[AISWorld] Automated assessment for SQL/database courses

[ilia]

Dear colleagues,

I wonder whether anybody has a tool in operation for automated 
assessment of assignments in a database course. In particular, we would 
be interested to have such a tool for assessing assignments related to 
SQL, though other tools like converting UML into Relational scheme, or 
assessing assignments in the area of Relational Algebra would be also 
good to have.

In connection to SQL, assessing assignments connected to learning SELECT 
has a priority. The tool does not need to make a sophisticated analysis 
of SQL statements, and it does not need to insure 100% correctness - it 
can miss some incorrect statements, but shouldn't mark as incorrect 
correct statements. The following scheme would do. A database is created 
in some popular DBMS, like SQLserver, or MySQL, or even Access. A 
teacher creates a textual question, and a corresponding SQL SELECT. The 
statement is run and the set of records it gives is saved. The students 
are not allowed to change the content of the database. When a student 
creates his/her own SELECT to answer the question, it is run against the 
same database and the set produced is compared with the one stored when 
the teacher ran his/her version of SELECT. If the data sets differ, the 
tool marks the student's SELECT as incorrect.

Any help in acquiring such a tool would be much appreciated.
As customary, a summary of responses will be reported back to the list.

-- Best regards/Ilia
===============================================
Dr. Ilia Bider
Process- och systemutvecklingskonsult at IbisSoft.se
Lektor & Forskare/Docent i data- och systemvetenskap at DSV.su.se
ilia at ibissoft.se        +46 (0)8 164998
Design science in action ... http://slidesha.re/Uq3RTC