Python OCTS: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Online Coding Tutorial System Prototype

This paper discusses the design and early imple-mentation of a new online coding tutorial system for teaching Python to novice programmers. The main contribution is to develop Python OCTS, a highly interactive prototype based on the body of research in the field of computing education, to help novices overcome their learning challenges. In addition, this study presents an empirical study that demonstrates the benefits of the supportive features provided in the Python OCTS prototype. An online questionnaire was distributed to evaluate Python OCTS among 103 users from Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and other locations. The results of the evaluation are encouraging and show that users' experiences were mostly positive towards Python OCTS's features. Finally, this study offers suggestions for supportive features that might help implement an effective online coding tutorial system based on real user experiences and the body of research in the field of computing education.