Pair Programming
Presented by Dr. Laurie Williams, North Carolina State

Research conducted with thousands of students worldwide has indicated that pair programming is a means for improving student retention, particularly of underrepresented groups. When students pair program, they are happier and less frustrated and they perform at least as well or better than solo programming students, even in future classes in which pair programming is not allowed. Through pair programming, informal, multi-tiered peer mentoring and increased student communication is developed.

The goal of this workshop is to teach participants how to implement pair programming in their classes. The following will be addressed:

• What is pair programming?
• What are common teacher resistances to pair programming, and how do research results alleviate those concerns?
• How does classroom/laboratory management change when moving from a solo to a paired model?
• How can we jointly work on and disseminate research results related to pair programming in a variety of contexts?

Identity-based Mentoring
Presented by Dr. Nate Thomas, USF Lakeland

Based on the principles developed by Dr. Nathan Thomas, this model was created with the goal of teaching STARS Alliance members to develop, implement, evaluate, and sustain a peer mentoring program for their departments and organizations.

This workshop will address four major themes:

• Program development, management, funding, and institutionalization
• Program curriculum development, implementation, and accountability
• Student development, adjustment, academic success, and retention
• Program evaluation, sustainability, and technical assistances

Training recipients will leave with a step by step blueprint on how to implement an Identity-based mentoring program using the Thomas Principles.