WeBWorK: The Ultimate
Teaching Assistant?
Olly Gotel
Rick Kline
Christelle Scharff
Andy Wildenberg*
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Jackie Baldwin *
Eileen Crupi
Tabitha Estrellado
Agenda
• Introductions and survey of online tools
• WeBWorK:
– What it is, where it is used, what you can do with it,
what we are doing with it and why
• Using WeBWorK as a CS student:
– Range of questions it supports (with extensions)
– Randomization and attempts
• Be the universal instructor/student:
– Question formulation, answer entry and getting
feedback (as both an instructor and student)
• Lessons to date
• Future work
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
What Is WeBWorK?
• Web-based, automated problem generation,
delivery and grading system
• Free, open-source project funded by NSF
• Initial development and applications in the
fields of mathematics, physics
• Currently in use at more than 50 colleges
and universities
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
How Can It Help?
•
•
•
•
Homework, Quizzes, Practice
Randomization
Instant feedback
Ability to “try again”
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Who Else Is Doing This?
• WeBWorK: math, physics
• OWL (Thomson Course Technologies):
chemistry (and perhaps other fields)
• CodeLab, CourseMarker, Codewitz,
Gradience
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
WeBWorK at Pace
• Extend WeBWorK for use in computer
science curriculum
• Interface WeBWorK with other tools to
facilitate grading of new problem types
• Enhance feedback mechanisms for both
students and instructors
• Work funded by NSF grant
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Using WeBWorK in CS121/IS223
• Fall 2005 (Java):
– For in-class tests (multiple choice / matching)
• Spring 2006 (Python and Java):
– For in-class tests (multiple choice / matching)
– For homework exercises
TEACHING & LEARNING: LESSONS FROM EXPERIENCE
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Preparation
• More time upfront, less after (currently)
• Mitigating plagiarism: random ordering of answers in
multiple choice questions, parameterization of code in
matching questions; x out of y questions
• Importance of quality assurance
• Logistics: check clock synchronization, printing individual
test papers
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Student’s Perspective
• Positive:
– Instant feedback and self-assessment
• Issues and questions:
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–
–
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Consequence of no hardcopy: annotations, answer elimination?
Matching questions: text box size, multiple answers?
Context: % complete, visibility of progress?
Single attempt: answer commitment (shock to see results at the
click of a button: where did I go wrong / so what?)
– Multiple attempts: can lead to trial and error
– Transfer of understanding between own programs and variants:
demonstration of real understanding?
– Motivation to use
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Professor’s Perspective
• Positive:
Class size (a helpful teaching assistant!) -- marking 
Can see who is attempting homework
Variation in the questions
Quite straight forward to change questions to other programming
languages
– Reuse: next subjects in Cambodia and perhaps Finland!
–
–
–
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• Negative:
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–
–
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Time to write and QA
Granularity of feedback for me and students
Going through solutions in class
Effective?
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Future Work
• Tailor questions dynamically to support specific student
needs (to challenge or support) based on graph of topics
• Compare mechanism for student learning: references,
hints, easier/harder questions
• Need more granular and visual feedback on performance
for students and professors
• Possibility for class alerts: any common problems, trends?
• Measuring whether these systems actually work!
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Dissemination
• Poster Presentation at the Special Interest Group on
Computer Science Education Conference, Houston
(SIGCSE 2006)
• Poster Presentation at the Innovation and Technology in
Computer Science Education Conference, University of
Bologna, Italy (ITiCSE 2006)
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Your Questions ?
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)
Our Questions …
May Faculty Institute (05/16/06)