Compatibility of partnered students in computer science education

This paper details the results of an investigation into the compatibility of partnered computer science students. The study involved approximately 290 students at the University of Virginia (UVA). This study builds on the work of researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU). NCSU researchers have conducted a number of studies on the compatibility of pair programmers. We examined many of the factors that the NCSU researchers explored in their studies (including personality type, learning style, skill level, programming self esteem, work ethic, and time management choices) in order to determine whether the conclusions of the research at NCSU also hold true at UVA. Consistent with the NCSU studies, we found that skill level continues to be the most important factor in student compatibility.