STACK and CodeRunner

CodeRunner and STACK are two specialist question types in Moodle that let you automatically mark more complex student work. Coderunner is ideal for computing and technical subjects because it lets students write and run code directly inside a quiz with their answers checked against real test cases.

STACK is designed for maths and uses algebraic checking so students can enter proper mathematical expressions and get accurate, automated feedback. Together, they make Moodle quizzes much more flexible for subjects that go beyond simple multiple‑choice answers.

Please note that the Digital Learning team cannot provide detailed guidance on the use of STACK or CodeRunner.

In this guide:

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CodeRunner

CodeRunner is a Moodle quiz question type that allows teachers to run a program in order to grade a student's answer. By far the most common use of CodeRunner is in programming courses where students are asked to write program code to some specification and that code is then graded by running it in a series of tests. CodeRunner questions have also been used in other areas of computer science and engineering to grade questions in which many different correct answers are possible and a program must be used to assess correctness.

CodeRunnner quizzes are normally run in adaptive mode, allowing students to paste in their code in answer to each programming question and get to see their test-case results immediately. They can then correct their code and resubmit, typically for a small penalty.

CodeRunner is available on Warwick's main Moodle site as a quiz question type.

STACK

The STACK (System for Teaching and Assessment using a Computer algebra Kernel) system is a computer-aided assessment package for mathematics that provides a question type for the Moodle quiz. STACK concentrates on student-provided answers which are mathematical expressions.

STACK calculations occur within Moodle.

Where to get help with STACK and/or CodeRunner

Digital Learning does not provide support in the use of STACK or CodeRunner and cannot advise or diagnose issues with question content or behaviour. The links below are to documentation provided by the developers of the respective plugins.

STACK Documentation- includes guidance on authoring questions, frequently asked questions and guides for students
STACK question typeLink opens in a new window (Moodle Docs)
CodeRunner DocumentationLink opens in a new window- introduction, question types, templates and a link to a support forum
http://coderunner.org.nz/- contains demo CodeRunner quizzes

If either of the question types is not working as expected after following the guidance above, or if there is an issue with the Moodle platform itself, please email the Help Desk via helpdesk@warwick.ac.uk.