Improv: Teaching Programming at Scale via Live Coding

Abstract

Computer programming instructors frequently perform live coding in settings ranging from MOOC lecture videos to online livestreams. However, there is little tool support for this mode of teaching, so presenters must now either screen-share or use generic slideshow software. To overcome the limitations of these formats, we propose that programming environments should directly facilitate live coding for education. We prototyped this idea by creating Improv, an IDE extension for preparing and delivering code-based presentations informed by Mayer's principles of multimedia learning. Improv lets instructors synchronize blocks of code and output with slides and create preset waypoints to guide their presentations. A case study on 30 educational videos containing 28 hours of live coding showed that Improv was versatile enough to replicate approximately 96% of the content within those videos. In addition, a preliminary user study on four teaching assistants showed that Improv was expressive enough to allow them to make their own custom presentations in a variety of styles and improvise by live coding in response to simulated audience questions. Users mentioned that Improv lowered cognitive load by minimizing context switching and made it easier to fix errors on-the-fly than using slide-based presentations.