Jaschik, 2007; Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2009; White, 1992). Both spatial reasoning ability and STEM career interest have been related to science museum visits (Hamilton, Nussbaum, Kupermintz, Kerkhoven, & Snow, 1995; Salmi, 2001, 2002). However, researchers have also found a gender gap in favor of males in regard to science museum attendance and experiences once at the museum (Borun, 1999; Crowley, 2000). There are many suggestions for increasing female engagement at science museums and creating equitable experiences, but few have been systematically studied (Kekelis, Heber, & Countryman, 2005; Koke, 2005; Maher, 2005; Taylor, 2005). This research investigated gender equitable exhibit development by enhancing a geometry exhibit with several female-friendly design features and analyzing video data to determine the effects on girls\u27 engagement and social interactions with their caregivers. The findings suggest that incorporating several female-friendly design features leads to significantly higher engagement for girls (evidenced by greater attraction and time spent). This study also looked for any unanticipated negative effects for boys after incorporating the female-friendly design features. It is encouraging that this study was unable to detect any unintended negative effects for boys; however, such non-significant results are inconclusive and should not dissuade future research and design teams from continuing to check for unanticipated ill effects of female-friendly design features for boys. While the positive effects for girls were significant, it is important to note that they were not significantly more positive for girls than for boys; further research is needed to determine whether the female-friendly design features create a more equitable experience for girls, or a more positive experience for everyone. This study did not identify any significant differences in parent-child verbal social interactions between the two versions of the exhibit; however, the pattern of results suggests that gender discrepant parent explanations, as found by Crowley, 2001 in a children\u27s museum, may be less of a concern for girls in science centers, providing an interesting area for future study. This research presents evidence to support incorporating female-friendly design features in future science exhibit development projects, and indicates areas where future studies are still needed to gain a deeper understanding of their effects