Online Feedback For Novice Programmers

Abstract

The Environment for Learning to Program (ELP) is a web-based, fill-in-the-gaps
programming tool, aimed at assisting Information Technology students
to program successfully at an early stage of their learning. Programming is
acknowledged to be a complex and difficult learning activity so the ELP was
designed to provide a gentle introduction without the hassle of installation,
compilation and run-time environment issues confronting novice
programmers. ELP is accessed through web pages on the OLT and is used by
students in both undergraduate and postgraduate units. Students generally
enjoy using the ELP but have expressed the need for appropriate and timely
feedback from their teachers so that they can make early progress and don't
spend too much time on simple errors.

A new and important capability is being trialled in the latest version of the
ELP - the ELP Feedback Mechanism (ELP-FM). Students can now annotate
their ELP exercises in situ, in order to request context-specific help from a
teacher. Student queries (annotated student exercise attempts) are saved in a
database and regularly accessed by a duty tutor who can in turn annotate the
student's work with appropriate assistance and feedback. All of this feedback
activity is web-based and access is provided for students and tutors via the
OLT. This paper will briefly describe how ELP-FM works and will report on
recent trials in ITB610 (undergraduate) and ITN600 (postgraduate).