The Exploring Computer Science Web Lab (ECS-WL) tool addresses challenges faced by AnonTown Public School (aps) teachers and students in Unit 3 (web development) of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum. Traditional tools are often incompatible with the hardware available at aps. Online platforms, though helpful for bypassing installation issues, often lack essential classroom management features.

To resolve this, ECS-WL integrates Firebase for real-time database management and Gmail-based login; CodeMirror for a coding environment with syntax highlighting and line numbering; and Dompurify for HTML sanitization to prevent XSS attacks. The tool features a directory system and a website creator to access starter code, retrieve saved code, and save/submit assignments, streamlining the daily submission process. The curriculum was adjusted to align with the tool, emphasizing clear daily instructions and incorporating students’ interests through culturally responsive projects. Enhancements include error detection, a requirement for linking CSS, support for creating multi-page websites, and a notification system to track student progress.

Five teachers and 242 students used the ECS-WL tool in this initial unit pilot, resulting in 755 unique webpage submissions. Assessments showed diverse student projects. Teacher feedback indicated needed improvements in curriculum presentation, classroom management features, and student engagement.

The updated website from feedback includes adding features for teachers to edit daily instructions, hide days, distinguish classes, and enable group work. These enhancements aim to make the curriculum more manageable and engaging, fostering creativity and practical web development skills.