What is Pair Programming?
Pair programming is an important way for student developers to learn from each other and accelerate their skills faster than if they were working on their own. Pair programming consists of two students working on code together and sharing tips and tricks as the collaborate on their shared code.
Why is Pair Programming important to DBC?
Pair programming accelerates learning and helps students to get on the same page in their knowledge. If one student knows more about a given subject they can help the other member of their pair, and vice versa. Working on a team is a very important part of being a programmer, so it's very important to learn collaboration skills.
Driver Vs. Navigator
Pair programming normally consists of a driver and a navigator. The navigator gives the driver instructions and information about specific code to write while the driver writes it out. The navigator is usually calling the shots and thinking about the big picture, and the driver is making sure their ideas translate into the code.
My Reflection
My Guided Pairing Session this time around only consisted of me and one instructor, since no one else happened to sign up for my time slot. I both drove and navigated in creating this HTML/CSS page, and my guide interjected from time to time to give my some very helpful tips and tricks. He taught me some time-saving Sublime Text shortcuts and CSS best practices that I'm sure I'll use a lot in the future.
I have pair programmed a few times so far during Phase 0, and I definitely got something out of them each time. In one HTML/CSS session where I was driving and my pair was navigating, we got a lot done very quickly and traded ideas to come up with a truly collaborative site that we each contributed to. Since he was more experienced with HTML/CSS, he navigated and I drove, which turned out to be perfect roles. He would focus on the bigger picture of the site and I had the chance to practice syntax and reinforce my understanding of HTML/CSS tags as I wrote out our page.
Overall, I have found pairing very helpful, even though I have only done it a few times so far in Phase 0. I can definitely see why it is advantageous and how it can get a group somewhere quickly in terms of learning the material. I really look forward to paring more to learn techiques for the best way to maximize my pair's progress and learning.