Exploring the Pedagogical Impact of Software Development Live Streams: Informal Learning Opportunities for Software and Game Developers

Live streaming is an increasingly popular medium for throwing back the curtain on software development where streamers and viewers share their knowledge and experiences. Popular platforms like Twitch and YouTube enable developers to stream live coding sessions where people around the world can engage in real-time collaboration, feedback, knowledge sharing, and skill development. This work investigates the pedagogical implications and learning opportunities present in software and game development live streaming while focusing on the role of streaming as a learning environment and collaborative community. We begin by exploring summer camps as an informal learning opportunity for STEM education, highlighting the impact that informal learning has on students. Next, we explore the motivations of software and game development live streamers and how they find accountability, community, and continued education through their streams. Next, we investigate the viewers' perspectives of software live streams, what motivates them to watch, participate or engage, and ultimately, what they receive by being a viewer of this type of stream. Finally, I present a case study on collegiate-level computer science students' live streaming software and game development projects, aiming to understand how they approach and use live streams and where their perceived skill development progresses. The implications of this research extend outside of academia to educators and industry professionals seeking to begin or continue a journey to software development education. Understanding and highlighting the benefits of live streams as a learning platform contributes to democratizing knowledge within the software and game development communities and provide an alternative and digital approach to education for those unable to access or participate in traditional educational settings.