Automated Assessment of Programming Assignments

Abstract

This is a position paper in which I argue that massive open online programming courses can benefit by the application of automated assessment of programming assignments.I gathered success factors and identified concerns related to automatic assessment through the analysis of experiences other researchers have reported when designing and using automated assessment of programming assignments and interpret their potential applicability in the context of massive open online courses (MOOCs).In this paper I explain the design of our own assessment software and discuss our experience of using it in relation to the above-mentioned factors and concerns. My reflection on this experience can inform MOOC designers when having to make decisions regarding the use of automatic assessment of programming assignments.