Interactive Shiny-Based Grading Interface for R Markdown Assignments
markermd provides a comprehensive Shiny-based interface for grading assignments submitted as git repositories containing R Markdown or Quarto documents. It features template creation with validation rules, interactive AST tree visualization, question-based grading workflows, and automated validation systems.
⚠️ Experimental Status
This package is currently in experimental development. APIs may change significantly, and some features may not be fully stable. Use with caution in production environments.
This project is also an experimental exercise in “vibe” coding with claude code - not all implementation details have been thoroughly evaluated and there is a lot of wonkiness throughout the codebase.
Key Features
- 📝 Template Creation: Interactive interface for creating grading templates with validation rules
- 🌳 AST Visualization: Explore document structure through interactive abstract syntax trees
- ✅ Automated Validation: Define and apply validation rules to check assignment requirements
- 📊 Question-Based Grading: Organize grading around specific questions with customizable rubrics
- ⌨️ Hotkey Support: Fast grading workflows with keyboard shortcuts
- 🔗 GitHub Integration: Support for both local directories and remote GitHub repositories
- 📋 Export Options: Export grades and feedback in various formats (Coming soon)
Installation
You can install the development version of markermd from GitHub:
# Install from GitHub
# install.packages("pak")
pak::pak("rundel/markermd")
# Or using remotes
remotes::install_github("rundel/markermd")Dependencies
markermd relies on the development version of parsermd for parsing R Markdown and Quarto documents:
remotes::install_github("rundel/parsermd")Core Workflows
1. Template Creation (template())
The template creation interface allows you to:
- Load and explore an assignment through an interactive AST tree representation
- Map specific AST nodes (headings, code chunks, etc.) to assignment questions
- Define validation rules (content checks, node counts, etc.) for each question
- Save reusable templates for consistent grading
Repository Structure
markermd expects assignments to be organized as:
assignments/
├── student1-repo/
│ ├── assignment.qmd # or .Rmd
│ └── ...
├── student2-repo/
│ ├── assignment.qmd
│ └── ...
└── ...For GitHub repository integration, the package can automatically: - Clone repositories from GitHub - Sync updates from remote repositories
