Virtualizing office hours in CS 50

Abstract

In Fall 2007, we introduced "virtual office hours" into Harvard College's introductory computer science course, CS 50, so that students could meet with teaching fellows (TFs) online to discuss problem sets at any hour from anywhere. Our goals were to lower the bar to interaction among TFs and students and to improve the efficiency and convenience of the same. Rather than rely on email alone, we experimented with Elluminate, third-party software that not only allowed students and TFs to chat via IM and VOIP, it also enabled the latter to see and even share control of the former's screens (eg, code in students' terminal windows). Students, in turn, were able to troubleshoot bugs with TFs by their (virtual) side.