Evaluation Process for an Introductory Programming Course Using Blended Learning

TL;DR

This paper presents the Evaluation Unified Process (EUP) for assessing introductory programming courses in both face-to-face and blended learning environments, enabling performance comparison across different teaching modalities.

Contribution

The paper introduces the EUP framework and demonstrates its application in a real course, comparing traditional and blended learning scenarios over nine years.

Findings

EUP facilitates consistent evaluation across teaching modes

Blended learning outcomes are comparable to face-to-face results

Software tools support the evaluation process effectively

Abstract

For an offer of the same course for thousands of students, for face-to-face or distance learning, some uniformities must be adopted to allow a comparison of performance in the teaching-learning processes. The Evaluation Unified Process (EUP) was designed and used in an introductory programming course called the Information Process (IP) for students of the Bachelor of Science and Technology of the Federal University of ABC. Initially, the face-to-face scenario (IP-Class) is presented, pointing out the problems identified, describing the EUP designed and applied in mixed learning environments (IP-BL), including the use of software tools developed for this purpose. The two scenarios (IP-Class and IP-BL) are compared with the use of data from all classes of the last 9 years of course application.