EDOS: Design and Implementation of a Browser-Based Python Learning Environment for Programming and Biological Data Science Education

EDOS (Educational Desktop Operating Simulator) is a browser-based educational computing environment developed to support introductory Python programming and computational biology instruction without requiring a conventional local Python installation. The platform integrates a desktop-inspired graphical interface, client-side Python execution using Pyodide and WebAssembly, an interactive Python editor, a terminal, Jupyter-style notebooks, browser-compatible package management, and educational content accessible through a GitHub-hosted learning library. This paper describes the system architecture, implementation approach, educational components, and potential applications of EDOS in introductory programming and biological data analysis. The repository includes biology-oriented notebooks covering Python fundamentals, DNA sequence manipulation, reusable functions, object-oriented programming, and CSV-based analysis using example datasets. The design emphasizes accessible browser-based interaction and practical programming activities, including numerical analysis and visualization. The manuscript documents the available implementation and identifies technical constraints related to browser execution, package compatibility, network dependencies, and local data persistence. Formal evaluations of student learning outcomes, usability, and cross-browser reliability remain subjects for future investigation. EDOS provides a software-based foundation for exploring accessible computational instruction in biology and related STEM disciplines. Keywords: Python programming education; computational biology; Pyodide; WebAssembly; educational technology; Jupyter notebooks; browser-based learning. Project repository: https://github.com/yashmgupta/EDOS-Python-Learning-Desktop Corresponding author: [email protected] DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23319351