Automatic Grader Framework in Java / News: Recent posts

I have released a new student programming assignment example that utilizes the grader framework: job scheduler. Loosely, the idea of this assignment is that you own a job shop with 20 workers and you have a bin of (10000 to 30000) jobs. Each job has a pay, #ticks to do the job, and a deadline. The goal is to make the most money in 1000 clock ticks. This assignment is very similar to that of the assignment presented in the Data Structures course at Tufts University in the Fall 1998 semester, without some elaborate functionalities such as logging and CPU time penalty (for thinking too long).

I have released the framework for building a better and "open-source" grader in computer science curricula. Along with the release of the framework, there is also an example (a priority queue assignment) that utilizes the framework.

This project was done with Professor Alva Couch at the Tufts University Department of Computer Science. Currently, he and I are the only contributers to this project, and there are several professors in the department who are interested in utilizing the framework presented in their courses. There will be an academic white-paper for this project, along with the framework. The files are mainly, of course, in Java (totaling under 3 MB). There will be plenty of expansions and updates to the framework like new method declarations. Later this Spring, I will present a simulation assignment (in C++) that was assigned in the Fall Semester of 1998, to Java utilizing the framework.

At many academic institutions, computer programming assignments are automatically graded by a grading or testing program. The concepts presented in the programming assignments are consistent every year, though concepts are presented in different contexts. Currently, many computer science curricula are switching from using C/C++ to Java. The architecture of most C/C++ grading programs does not help students understand how their program is behaving. This project discusses such weaknesses, and how Java not only resolves the problems, but also provides powerful new constructions that are unavailable when using C/C++, such as exposing the grader for students use. A framework for building automatic graders in Java is presented, and two examples (priority queue and job scheduler) that utilize the framework are provided. The framework is expandable for limitless purposes, features, and concepts, including run-time based assignments and GUI-based feedback to students.