Introductory MOOC as Part of Student Admission: Course Evaluation and Development Needs

Applicants to the master’s degree program in computer science delivered via distance education are offered with an introductory course that assesses their ability to succeed in the program. The course aims to provide applicants with a realistic picture of the demands of the course in terms of time and to help students assess whether distance learning is suitable for them. The hands-on programming exercises pose challenges for distance learning. The course has been implemented four times, and the course was evaluated at each time. The evaluation results showed that the exercises must be designed in such a way that students have a clear idea of the level of performance that each grade requires. The level of difficulty of the exercises must also be increased in this context. For hands-on exercises, a simulator seems to be a sound replacement for a physical device.