Columbia University Powers CS & Math Courses with Codio

Requirements

What we needed

With over 3000 students now using Codio, we needed a solution that could be implemented easily, improving how instructors teach and how student code. There are myriad components, integrations, and issues that would need to be managed if we weren't using an integrated platform such as Codio. These include:

• Configuring and distributing virtualized or containerized environments

• Each student connecting their IDE to the container

• Faculty managing considerable tech support issues relating to the installation and configuration of a range of IDEs, resulting in time spent and high student attrition

• Submitting student code to a grading server

• Passing the resulting grades back to a gradebook or LMS

Codio takes care of all of these features such that every aspect of the course work can be delivered using only a browser and without students needing to install a thing.

Integrated Platform

The integrated and automated nature of the platform avoids many individual technical issues.

Automated Grading

Auto-graded questions and auto-graded code assessments

Easy LMS Integration

LMS & Gradebook Integration

Prioritizing Instruction

Faculty don't have to act as support staff for students due to the platform being web-based

VM Customization

Each assignment is a full-powered VM that can be configured with any programming language, database, component, etc., even providing sudo level privileges

Level the Student Experience

Ensure all students would start each assignment with the exact same configuration, no matter how complex

Background

Why we chose Codio

Before adopting Codio, our department spent 3 months trying to use another product. During that time we only managed to get 60% implemented also requiring substantial customization of the platform by the vendor.

We then discovered Codio, fully implemented our solution in 2 weeks with no product customizations needed. We have since been very successful in running courses both internally and on edX.

The Codio platform provides everything instructors need to deliver courses and everything students need to code. Each student automatically gets a cloud-based virtual server as well as a browser-based IDE. The virtual server has the entire software stack necessary for students to write, compile and execute code during the course. Codio enables significant time savings for faculty, so they can prioritize teaching students instead of acting as tech support.

Benefits

Teaching with Codio

Courses Taught With Codio

Introduction to Computer Science
Data Structures
Bioinformatics

What we love about Codio is the ease of configuration for any programming scenario and the fact that we can configure it entirely ourselves. Its integrated nature, flexibility, and the fact that all students need is a browser are fantastic.

Codio provides the framework for each student’s work to be automatically graded. In this case, a specialized Python grading script was custom-written by our faculty. The grading results are then fed back to the Canvas LMS platform.

The integrated nature of the Codio platform is also very important. Without a fully automated and integrated approach, the department would have had to solve many individual technical problems and then integrate them.

Flexibility & Integration

Easily configure any programming scenario

"What we love about Codio is the ease of configuration for any programming scenario and the fact that we can configure it entirely ourselves. Its integrated nature, flexibility, and the fact that all students need is a browser are fantastic."

Eitan Grinspun, PhDAssociate Professor of Computer Science, Engineering Department, Columbia University

Codio and Columbia University

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Provides everything needed for success

Achieve better learning outcomes