Deeksha Arya, Ph.D.

Empirical Research • Software Engineering • Learning Resource Design

I am a Course Lecturer at McGill University, teaching Foundations of Programming in Fall 2026. My specialization is in empirical research - uncovering actionable insights driven by evidence in data. My research is on how to support self-directed learning of software technologies from online resources. My work lies at the intersection of Software Engineering, Human-computer Interaction, and Computer Science Education.

In 2025, I obtained my Ph.D. in Computer Science at McGill University, under the supervision of Prof. Jin Guo and Prof. Martin Robillard at the The McGill Software Technology Lab. My research focused on how to design software learning resources to cater to varied information needs and presentation preferences of programmers, while considering the concerns of documentation contributors. My four-phased multi-method research is presented in my thesis titled Empirical Foundations for Software Documentation Design.

I completed my M.Sc. in Computer Science at McGill University in 2019. In my thesis, I describe my study of the information correspondence between API reference documentation and tutorials, to provide insight on the complementary content in different documentation types.

Prior to this, I worked for three years at Infibeam.com, after having received my B.E. in Information Science from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology. I have previous experience as a software development engineer in the e-commerce industry. I am also a professional Indian classical dancer and have experience in teaching dance and English to children.