A framework of an automatic assessment system for learning programming

Abstract

Automatic assessment system is a system that will evaluate assignment submitted automatically by the students with the minimum input from human. Studies show that existing works handled only one or two programming languages. They are web-based platform, using marking scheme and strategy, are embedded in the learning management system and provides graphics user interface. This paper presents a proposed framework of an Automatic Assessment System for learning object oriented programming language. We initiate the research by first conducting survey, which investigates the needs of the system in the department. The survey was conducted on two main groups, which are the first year programming students and the lecturers who have experience in teaching programming. The results from the survey show that the Assessment system can help students in learning programming language as well as reduce the lecturers’ workload. We proposed a framework for Automatic Assessment system, which consists of five modules. The modules are teaching module to help students learn and submit program code; real time detector module to show existing error and supply hints to solve problem; marking module to compile, mark, execute, and pre-set evaluation criteria; analysis and reporting module to give instant feedback and social module for interactions between the users.