Collaborative Solving of Computer Science Tasks: How Pairs Differ from Individuals?

Research on collaborative learning of computer science has been conducted primarily in programming. This paper extends this area by including short tasks (such as those used in contests like the Bebras Challenge) that cover many other computer science topics. The aim of this research is to explore how problem-solving in pairs differs from individual approaches when tackling contest tasks. An observational study was conducted on tens of thousands of contestants aged 8–12 years. Statistical tests showed that, compared to individuals, pairs have a higher ratio of correct answers and solve slightly more tasks. They seem to be more successful in some components of computational thinking and are more confident in their answers. In tasks with instant feedback, pairs find the correct solution faster than individuals. As the age of the pupils increases, a trend of decreasing advantages of working in pairs can be observed. These results could be useful for curriculum makers who create computer science textbooks.