VizCode: A Practical Real-time Tool for In-Class Computer Programming Tutoring

Yinuo Yang and Steve Oney

L@S Demos 2024

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Abstract

Prior research has shown the benefits and promise of allowing instructors in large programming classes to monitor students’ coding activity in real-time. However, translating these findings into practical, user-friendly tools remains a challenge. This demonstration showcases VizCode, a tool that allows instructors to monitor students’ code in real-time as they edit in the popular Visual Studio Code (VSCode) IDE. VizCode is designed to be practical (integrating with widely-used tools and requiring minimal server overhead), scalable (minimizing network latency by only communicating code changes), and easy to use (requiring minimal setup from students). By focusing on practicality and seamless integration with VSCode, VizCode bridges the gap between research and practice, making it easier for instructors to monitor students’ code in real-time.

Cite this paper (BibTeX)

@inproceedings{yang2024vizcode,
  author    = {Yang, Yinuo and Oney, Steve},
  title     = {{VizCode}: A Practical Real-time Tool for In-Class Computer Programming Tutoring},
  booktitle = {Demos at the ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale},
  year      = {2024},
  doi       = {10.1145/3657604.3664716},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3657604.3664716}
}