Inverted pair programming

Pair programming is a programming technique in which a pair of people, a driver and an observer or navigator, complete a programming task using a single computer. The advocates of pair programming claim that it has many benefits over traditional individual programming, but the empirical evidence of the benefits of pair programming is mixed. Anecdotal and empirical evidence shows that pair programming is an expensive technology that is difficult to practice. In this study we propose an alternative model called Inverted Pair Programming (IPP). IPP pairs do not work together in all the phases of software development; instead, the pair starts by designing together, split apart during implementation, then join again for testing. Two empirical studies were conducted in spring 2009 and summer 2012 to validate the inverted pair programming against traditional pair programming. The results of this experiment point in favor of inverted pair programming methodology and do not support the claim that pair programming in general reduces the software development duration or overall software development cost.