Learning to code through web audio: A team-based learning approach

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the challenges and opportunities provided by teaching programming using web audio technologies and adopting a team-based learning (TBL) approach among a mix of colocated and remote students, mostly novices in programming. The course has been designed for cross-campus teaching and teamwork, in alignment with the two-city master's program in which it has been delivered. We present the results and findings from (1) students' feedback; (2) software complexity metrics; (3) students' blog posts; and (4) teacher's reflections. We found that the nature of web audio as a browser-based environment, coupled with the collaborative nature of the course, was suitable for improving the students' level of confidence about their abilities in programming. This approach promoted the creation of group course projects of a certain level of complexity, based on the students' interests and programming levels. We discuss the challenges of this approach, such as supporting smooth cross-campus interactions and assuring students' preknowledge in web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) for an optimal experience. We conclude by envisioning the scalability of this course to other distributed and remote learning scenarios in academic and professional settings. This is in line with the foreseen future scenario of cross-site interaction mediated through code.