The use of pair-programming to enhance the academic performance

The number of students passing computer programming modules at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa at first year level is low. Only with the second attempt do most students pass. This delay results in students completing their three-year undergraduate qualification in four or even five years. One potential contribution towards addressing this problem is the introduction of a collaborative (cooperative) pedagogical approach where students develop software in teams known in the Information Technology (IT) sector as pair-programming. Instructors and students will only benefit from pair-programming if it is correctly implemented.