Code Collaborate: Dissecting Team Dynamics in First-Semester Programming Students

TL;DR

This study analyzes collaboration patterns among first-semester programming students using data from version control, surveys, and performance metrics to identify factors influencing team success and individual contributions.

Contribution

It provides novel insights into student collaboration dynamics and highlights effective strategies for fostering teamwork and academic integrity in introductory programming courses.

Findings

Students overestimate their contributions but engaged students acknowledge mistakes.

Team performance is unaffected by nationality or gender, but disbanded teams often had lone wolves.

Active students perform better and excel in evaluative questioning.

Abstract

Understanding collaboration patterns in introductory programming courses is essential, as teamwork is a critical skill in computer science. In professional environments, software development relies on effective teamwork, navigating diverse perspectives, and contributing to shared goals. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing team efficiency and project success, providing actionable insights to enhance the effectiveness of collaborative programming education. By analyzing version control data, survey responses, and performance metrics, the study highlights the collaboration trends that emerge as first-semester students develop a 2D game project. Results indicate that students often slightly overestimate their contributions, with more engaged individuals more likely to acknowledge mistakes. Team performance shows no significant variation based on nationality or gender composition, though teams that disbanded frequently consisted of lone wolves, highlighting collaboration challenges and the need for strengthened teamwork skills. Presentations closely reflected individual project contributions, with active students excelling in evaluative questioning and performing better on the final exam. Additionally, the complete absence of plagiarism underscores the effectiveness of proactive academic integrity measures, reinforcing honest collaboration in educational settings.