Communication patterns: a tool for analyzing communication in emerging computer science educational practices (abstract only)

We introduce Communication Patterns (CPs) as a tool for rigorous qualitative analysis of project communication. Using our library of student capstone project case studies as a test bed, we describe our approach to communication analysis. We identify, analyze and compare the communication, at various granularities, that takes place in student projects. The patterns allow us to objectively describe the structure (what, how, who, where, when, why) of the different forms of communication that occur in a software project. Patterns range from strategic (choice of genre) to tactical (wording or tone). We use CPs to sensitize students to their communication choices as developers and users. The CP framework is familiar to students (akin to design patterns) and generative (readily extendible to new scenarios). In addition, we as researchers and instructors plan to use CPs to assess how new pedagogical practices, moving from traditional classroom communication towards more blended learning, are changing the student experience and assess the effectiveness of current software project communication practices. We use CPs to analyze the communication that occurs in teaching computer use to novice senior citizens. The examples illustrate how CPs can be used to study communication practices in many different contexts of software development or use.