Exploring the Impact of Assessment Policies on Marginalized Students' Experiences in Post-Secondary Programming Courses

Objectives: Assessments play a crucial role in computer science courses by providing insights into student learning. While previous research has explored various aspects of assessments, little attention has been given to assessment policies that instructors devise and their impact on students' experiences. Our goal was to investigate: How do assessment policies shape marginalized students' experiences in coding classes? Method: We conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with post-secondary students currently enrolled in or completed a class where their code was evaluated. To recruit, we primarily targeted students from underrepresented racial groups in computer science. Many of these students attended large 4-year public universities. During the interviews, we inquired about students' experience with different assessment policies and how those policies affected their lives and experiences completing the assignments. Results: Our findings revealed ten distinct ways policy and students' lives interacted to create or heighten inequities, which significantly shaped marginalized students' lives. Many policies did not consider the unique experiences of their students and students' needs. Additionally, due to unclear and strict policies, students experienced frustration, confusion, and demotivation, consequently diminishing their sense of belonging in computer science and weakening their self-efficacy as programmers. This reveals the negative consequences of poor assessment policy choices and provides insight into how assessment policies can create barriers to learning computer science for marginalized students.