Lightweight Symphony: Towards Reducing Computer Science Student Anxiety with Standardized Docker Environments

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning (RL) transformed the educational landscape for hands-on Computer Science courses. This paradigm shift accelerated the transition from traditional in-person programming labs to decentralized student-provided resources. Even as students returned to in-person learning, many continued to rely on their personal computers rather than embracing university-provided labs. However, this shift to decentralized, heterogeneous environments introduced a variety of information technology and instructional challenges. The recent emergence of lightweight, container-based virtualization presents a unique opportunity to address these challenges by offering standardized environments on decentralized platforms. To investigate this opportunity, we implemented lightweight virtualization for three undergraduate computer science courses with a total enrollment of 188 students. To understand the challenges and successes of implementing these environments, we surveyed 42 students before, during, and after the three courses. Our survey responses identified that 84% of students adopted our standardized environments, with 75% indicating it contributed to their success. We believe that sharing our experience will prove valuable for instructors who wish to explore adopting container-based virtualization to reduce student anxiety in the modern classroom.