E-Assessment in Programming Courses: Towards a Digital Ecosystem Supporting Diverse Needs?

Abstract

While a number of advantages have been discussed on e-learning/e-assessment tools, little research has been reported on programming courses. Today, the different types of questions have been used in exams based on course type, e.g., Text-based questions, mathematical questions, and programming questions. All these question types require supporting plug-ins for e-assessments. In this study, we provide our practical experience on programming exams in Inspera Assessment and Blackboard Learn, especially focusing on Parsons problems (drag-and-drop questions) and code writing questions. Our findings indicate that currently, tools have basic support for programming exams, and also there is a low-level integration between the tools. However, the adaptability of any exam system could depend on the interoperability between the platforms and external plugins. Hence, more improvements can be made with the implementation of e-assessments in digital ecosystems while it requires a lot of changes internally and outside institutions. In the paper, we will explain how a digital ecosystem within e-assessment could improve assessments and how it supports diverse needs of programming exams.