I'm working on question sets for introductory programming classes in languages like Java, C and Matlab, with a possibility of extending into other commonly-used languages (in our department) like Python and Verilog. The idea is that these questions could be deployed into a protected lab test or an open in-class "flipped homework" environment. Key to […]
This is the fifth in the series of postings on automated grading in C. Here, I've modified the VPL exercise to include four possible flowcharts that the students can implement, but the particular flowchart now get assigned to the student based on the time of day. The VPL output (both "run" and "evaluate" looks like […]
In this fourth post, I'm going to modify the way the unit tests in C get picked up by the VPL "run" and "evaluate" scripts so that rather than look for a particular phrase returned by the unit test (something like "The unit test expected to see 5 but the student's function returned 1"), it's […]
This is the third post in the series on evaluating student assignments in VPL with C and unit testing. We're targeting using VPL on Moodle / eClass. Specifically, the bash scripts are based on the fantastic work of Smith College professor emeritus, Dr. Dominique Thiébaut. He wrote about his VPL work here and while his […]
Here's a simple VPL exercise that can grade a simple student-submitted function. The idea is that there are two bash scripts, one for rough work and one for graded evaluation and these scripts will compile the C program, consisting of a main function that calls the student function, passing two integers to it and having […]
As with earlier posts for Matlab, I'm putting together a set of exercises for automated student testing in introductory programming classes, but this time for Java. The idea is to integrate this into Virtual Programming Lab or secure lab tests. In a future post I'll do a VPL version of this, but for now this […]
On August 4, 2023 the YorkU community was told that just days earlier the whole University, including students, was no longer requiring physical identification cards: "As of July 31, all incoming students to York University will receive their YU-card digitally" By "digitally" we mean having identification information on a cell phone or "smart watch" similar, […]
As with the Matlab and Java versions of this, I'm working on creating a set of C language exercises that can be assigned to students in an automated way, like on eClass (Moodle) using Virtual Programming Lab or the "lab test mode" that we use in the EECS department at York University. Here, I'm focusing […]
Incoming engineering and computer science students often ask "which computer should I get?" when preparing for university life. I tackled this a few years ago on Twitter and in my previous blog posts in 2020, 21 and 22. The basics remain the same: Laptops are useful tools Macs are fine for most ("Air" not "Pro") […]
The assessment of student learning in the formative stage of a university programming class has become very challenging for a number of reasons: the pandemic has generally disrupted learning processes at the elementary and high school levels Prior to the pandemic, reading and note-taking habits had changed, possibly making them less effective. IDE-specific tools catch […]