Practical Programming Exams with Automated Assessment Improve Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes

This study investigates the impact of introducing a mandatory practical programming exam on student learning outcomes in introductory programming courses. To facilitate structured coding practice and scalable automated feedback, we developed Programmers’ Interactive Virtual Onboarding (PIVO), a nove...

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Veröffentlicht in:Education sciences Jg. 15; H. 11; S. 1486
Hauptverfasser: Rojec, Žiga, Puhan, Janez, Fajfar, Iztok
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2025
Schlagworte:
Academic Achievement
Academic Failure
algorithmic thinking
Algorithms
Automated Programming Assessment System (APAS)
Case studies
College Faculty
College Freshmen
College Science
Computer engineering
Computer programming
Computer science
Computer Science Education
Core curriculum
Correlation
Data Analysis
Design
Educational Assessment
Educational objectives
Educational Strategies
Educational Technology
Electrical engineering
Engineering Education
Environment
Hypotheses
Independent study
Influence of Technology
Instructional Effectiveness
Intellectual Disciplines
Laboratories
Learner Engagement
Learning
Learning Processes
Measurement Techniques
Online Systems
Performance evaluation
practical exam
programming education
Science Curriculum
Skills
Software
student engagement
Students
Teachers
Teaching
test-driven learning
ISSN:2227-7102, 2227-7102
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This study investigates the impact of introducing a mandatory practical programming exam on student learning outcomes in introductory programming courses. To facilitate structured coding practice and scalable automated feedback, we developed Programmers’ Interactive Virtual Onboarding (PIVO), a novel Automated Programming Assessment System (APAS). Traditional programming curricula often prioritize theoretical concepts, limiting practical coding opportunities and immediate feedback, resulting in poor skill retention and proficiency. By integrating mandatory practical assessments together with voluntary, self-driven programming tasks through PIVO, we aimed to enhance student engagement, programming proficiency, and overall academic performance. Results show a substantial reduction in failure rates following the introduction of the practical exam, and statistical analyses revealed moderate correlation between students’ voluntary engagement in non-mandatory coding exercises and their performance in both theoretical and practical examinations. These findings indicate an association among engagement in structured, automated practice assessments, algorithmic thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.
Bibliographie:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci15111486