AUTOMATIC TEST-BASED ASSIGNMENT AND SEMI-AUTOMATIC ASSESSMENT AS A STUDENT SUPPORT IN EDUCATION

e-Learning and blended learning is changing very fast, and new "technology enhanced learning" alternatives are emerging frequently. To keep up with new technologies, we are permanently developing new tools and evaluating new possibilities to improve our courses.

Our students are provided with our own e-Learning platform called eNcephalon. Since summer term 2013 an automated test-based assessment module has been introduced in the part time bachelor degree program “Software Design” and the full time bachelor degree program "Internet Technology".

As the main features – such as naming conventions, basic content comparison and black box testing – have been tested successfully under laboratory conditions, the field test in summer term 2013 validated the expected results and furthermore identified some issues which were not anticipated during the lab tests. Many of these issues are derived from didactic aspects of assessment and the question of how students handle exercises.

The paper at hand describes a second field test with focus on the integration of didactic aspects in order to increase the acceptance of automatic assignments. This paper also compares the initial situation of summer term 2013 with the current summer term 2014 based on the course “Configuration Management”. Finally, this paper provides a recommendation on how to handle automatic test-based assignments from the pedagogical point of view.