Student Perception of Online Judges in Learning Problem Solving through Introductory Programming

Multiple strategies exist while attempting to introduce problem-solving to engineering students. One of the popular strategies is to encourage problem-solving through the introductory programming course. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the extent to which online judging-based evaluation and training strategies can be employed to effectively deliver introductory programming courses. The paper focuses on student perceptions of learning as a measure to gauge their confidence in problem-solving and programming. With responses from over 400 students across departments and in various stages of the undergraduate program, this paper discusses a detailed analysis of student perceptions of learning, their comfort levels, and confidence when using online judge based evaluation strategies. Results show that a majority of students believe that online judges assist them to improve their problem solving and programming skills.