2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Effect of Automated Instantaneous Feedback, Unlimited Submission Attempts, and Optional Exercises on Student Engagement, Performance, and Academic Integrity in an Introductory Computer Programming Course for Engineers

Presented at COED: Grading Systems

We explore how automated just-in-time feedback, unlimited submission attempts, and optional no-credit programming assignments impact student engagement, course performance, and academic integrity in an undergraduate introductory computer programming course for engineers. An interactive browser-based coding platform called MATLAB Grader was used to provide customized actionable feedback to students as they develop their solutions to homework, practice, and exam problems. Statistical analysis of students’ engagement with the no-credit assignments and their academic performance reveals a positive correlation between students’ level of engagement with the optional exercises and their course scores and grade point average. Female students were found significantly more likely to engage with the optional exercises compared to their male peers, despite the GPA distributions of the two groups being very similar. URM students were found to be significantly less inclined than non-URM students to take advantage of the zero-credit instant-feedback practice opportunities. A significant difference in final exam scores was likewise observed between URM and non-URM students, with the latter group receiving the higher marks. The significance of the differences could not be adequately explained by differences in GPA alone. Analysis of students’ survey responses shows that real-time feedback and unlimited submission attempts helped students assess their learning progress and motivated them to continuously improve their solutions. Instant feedback and unlimited submission attempts were regarded by students as likely having positively impacted academic integrity in the course. The effect of automated feedback and optional assignments on students’ need to visit office hours is explored. Implications for future pedagogical practice and research are discussed.

Authors

Marko V. Lubarda http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3755-271X University of California, San Diego [biography]

Marko V. Lubarda is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. He teaches mechanics, materials science, design, computational analysis, and engineering mathematics courses, and has co-authored the undergraduate textbook Intermediate Solid Mechanics (Cambridge University Press, 2020). He is dedicated to engineering pedagogy and enriching students' learning experiences through teaching innovations, curriculum design, and support of undergraduate student research.
Dr. Alex M. Phan http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2489-2886 University of California, San Diego [biography]

Dr. Alex Phan is the inaugural Executive Director for Student Success in the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. Prior to his appointment, he has served as an engineering instructor teaching across multiple divisions, including the Jacobs School of Engineering (Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Eng., Dean's Office Unit) and UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. His teaching interests and expertise are in experiential learning, holistic education models, active learning environments, and metacognition. In his current role, he leads the IDEA Student Center, a prolific student-centered resource hub at the Jacobs School that serves as a model for student success units across the country.
Aidan Daniel Carrigg
Karthik Srinivasan
Josephine Relaford-Doyle University of California, San Diego [biography]

Dr. Josephine Relaford-Doyle is an Education Specialist in the Teaching + Learning Commons at UC San Diego, where she works in faculty development and instructional support. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Science and has researched STEM learning at both the K12 and post-secondary levels.

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