Perspective on Code Submission and Automated Evaluation Platforms for University Teaching

TL;DR

This paper discusses the importance, requirements, and perceptions of automated code submission and evaluation platforms in university teaching, especially during remote learning, highlighting their benefits and maintenance challenges.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive perspective on technical and non-technical requirements and includes empirical data from student surveys on these platforms.

Findings

Automated evaluation improves scalability and quality in teaching.

Platforms reduce teachers' workload and increase transparency.

Continuous maintenance is necessary for effective platform operation.

Abstract

We present a perspective on platforms for code submission and automated evaluation in the context of university teaching. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such platforms have become an essential asset for remote courses and a reasonable standard for structured code submission concerning increasing numbers of students in computer sciences. Utilizing automated code evaluation techniques exhibits notable positive impacts for both students and teachers in terms of quality and scalability. We identified relevant technical and non-technical requirements for such platforms in terms of practical applicability and secure code submission environments. Furthermore, a survey among students was conducted to obtain empirical data on general perception. We conclude that submission and automated evaluation involves continuous maintenance yet lowers the required workload for teachers and provides better evaluation transparency for students.