Is CS1 better with the same lecture and lab instructor?

This paper presents results from a four-semester classroom experiment to assess whether the introductory programming lecture and closed-laboratory courses would be more effective if they were taught by the same or different instructors. Using a common final exam and lab practical as dependent variables, we determined there is no statistically significant effect on learning outcomes by having the same instructor for lecture and lab. Results of a qualitative survey, however, showed a statistically significant difference in student satisfaction for the same-instructor group over the different-instructor group.