Why 
CodeLab works
CodeLab's effectiveness is based on three principles:
- You cannot really learn how to program without practicing writing programming code.
- Learning how to program is more efficient when you can first practice the parts on their own.
- Instant feedback motivates students to try until they get it right.
In addition, because it's online, students can access CodeLab 24/7, from anywhere they can access the internet. The exercises are graduated in complexity within each topic so students can start simply and gain confidence and skills that they then apply to the more complex CodeLab exercises and eventually their class programming projects. CodeLab has also proven very effective at reinforcing vocabulary and making students read directions carefully and code to specification. Students quickly learn that computers are unforgiving and they need to code in an exacting manner.
Where CodeLab fits
CodeLab is appropriate for courses in which a new language is being introduced, whether it is a first course in programming or an upper-level course. CodeLab does not need to replace anything you are doing in your programming class. In fact, CodeLab has the greatest impact if it is used as a bridge between the lectures and the labs or programming projects. With CodeLab, students can start practicing the topics covered in lecture, right away solidifying this knowledge and making it less likely that the will waste time stumbling through basic syntax and usage in the lab or on their programming projects.
Rather than add to the student's homework burden, CodeLab will decrease the time students spend on projects! As the instructor, you will find yourself spending less time on the basics of programming and more time teaching problem solving, programming style, program organization and algorithms.
How CodeLab is set-up
For Instructors
CodeLab is easy to integrate into your current curriculum and set-up is simple. All it takes is an email to us here at Turing's Craft and we'll create your CodeLab account within 24 hours. You pick the exercises you want your students to do using the drag-and-drop Course Manager, setting deadlines with a simple click on a calendar. Your CodeLab grade book is generated automatically when students register for your CodeLab section and it tracks all of their work for you.
For students
On the first day you can post the Turing's Craft URL and the and the class registration code that we provide you. Students go to the URL, fill out a simple registration form (username, password, first name, last name) and can immediately start using CodeLab. The CodeLab grade book is created automatically for the instructor and filled with the names of students as they register. Every student gets 10 "freebie" exercises to start with and then can pay online for full access using the e-commerce form in their CodeLab.
Flowchart
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Instant Feedback
With a click of a mouse, our students receive an evaluation of their answers within seconds. Students do not have to wait for an instructor to email them back or even to walk across the room in order to get confirmation of correctness or identification of their errors.
Custom EvaluationCustom Evaluation
CodeLab automatically tests each student submission and returns feedback that is specific to the submission. The system's ability to locate student errors in logic and syntax is unmatched by any learning tool available for computer programming courses.
100% Self-Paced
With CodeLab, Students can repeat exercises several times or move on after their first correct answer. CodeLabs are the only web-based learning tools that provide completely self-paced programming practice.
Active Learning
"Learning by Doing" is our motto and our CodeLabs provide students with a completely active learning expe- rience. In our CodeLabs, students learn by writing real programming code to solve problems. Writing code is the only way to truly learn pro- gramming, and the Turing's Craft CodeLab is the only web-based learning system that gives the student real programming practice.
Certification
CodeLab automatically certifies that students have written correct programming code. Upon completion of a CodeLab, the student can be certified as having written hundreds of lines of correct programming code