Cloud-based Computer Labs and Their Silver Linings

The beginning of a first programming course is often overwhelming for students, with the cognitive load of the programming itself compounded by the need to install and configure compilation tools and become accustomed to the build process. Students who develop code on their own machines might have extra difficulty if their environment does not match the environment used by their instructors or in lab sessions. This article discusses the experience of the authors using the cloud-based JupyterHub platform, which provides each student a private Linux VM, to provide a uniform environment for introductory C programming.