Re: [tlug] What is Code?

[Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com>]

On Tue, Jul 14, 2015 at 2:55 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull <stephen@example.com> wrote:
> Anyway, I've gone on at length because maybe somebody familiar with
> Agile methodology (especially pair programming?) can suggest an
> adaptation with similar incentives for Claus's situation.


I'm not familiar with agile methodology, but more generally, I've
heard of a team programming project in university that was supposed to
learn about software engineering.  Tools aside, the point was to work
as a team through documented meetings, records, gradual progress on
the project, etc.  In the end, one member of the team did the entire
project and the meeting minutes was falsified (or so I heard -- I
don't have proof).  Everyone was happy since the one person who did it
wanted to do the whole project while the others were happy to not work
on it.  The assignment's intention was good, but abuse was easy...

Even now, I wonder if there is a way to deal with it.  I mean, pair
programming or team programming in a company where everyone
(presumably) enjoys what they're doing has a greater chance of success
than during coursework when your course is competing with 4 other
courses for the students' interest / attention.  Realistically, no
matter how many magic tricks you try in lectures, you will never get
them all interested.  And if you pair an interested student with an
uninterested student...

I guess having students critique each others' wiki pages is better
than having them collaborate in teams on editing pages.  In the end,
what you did was still individual work, where each individual played
the role of both author and reviewer.

Ray