Multimodal Dialogue System for Pair Programming

Pair-programming has been shown to benefit students in different ways: directly, by improving
the quality of their programs and increasing learning gains, but also in the long run, by improving
course retention (Hanks et al., 2011). In classroom settings, it has social benefits as well, helping
students interact with their peers and form support groups (ibid). In addition to helping students,
it can be beneficial to instructors, who will be less burdened with questions (ibid).
However, implementing pair-programming is not without challenges. One such challenge may be
providing adequate equipment (e.g. duplicate peripheral devices) or ensuring that both partners
can attend a class session or schedule a meeting elsewhere (Hanks et al., 2011). Additionally,
partner compatibility may sometimes be an issue. For instance, when there is too great a skill gap
between partners, this may result in frustration for the more skilled student, and a passive attitude
not conducive to learning for the less skilled student (Cao & Xu, 2005, in Hanks et al., 2011).