Practical programming exams with automated assessment improve student engagement and learning outcomes

Rojec, Žiga (avtor), Puhan, Janez (avtor), Fajfar, Iztok (avtor)

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.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: programming education, Automated Programming Assessment System (APAS), practical exam, test-driven learning, student engagement, algorithmic thinking
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FE - Fakulteta za elektrotehniko
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2025
• Št. strani: 20 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 15, issue 11, art.1486
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176632
• UDK: 004.42:378
• ISSN pri članku: 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci15111486
• COBISS.SI-ID: 260230915
• Datum objave v RUL: 05.12.2025

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Education sciences
• Skrajšan naslov: Educ. sci.
• Založnik: MDPI
• ISSN: 2227-7102
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520257817

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: poučevanje programiranja, Avtomatizirani sistem za preverjanje programiranja (APAS), praktični izpit, testno vodeno učenje, angažiranost študentov, algoritmično razmišljanje

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P2-0246
• Naslov: ICT4QoL - Informacijsko komunikacijske tehnologije za kakovostno življenje