JERPA: a distance-learning environment for introductory Java programming courses

This paper describes a Java-based distance-education tool, called the Environment for Remote Programming Assignments in Java (JERPA), for use in computer science courses with Java programming assignments. JERPA reduces the demand on the university's computing infrastructure while providing instructors with an easy system to deploy and distribute assignments, and allowing students greater flexibility as they work on the assignments. JERPA yields immediate advantages to traditional on-campus CS courses and provides a key functionality to programming courses offered in a distance-education setting.