JAFA: Java Formative Assessment – Development of a formative assessment tool to support learning of introductory computer programming

The work follows on from a successful project which concentrated on the assessment of Numeracy, Mathematics and Statistics (Thelwall, 1998), the resulting product of which has been used extensively in the School, but has now reached retirement only because of technical reasons. The primary focus of this stage of the project is to develop a formative assessment tool that is conceptually similar in some respects to the earlier system, but is specifically tailored to Programming and uses up to date technology to maximise effectiveness. The product will be tested with a large student cohort to ensure that it functions correctly and is fit for purpose, with the intention that a follow-on project will embed the resulting product in the curriculum.