The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Supporting Group Coursework Assessment in Large Computing Classes through an Open-Source Web Application

Supporting Group Coursework Assessment in Large Computing Classes through an Open-Source Web Application
Supporting Group Coursework Assessment in Large Computing Classes through an Open-Source Web Application
Group coursework in computing often suffers from uneven workload distribution, poor communication, and limited visibility for staff, especially in large cohorts. We present an open-source web application that addresses these challenges through automated team allocation (via genetic algorithms), student skill self-assessment, meeting tracking, peer review, and supervisor tools. The system is embedded in a year-long second-year undergraduate module on software design and development (with 300 students in 2025/26) and is replacing manual, ad-hoc processes with structured, data-driven support. Informal trials suggest it helps staff identify struggling teams early and supports fairer marking. Data collection from the first cohort is ongoing. We share findings, reflect on design choices, and discuss implications for adoption in other computing courses.
group work, peer assessment, team formation, computing education, collaborative learning, educational technology
Association for Computing Machinery
Kitson, Sam
cd52b584-1aa8-4d6a-87e2-65ccbbcf1082
Wilde, Adriana Gabriela
4f9174fe-482a-4114-8e81-79b835946224
Gomer, Richard
71c5969f-2da0-47ab-b2fb-a7e1d07836b1
Kitson, Sam
cd52b584-1aa8-4d6a-87e2-65ccbbcf1082
Wilde, Adriana Gabriela
4f9174fe-482a-4114-8e81-79b835946224
Gomer, Richard
71c5969f-2da0-47ab-b2fb-a7e1d07836b1

Kitson, Sam, Wilde, Adriana Gabriela and Gomer, Richard (2026) Supporting Group Coursework Assessment in Large Computing Classes through an Open-Source Web Application. In CEP 2026: Computing Education Practice 2026. Association for Computing Machinery. 4 pp . (doi:10.1145/3772338.3772348).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Group coursework in computing often suffers from uneven workload distribution, poor communication, and limited visibility for staff, especially in large cohorts. We present an open-source web application that addresses these challenges through automated team allocation (via genetic algorithms), student skill self-assessment, meeting tracking, peer review, and supervisor tools. The system is embedded in a year-long second-year undergraduate module on software design and development (with 300 students in 2025/26) and is replacing manual, ad-hoc processes with structured, data-driven support. Informal trials suggest it helps staff identify struggling teams early and supports fairer marking. Data collection from the first cohort is ongoing. We share findings, reflect on design choices, and discuss implications for adoption in other computing courses.

Text
cep2026_10 - Accepted Manuscript
Download (504kB)

More information

Submitted date: 11 September 2025
Accepted/In Press date: 13 October 2025
Published date: 7 January 2026
Venue - Dates: Computing Education Practice 2026, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom, 2026-01-07 - 2026-01-08
Keywords: group work, peer assessment, team formation, computing education, collaborative learning, educational technology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 507283
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/507283
PURE UUID: 5dcac676-5b2c-4491-b43d-3c787b4a87b3
ORCID for Adriana Gabriela Wilde: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1684-1539
ORCID for Richard Gomer: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8866-3738

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Dec 2025 17:31
Last modified: 08 Jan 2026 02:57

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Sam Kitson
Author: Adriana Gabriela Wilde ORCID iD
Author: Richard Gomer ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×