An Introduction of Test Code-Based Approach in Algorithms and Data Structures Course with Java Programming

Mustika Mentari¹, Nobuo Funabiki¹, Perwira Annissa Dyah Permatasari¹, Htoo Htoo Sandi Kyaw¹, Vivi Nur Wijayaningrum², Triana Fatmawati², Yan Watequlis Syaifudin²

1. ¹ Okayama University
2. ² Politeknik Negeri Malang

International Conference on Vocational Education and Electrical Engineering (ICVEE), 2025

Nowadays, Java remains a fundamental programming language in computer science educations including Algorithms and Data Structures course that emphasizes programming logic and problem-solving. Current assignments in this course cause challenges to both teachers and students. Manual grading of answer codes is time-consuming for teachers, and can be prone to human errors and inconsistent. Code writing by students tend to use inconsistent identifier names and incorrect code structures due to a lack of implementation specifications, which adds further difficulties in grading. Previously, we have developed a web-based Java Programming Learning Assistant System (JPLAS). In JPLAS, Code Writing Problem (CWP) allows students to write codes that are automatically verified using JUnit-based test codes. Test codes can give implementation specifications. In this paper, we introduce a test code-based approach into Algorithms and Data Structures course with Java in the Information Technology Department at the State Polytechnic of Malang, Indonesia. To avoid implementations of different algorithms for sorting, intermediate states of variables are also tested. For evaluations, we created 12 assignments covering key topics and assigned them to 35 first-year students. The results show that it significantly reduced workloads of teachers and offered implementation guidance to students.

DOI10.1109/icvee66651.2025.11281417Copy