Gender Influence on Student Teams' Online Communication in Software Engineering Education

TL;DR

This study investigates how gender influences online communication behaviors in software engineering student teams, revealing gender-based differences in help-seeking and leadership, and their impact on learning outcomes.

Contribution

It provides new insights into gender dynamics in online SE team communication and suggests strategies for fostering equitable collaborative learning.

Findings

All-women teams exhibited higher help-seeking and leadership behaviors.

Men responded more slowly in communication exchanges.

Communication patterns correlated with students' understanding of software development.

Abstract

Collaboration is crucial in Software Engineering (SE), yet factors like gender bias can shape team dynamics and behaviours. This study examines an eight-week project involving 39 SE students across eight teams contributing to GitHub projects. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed Slack communications to identify gender differences, comparing how they influence learning gains. We found higher help-seeking and leadership behaviours in the all-woman team, while men responded more slowly. Although communication did not affect final grades, we identified statistical significance correlating communications with students' understanding of software development. With some students putting more effort into collaboration, future work can investigate diversity and inclusion training to balance these efforts. The observed link between team engagement and a higher understanding of software development highlights the potential for teaching strategies that promote help-seeking. These findings could guide efforts to address challenges student SE teams face when using communication platforms and foster more equitable collaborative learning in Software Engineering Education.