Improving TA Feedback on In-Class Coding Assignments for Introductory Computer Science

Abstract

Teaching assistants (TAs) for introductory computer science courses are most often responsible for providing feedback on student code. TAs, however, lack teaching experience and are rarely trained in how to give effective feedback that positively impacts student learning. The lack of training is particularly problematic when TAs are asked to give feedback in real time, e.g. during in-class coding exercises. We analyzed data from multiple semesters, where CS1 TAs and instructors provided written feedback on in-class coding exercises. Importantly, a very small percentage of feedback met our gold standard for high quality. This finding reveals a need for training TAs to provide more effective feedback in introductory programming courses.