2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WebTA is an autocritiquer providing real-time feedback for programming in flipped-class active learning classes for first-year engineering students. WebTA was developed to critique student code in introductory computer science courses that programmed using Java. WebTA provides just-in-time feedback on syntax errors, subtle logic errors, and style issues.

The I-USE project Rich, Immediate Critique of Antipatterns (RICA) in Novice Programmer Code: Broadening Adoption, Supporting Student LEarning, and Enhancing Programming Competencies project is simultaneously extending WebTA for MATLAB and examining its impact on the computer programming self-efficacy of novice programmers. Within first-year engineering classes, students were asked to submit MATLAB code to WebTA for feedback, so that they might revise it prior to submission for grading. In this manner, WebTA provided real-time, instantaneous feedback for classes of up to 120 students at a time - a feat which even the most attentive teaching team of instructors and TAs could not achieve.

As self-efficacy is tied to success in engineering programs, and computer programming is an essential component of the education of first-year engineering students, our team is examining the impacts of WebTA on the computer programming self-efficacy of first-year engineering students as they learn to code. This paper summarizes our current progress investigating how prior programming experience and initial confidence levels influence the effectiveness of the code critiquer tool in enhancing programming self-efficacy. By analyzing these variables, the study identifies key factors that mediate the impact of automated feedback and provides strategies for tailoring educational interventions to diverse student needs.