The Rise of Program Auto-grading in Introductory CS Courses: A Case Study of zyLabs
- Conference
- Location
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Virtual Conference
- Publication Date
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July 26, 2021
- Start Date
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July 26, 2021
- End Date
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July 19, 2022
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Computers in Education
- Page Count
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15
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--37887
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/37887
- Download Count
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788
Paper Authors
Chelsea L. Gordon zyBooks, A Wiley Brand
Chelsea Gordon received her PhD in Cognitive Science at University of California, Merced in 2019. Chelsea works as a research scientist for zyBooks, a Wiley company that creates and publishes interactive, web-native textbooks in STEM.
Roman Lysecky University of Arizona; zyBooks, A Wiley Brand
Roman Lysecky is VP of Content at zyBooks, A Wiley Brand and a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Riverside in 2005. His research focuses on embedded systems, cybersecurity, and STEM education. He has authored more than 100 research publications, received nine Best Paper Awards, is an inventor on multiple patents, and received multiple awards for Excellence at the Student Interface.
Frank Vahid University of California, Riverside
Frank Vahid is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the Univ. of California, Riverside, and co-founder and chief learning officer of zyBooks.
Abstract
In recent years, hundreds of college courses have switched how they grade programming assignments, from grading manually and/or using batch scripts, to using commercial cloud-based auto-graders with immediate score feedback to students and the ability to debug and resubmit for a higher score. This paper provides data on the rise in usage of one of the most widely-used program auto-graders, zyLabs, as one indicator of the strong shift in college course grading to the auto-grading paradigm. The number of courses, instructors, and students using zyLabs have increased dramatically since it was first introduced, such that from 2016 to 2020, the number of courses per year grew from 284 to 2,175, the number of students per year from 24,216 to 132,121, and the number of instructors per year from 364 to 2,866. Most instructors state they previously graded programs by hand and auto-grading saved an average of 9 hours per week. The result is a substantial shift in the classroom dynamic that enables instructors and students to spend more time on quality teaching and learning.
Gordon, C. L., & Lysecky, R., & Vahid, F. (2021, July), The Rise of Program Auto-grading in Introductory CS Courses: A Case Study of zyLabs Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--37887
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