Feedback240

In an effort to learn Python while teaching a summer course (cs240), I wrote this grading tool for an introductory C course. Its scope and requirements are specific to my circumstances at the time, but I continue working on it as I learn about coding in Python, hopefully ending with a more widely applicable command line grading tool.

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Modules

There are three modules:

grade240

This module generates a directory containing grade reports for a specific homework assignment. The reports include the following information:

• whether the code was submitted on time or not
• the student's source
• compilation output
• execution output
• comparison to expected execution output
• a grading criteria (to be adjusted by grader based on above information)

notify240

This module emails the completed grade reports to all active students.

status240

This module produces a status report for each student based on their homework, quiz, and exam grades as of the day it is executed.

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Requirements

Feedback240 assumes the following:

• Each student is a user on a unix-like system
• There is a course directory containing student directories named based on students usernames
• Students save their work in folders named "hw1", "hw2", etc.
• The grader maintains a gradebook json file to track student grades

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Usage

Usage of Feedback240 evolved throughout the summer session as I wrote new assignments and dealt with different grading requirements. Currently, the workflow is as follows:

1. Create the support files for the assignment and place them in the support_files directory. Support files include:

• an optional main.c file to drive student functions (otherwise expects this to be provided by students)
• a required files file identifying the source files the student must provide
• optional input files for testing
• a required file with expected output
• the grading criteria for the homework

2. Invoke grade240 with the homework being graded and any options:
   ./grade240 hw1

Options include whether or not to use an alternate main.c to run the student code, whether to include a diff in the output, whether to compile using a makefile, whether or not there is a notes.txt file expected for this homework, and any special options to compile with (e.g., c99 mode).

Providing a specific student's username at the command line allows generation of grading results for a single student.

3. Invoke notify240 with the homework being graded to send results to all active students in the class:
   ./notify240 hw1

(Note that notify can also be invoked for one student at a time.)