How Computer Science Teachers Assess Open-ended Programming Assignments
Conference paper for Koli Calling 2026
- By Arthur Rump, Angelika Mader and Vadim Zaytsev
We studied how instructors assess open-ended programming assignments in university-level computer science courses in the Netherlands. Evaluating such assignments is labour-intensive, so our long-term goal is to develop tool support for this assessment. Effective tool support, however, requires understanding the existing practice. Through interviews with teachers and teaching assistants and analysis of their rubrics and grading guidelines, we characterise the topics and skills instructors assess, how they structure and use grading criteria, and how they experience the assessment process. Our findings provide an empirical basis for designing tool support for evaluating open-ended assignments.
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