33 - On Knowledge Transfer Skill in Pair Programming
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This document discusses pair programming, focusing on the importance of knowledge transfer between developers during collaborative coding sessions. It highlights the complexities of effectively transferring knowledge and identifies behaviors that facilitate or hinder understanding, using specific examples. The study advocates for structured communication techniques to enhance learning outcomes in pair programming scenarios.
33 - On Knowledge Transfer Skill in Pair Programming
- 1. Franz Zieris zieris@inf.fu-berlin.de Lutz Prechelt prechelt@inf.fu-berlin.de On Knowledge Transfer Skill in Pair Programming 1
- 2. Pair Programming “Ted & Ian” by Lisamarie Babik. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/552208117 2
- 3. Pair Programming “Ted & Ian” by Lisamarie Babik. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/552208117 2
- 4. What is Pair Programming? 1. Definition? • Little practical advice: – e.g. how to “work with one mind” while having different responsibilities? 2. Advantages? (higher productivity, better design, fewer defects, strong mutual learning, …) • Empirical evidence is either lacking or shows wide variation • Possible reason: Tacit assumption in pair programming research “Stick together two good and communicative programmers, and their pair programming session will be successful. There is no such as thing as a relevant PP skill beyond this.” We doubt this to be true. 3
- 5. What is Pair Programming? • We do not know how to do PP ‘right’. – We do not know what it meansto do PP at all. • Our research group’s aim: understand how PP actually works Describe PP skill in form ofbehavioral patterns / anti-patterns 4
- 6. Data & Analysis Method • In vivo: full-length recordings of professional developers – Screencast, Webcam, Audio • Pool of 40+ sessions – selected 4 sessions for this study • Grounded Theory Methodologyfor analysis 5
- 7. Why consider Knowledge Transfer? Three typical scenarios for pair programming 1. Introducing new team member Senior team member→New guy 2. Hand over a software module Author→New maintainer 3. Working in critical regions in the source code Developer↔Developer 6
- 8. Knowledge Transfer in PP • Knowledge Transfer: expected, valuable(side-)effectof pair programming. • Research Question: What mechanisms underlie knowledge transfer during pair programming and which of these work well or not so well? 7
- 9. Knowledge transfer example • Let’s meet Aliceand Bob: – Aliceauthored audio news file processing module – Bobwants to understand it • They work together regularly and we consider them to be a very good pair. • This is the beginning of their session. 8
- 10. Example For now, I could tell you what this plugin does overall. Yep. It starts checking how the file its size still changes. It looks until the file does not get bigger anymore, then it’s apparently ready. And then it’s fetched and handed over to processing. … In what time window are you looking? How the plugin polls a remote system for new files (~ 1 min) 9
- 11. Example In what time window are you looking? I start looking two minutes after the hour, because then it’s guaranteed that news files exist ifany exist. OK I monitor this file as long as needed until it’s ready. That’s up to seven minutes, depending on the source. Hmya, but mh, the time window for the change? Yes, right, that is, er, time window for the change is variable, depends on how the news go. I can’t know that. They always start a new file. When the news are over, a new file is created. I never actually have more than the news. 10
- 12. Example Yeah, well, until up to five before the hour. I really take my time. Yes, no, I mean ’cause you said you look for so long, er, until the size stops changing, right? Then you need to plan for a time window in which a change couldhappen. <*laughs*> No I really mean the size now, the size of the time window, I mean (.) you wait for 10 seconds, then after 10 seconds you decide: In those 10 seconds nothing has changed, so the file appears to be ready. Ahhh, that’s what you mean. No, 30 seconds. 30 seconds, that’s what I wanted. That’s 30 seconds long the time window. Now I got you. 11
- 13. Lessons learned so far • Knowledge transfer can be quite difficult. • But eventually the two developers managed to clarify the issue: – Bobkept asking until he finally got the information he wanted. – Aliceanswered each of these questions as best as she could. • We are looking for recurring patternsin such behavior. 12
- 14. Central Concepts: Topic & Target Content 13
- 15. Mode of Knowledge Transfer Push Mode Pull Mode Propellor Propellor 14
- 16. Episode: Same Topic & Mode Push Episode 15
- 17. Let’s revisit the example • Topic: Size of polling interval • Target Content: ”30 Seconds” • Alice: Supplier • Bob: Customer, Propellor • Mode: Pull • Bob changed the way he asked. Pull 16
- 18. Bob’s forms of “asking” 1. Direct Question 2. Stating Known Facts 3. Simple Step 4. Proposition 17
- 19. Bob’s forms of “asking” 1. Direct Question 2. Stating Known Facts 3. Simple Step 4. Proposition Prototypical form Narrow down partner’s attention Lead partner’s thinking towards particular spot Reduce possibility to give irrelevant information to zero 17
- 20. Bob’s forms of “asking” 0.Finding 1. Direct Question 2. Stating Known Facts 3. Simple Step 4. Proposition Locating area of interest Prototypical form Narrow down partner’s attention Lead partner’s thinking towards particular spot Reduce possibility to give irrelevant information to zero Difficulty 17
- 21. The “Clarification Cascade” Observations: • Stages may be omitted or repeated, but the order seems to be fixed. • Each stage can trigger the Supplier to understand the Topic and deliver the Target Content. • Iterative: Supplier can spot false assumptions. Difficulty 18
- 22. Chooseone&Keep itsimple • Understanding a Topic is necessary, but not sufficient • Also: Need to choose oneTopic at a time and keep it simple. Detect that multiple Topics are discussed postpone one Detect complex Topic take time to think and split it See article for full examples. 19
- 23. Focusing&Propellorship Startinga new Topic is easy, finishingis hard Detect lose threads and tie them up e.g. return to a former Topic by summarizingone’s current understanding of it Avoidhaving two Propellors: • Switching between two Episodes is possible, but misunderstandings will arise most likely. Well-oiled routines of “You-go-first” behavior See article for full examples. 20
- 24. Summary What mechanisms underlie knowledge transfer during pair programming and which of these work well or not so well? • Rough sketch (researcher’s perspective): – Both developers perceive a knowledge need: must not pursue both needs at once – Propellor needs to recognize complicated Topics to be split up – Topicitself is difficult to communicate: clarify in stages (Clarification Cascade). – Do not lose sight of the Topic until it is resolved (unless for good reasons). • Sounds simple? – Difficult enough, some pairs are much more efficient part of PP skill • Practitioner’s perspective: open – How to teach? Even teachable? 21
- 25. Future work • ProduceMode – No Supplier, pair creates TargetContent – Pioneering Production vs. Co-Production(one vs. two Propellors) • The Episode infrastructureof a session Main Topic, paused for Sub-Topics New Topics (colors) preclude main Topic’s conclusion 22
- 26. Enough with Push … 23
- 27. … time for Pull! 24
- 29. Used Images https://web.archive.org/web/20080509191418/http://www.cenqua.com/pairon/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/552208117 http://www.iconarchive.com/show/icons8-metro-style-icons-by-visualpharm/Debug-Bug-icon.html http://www.iconarchive.com/show/oxygen-icons-by-oxygen-icons.org/Status-battery-charging-icon.html http://www.iconarchive.com/show/or-icons-by-iconleak/light-bulb-icon.html http://www.iconfinder.com/icondetails/1432/128/abc_chalkboard_edutainment_learn_package_school_icon http://www.iconarchive.com/show/oxygen-icons-by-oxygen-icons.org/Categories-system-help-icon.htmlhttp://www.iconarchive.com/show/vista-people-icons-by-icons-land/Person-Male-Light-icon.htmlhttps://www.iconfinder.com/icons/44978/man_test_tester_user_icon 26