ProgrEval: A methodological approach for the evaluation of knowledge in programming

Abstract

Assessing students knowledge is a central challenge for any educator, and programming courses are no exception. Designing an assessment requires a clear understanding of its objectives and the type of learning evidence to be gathered, among other aspects, while ensuring alignment with both the content and the teaching approach used. After analysis of available approaches it is notable that there is no consolidated methodological proposal that serves as a foundation for evaluating fundamental programming knowledge, beyond a few isolated initiatives. These typically fall at two extremes: on one hand, assessments focused on solving concrete exercises in a specific programming language; on the other, tests that resemble general cognitive assessments more than evaluations of programming knowledge. In general, these assessments are standardized and fail to consider students characteristics or the way in which the content was taught. This work presents the general framework and key components of ProgrEval, a methodo ogical proposal for programming assessment in secondary schools, which includes the design of valid and reliable instruments, their refinement, and their continuous improvement.