Transforming Computer-Based Exams with BYOD: An Empirical Study

The assessment landscape in computing education is at a pivotal juncture, necessitating research-backed innovations to align with evolving pedagogical requirements. Paper-based exams, despite their historical prominence, present substantial limitations in assessing coding skills and knowledge. This paper rigorously interrogates these limitations and advocates for a paradigm shift towards computer-based assessments, with a particular focus on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) configurations. It shows an implementation of a special exam mode in the Artemis learning platform, specifically designed for BYOD contexts with a process that is scalable to exams with more than thousand students. In a field study employing action research, we used Artemis in three separate large-scale exams, involving 920 students in total, and gathered both quantitative and qualitative data through an online survey. The empirical evaluation of the data reveals a marked preference among students for computer-based assessments in computing education, specifically when utilizing personal setups. Findings indicate a reduced possibility in instances of academic dishonesty as compared to remote exam environments. This research substantiates the potential of computer-based exams in BYOD scenarios to rectify the incongruence between learning activities and assessment methods, thereby making a significant contribution to enhancing learning outcomes in computing education following constructive alignment.