This is the source code repository for the MoDTA plugin.
This is the source code repository for the MoDTA plugin. It is an extended and enhanced version of the approved Moodle JUnit Exercise Corrector (MoJEC) plugin, and the Moodle Dockerized Code Testing (MoDoCoT) and Moodle Dockerized Test Tool (Moodle DTT) plugins - for which no approval was requested, which all still run up to Moodle 4.3. MoDTA can thus be considered MoJEC version 4, thought it can test code in any programming language for which a teacher provides a test runner docker image.
The zip archive in the root directory contains the files from the dta directory for easy installation as long as it is unavailable via Moodle
The zip archive in the root directory contains the files from the dta directory for easy installation as long as it is unavailable via Moodle Plugins Directory.
## Plugin Type – Assignment Submission Plugin
## Goals
MoDTA empowers teachers to provide programming Moodle assignments for their students, which are automatically corrected upon hand-in using teacher-provided tests and the results provided as extended submission feedback.
Corrections optionally include a pedagogic agent giving feedback on student competencies and in the next version recommending next exercises based on student competency levels and resilience.
Furthermore, MoDTA optionally provides the errors as tickets in supported ticketing systems to resemble current state-of-the-art software development workflows.
### Motivation
Due to contact time constraints, assignments for a new topic typically include about three tasks (one easy introductory, one standard usage, and one advanced combination with previous topics). Students e.g. stuck at the standard level assignment may face frustration and only little opportunity for qualified feedback. Especially in beginners’ programming education, many students struggle with the way of thinking and at the same time feel reluctant to ask teachers for help.
MoDTA allows for teachers to provide additional assignments at intermediate levels from their typically existing assignment collection. Teachers have to create automated tests for the assignments and place them in a git repository. Afterwards students can practice their skills 24/7 with a less steep learning curve and without having to overcome their potential reluctance to ask a teacher for help. They receive feedback consistent with other assignment results integrated into the Moodle environment.
MoDTA supports beginners not educated in state-of-the-art repository-based workflows by offering hand-ins in a zip archive containing the code to lower the learning curve. It also supports hand-in via repository URL and optionally repository credentials for advanced students.
Optionally, if a teacher provides competency profiles and difficulties for tasks and tests, students also receive feedback about their achieved competencies by a pedagogic agent, which in the next version optionally recommends a learning path to the students based on their resilience.
Furthermore and independent of the other optional features, MoDTA optionally supports a state-of-the-art workflow by placing tickets for compile errors in a student-provided ticketing system link (currently supported: GitLab and Atlassian Jira).
## Overview
The MoDTA system comprises two key components:
• The MoDTA Moodle plugin, designed as an assignment submission tool.
• The DTA backend web service, which interfaces with the Moodle plugin through REST and employs the JSON file format for communication.
The plugin establishes communication with the external DTA backend REST web service offering the endpoints:
• POST /v1/unittest:** This endpoint requires the assignment ID and a text file containing the repository link (see usage below for an example). Optionally, it may include credentials, if the repository is private. Credentials should be formatted as "username:password" or "username:auth-token". Also optionally, the file may contain a link to a ticketing system in a new line of the same format. The results are returned in JSON format.
• POST /v1/tasks:** This API expects the assignment ID and a text file containing a repository link. Similar to the previous endpoint, it can also include an optional line for credentials when dealing with private repositories, using the same "username:password" or "username:auth-token" format. The results are provided in JSON format.
• DELETE /v1/unittest?assignmentId={id}:** Initiates the deletion of test files when provided with the assignment ID as a query parameter.
## Installation & Configuration
After approval, install the plugin directly from the Moodle Plugins Directory via Site Administration/Plugins/Install Plugins.
Before that or alternatively: zip the plugin code from https://transfer.hft-stuttgart.de/gitlab/HFTSoftwareProject/moodledta (here). The readily-zipped current version also sits in the repository’s main directory. Then install the plugin from zip via Site Administration/Plugins/Install Plugins, or by extracting the plugin archive to {Moodle_Root}/mod/assign/submission/dta and visiting the admins notifications page.
Visit Site Administration/Plugins/Plugin Overview and select Configure next to the Moodle Dockerized Test Agent (MoDTA) entry to enter the URI of your backend. Finally, configure via Site Administration/Security/HTTP Security settings permitting communication with the backend URI and port. The plugin requires the external DTA REST webservice backend.
Notes:
The universal DTA REST webservice backend is available under the GPLv3 as well at https://transfer.hft-stuttgart.de/gitlab/HFTSoftwareProject/dtabackend and the docker image at https://hub.docker.com/r/hftstuttgart/dta-backend . See the documentation in the repository for the necessary setup.
An example JDK 17 JUnit 5 test runner is available under GPLv3 as well at https://transfer.hft-stuttgart.de/gitlab/HFTSoftwareProject/dtatestrunner and the pre-built docker image at https://hub.docker.com/r/hftstuttgart/dta-jdk17-junit5-testrunner . The repository contains an example docker-compose.yaml for tests with a bitnami Moodle and MariaDB setup and the backend.
## Usage
With the MoDTA plugin installed and configured backend URI (including Moodle Security/HTTP Security settings permitting communication with that URI):
### Teacher
When creating an assignment, a teacher can select the MoDTA exercise as a new assignment type via an additional checkbox on the assignment creation page. A new standard file upload field appears and the teacher must upload a text file with the git repository URI containing the tests. The text file has to adhere to the following format also given in the example repository:
The text file has to contain the following, each separated by ::
- dtt as the URI-type
-\<git https repository URI>
-\<git user name or the fixed string “none” for publicly accessible repositories>
-\<git password for the given user, git read access token for the repository, or the fixed string “none” for publicly accessible repositories>
-\<docker hub image for the test runner>
- optionally, an additional line of the same structure containing a ticketing system URI, user name and password or write access token
Students use the same format, just without the runner part at the end.
### Student
Students use an additional MoDTA standard file upload field in the standard submission processs in Moodle where they place either a zip archive or a text file adhering to the same format as the teacher’s file with their code repository URI and optionally credentials and/or a ticketing system URI.
Upon completion, students see a summarized overview of their test results in an additional column of the submission feedback table. Clicking on a new expansion icon in that column, they reach a detailed feedback dialog including stack traces of compile errors and test failures. Optionally, the MoDTA backend creates tickets for compile failures in the ticketing system under the URI provided by the student upon hand-in.
Note: Teachers have access to the same Moodle submission view to assess student results. However, teacher control and grading are not the focus of MoDTA.
### Technical Workflow
Assignment creation: The backend creates a temporary directory and checks out the test code from the given repository to that directory's subdirectory test. If the repository contains a file test-competencies.mft in its root directory with a structure described in the backend documentation, this enables the optional competency feedback.
Assignment submission: The MoDTA plugin passes the submission id and submitted text or zip file – no personal teacher student data – to the external DTA backend REST web service. The DTA backend REST web service fetches or extracts the code to the temporary directory's subdirectory src. It launches via docker a dedicated test runner based on the docker image provided in the teacher’s text file. This test runner compiles and executes the code, running the teacher-defined tests to evaluate the students' submission.
The runner returns the result in a file named result.json in the temporary directory's subdirectory result. The backend optionally enriches the result with competency feedback. It then returns the json result structure to the MoDTA moodle plugin. The MoDTA moodle plugin adds a new column to the submission result table and shows a result summary as well as an + button. Clicking on the + button, the student sees the detailed test results and, optionally, competency feedback.
The assignment submission plugin type was the most suitable choice with assignment feedback as another related option. It empowers you to present customized form fields to students during the assignment submission process and to teachers when configuring assignment settings. Moreover, it grants complete control over how submitted assignments are displayed to both graders and students.
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@@ -14,9 +100,9 @@ The primary features of this plugin type include the ability to:
• Provide a summary of the submission to students and teachers.
• Incorporate form fields into the student submission page for added flexibility and customization.
## File Structure
### File Structure
To ensure proper organization, all files related to the MoDTA assignment submission plugin must reside in the directory path "mod/assign/submission/dta" within the Moodle installation's root folder.
To ensure proper organization, all files related to the MoDTA assignment submission plugin reside in the directory path "mod/assign/submission/dta" within {Moodle_Root}.
### Language
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@@ -45,6 +131,7 @@ The settings file defines two settings for the MoDTA plugin:
This file is currently empty, as the data structure for the plugin has not changed so far.
### db/install.xml
This file defines the necessary database tables and rows for storing data associated with the MoDTA plugin. Moodle offers a specialized XML schema designed for modeling this information, featuring elements like TABLENAME, FIELDS, and KEY. The plugin utilizes two additional tables for cleanliness not to alter moodle standard tables:
assignsubmission_dta_summary which is related 1:1 to the submission and uses the assignment_id and submission_id as foreign keys, and assignsubmission_dta_result which stores the results of a submission as a 1:n relation to the assignsubmission_dta_summary. Whenever a new MoDTA assignment is submitted, the backend web service is engaged, returning one or more test results or compilation errors in the form of a JSON string. The front end parses this JSON string for the result summary and results and stores them in the appropriate tables.
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@@ -62,7 +149,7 @@ The following provides brief descriptions of a selection of functions to illustr
• save_settings(): The save_settings function is invoked when the assignment settings page is submitted, whether for a new assignment or the modification of an existing one. In the MoDTA plugin, this function is responsible for preserving the text file chosen by the teacher and transmitting the file to the backend web service. Like the previous function, this one is overridden from the assign_plugin class.
• get_form_elements_for_user(): During the construction of the submission form, this function plays a similar role to the get_settings() function for settings. In the context of the MoDTA plugin, it adds a file manager to enable students to upload their text or ZIP file. Once again, this function is overridden from the assign_plugin class.
• get_form_elements_for_user(): During the construction of the submission form, this function plays a similar role to the get_settings() function for settings. In the context of the MoDTA plugin, it adds a file manager to enable students to upload their text or zip file. Once again, this function is overridden from the assign_plugin class.
• save():This function is invoked to save a user's submission. Within the MoDTA plugin, this function sends the student's submission to the backend and receives the result as the response. For details see the technical details section above.
