E-assessment of Matlab assignments in Moodle: Application to an introductory programming course for engineers

Abstract

This article introduces a novel extension for Moodle supporting the automatic verification of codes written in Matlab. It has been applied when teaching the basics of imperative programming in a course aimed at chemical engineering students. The extension derives from the module CTPracticals, originally developed by the authors to enable the automatic assessment of VHDL assignments in Moodle. Several major changes have been made, mainly in the automatic verification engine, in the core of the system, and in several user interfaces. The module partially frees teachers from the repetitive task of verifying assignments, allowing them to invest more time assisting students and tackling new pedagogical objectives. An anonymous student survey proved that students are satisfied with the system because they find the feedback and the constantly updated view of the status of their assignments helpful. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 728–736, 2013