Peer Code Review Methods: An Experience Report from a Data Structures and Algorithms Course

Peer code review is a key practice in professional software development, and its integration into computer science education can provide valuable learning experiences for students. However, few reports compare different peer code review methods within a single educational context. This experience report shares insights from implementing various review types-individual, team, and pair code reviews-in a first-year Data Structures and Algorithms course in a bachelor's degree program. Throughout the semester, students took an active role in their learning by completing three programming assignments, each followed by a different peer review method. Feedback was collected through questionnaires to capture the students' perceptions of their data structure knowledge, programming skills, and overall learning experience. Our report outlines the design of the different review learning activities, provides insights into the students' opinions on the review techniques, and reflects on the challenges and successes we encountered. As each method offers unique benefits, we believe that incorporating a variety of peer code review methods can enhance the overall learning experience in computer science courses.