Automatic Tools for Software Quality Analysis in a Project-Based-Learning Course

Abstract

Over the last decade, the “Anytime, anywhere” paradigm has gained pace in Higher Education teaching, leading many universities to innovate in pedagogical strategies based on Internet and Web access technologies. Development of remote access technologies has enabled teachers to achieve higher levels of efficiency while students can access tools and resources no longer constrained by time or location. Additionally, students can submit their assignments, be evaluated and be provided feedback remotely. In this context arises the need for faculty to dispose of automatic tools that ease and support the evaluation process whilst facilitating the provision of student feedback. Project Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a pedagogical strategy that can contribute to measure software quality and thus evaluate students in a more accurate and comprehensive way by devoting importance to a broad set of components, not just focused on functional aspects. This paper analyzes how the introduction of innovative automatic diagnosis and feedback tools, based on quantitative methods, can contribute towards a continuous process of student software quality enhancement and higher efficiency programming in PBL courses, without compromising functional aspects, as students are provided practical guidelines by instructors on a timely basis.