Peer Instruction in Software Testing and Continuous Integration

Abstract

Peer Instruction (PI) is an active learning pedagogy in which students actively participate in the classroom. There have been several research studies regarding the value of PI in computer science. The present work adds to this body of knowledge by examining outcomes from an undergraduate software engineering course with specific focus on the effects of PI on student learning in the topics of unit testing, integration testing and continuous integration. We find encouraging increases in levels of success as measured through a cognitive pre- and post-course survey for those topics. This work also documents and hypothesizes reasons for the cognitive gains from PI, as well as student attitudes towards PI.