A Subjective Evaluation of Web-based Programming Grading Assistant: Harnessing digital footprints from paper-based assessments

In a blended learning environment, paper-based evaluation has still been the preferred assessment method of student's learning because of the convenience it offers. In programming learning, several automatic programming evaluation tools have been developed. However, they are less focused on grading paper-based programming problems. In this paper, we discuss a homegrown educational technology called Web-based Programming Grading Assistant (WPGA). It is a system that facilitates grading and feedback delivery of paper-based assessments. A classroom study was designed and feedback from the users were collected. This paper reports a subjective evaluation of the role of the system to their learning, the ease of using the system, and their feedback on some specific features. Results show that students generally gave positive feedback on the WPGA system. Furthermore, the inclusion of analytics and social/peer learning features were some of the recommendations solicited to improve the system.