Adaptive online learning can facilitate students’ support by responding immediately to the user’s interactions. Good feedback to students helps closing the gap between actual and desired performance. In this paper we analyze how to introduce online adaptive formative learning in Computer Science, a discipline with well documented challenges that are hard to tackle with traditional classroom methods. Specifically, we developed illustrative learning items teaching Model-Driven Design and implemented them in an online system that implements a model for automatic formative assessment developed by University of Torino. The model takes advantage of an automatic assessment system initially designed for STEM disciplines, then adopted for teaching languages and other disciplines too. The key features of the adaptive model supported by the online system are algorithmic questions, availability, contextualization, immediate feedback, interactive feedback, and open answers. These features are portable across subject domains, so the system can be adapted to include new subjects. We chose MDD because it is a topic of Computer Science education connected with Computational Thinking, software design, and formal methods, which are three of the core areas in need of enhanced support.

Automatic Formative Assessment in Computer Science: Guidance to Model-Driven Design

Marchisio, Marina;Margaria, Tiziana;Sacchet, Matteo
2020-01-01

Abstract

Adaptive online learning can facilitate students’ support by responding immediately to the user’s interactions. Good feedback to students helps closing the gap between actual and desired performance. In this paper we analyze how to introduce online adaptive formative learning in Computer Science, a discipline with well documented challenges that are hard to tackle with traditional classroom methods. Specifically, we developed illustrative learning items teaching Model-Driven Design and implemented them in an online system that implements a model for automatic formative assessment developed by University of Torino. The model takes advantage of an automatic assessment system initially designed for STEM disciplines, then adopted for teaching languages and other disciplines too. The key features of the adaptive model supported by the online system are algorithmic questions, availability, contextualization, immediate feedback, interactive feedback, and open answers. These features are portable across subject domains, so the system can be adapted to include new subjects. We chose MDD because it is a topic of Computer Science education connected with Computational Thinking, software design, and formal methods, which are three of the core areas in need of enhanced support.
2020
2020 IEEE 44th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC)
Madrid, Spain
13-17 July 2020
IEEE Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC)
IEEE
201
206
978-1-7281-7303-0
adaptive assessment, automatic assessment, formative assessment, interactive feedback, Computer Science education, computational thinking, model driven design DIME, model checking
Marchisio, Marina; Margaria, Tiziana; Sacchet, Matteo
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Automatic Formative Assessment.pdf

Accesso aperto

Tipo di file: PDF EDITORIALE
Dimensione 989.95 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
989.95 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Adaptive_Formative_Assessment_in_CS_CELT_Compsac_2020_SHORT_FINAL.pdf

Accesso riservato

Tipo di file: POSTPRINT (VERSIONE FINALE DELL’AUTORE)
Dimensione 287.04 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
287.04 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1761100
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 9
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 6
social impact