Sharing a wizard for E-learning computer programming

We present a prototype for a generator of shared learning objects to be used in university courses that teach computer programming. The learning objects are question and answer test sets and an application which presents and grades the questions. The application is a Java-based “wizard” that can present and grade short answer questions, multiple choice questions and programming questions for several programming languages (Java, C, Perl, Ruby, Python or bash). The generator, on the other hand, is a web-based application which can be used to create and share tutorials and tests and the wizards which present them. Currently the generator can handle only multiple choice questions and short answer questions with various forms of hints, but it will soon be extended to cover programming questions as well. The generator and test bank are publicly and freely available, so that instructors around the world can share tutorials, tests and results. An instructor can download a ready-made tutorial, add to a current tutorial or create a new one online. We believe that the wizard generator will contribute to improved learning and assessment in programming courses. The more widely it is used, the greater its potential contribution, since the question repositories will grow and become calibrated.