The emergence of educational technology and the growth of the Internet, coupled with the rise in the number of students entering third level education, has led to a surge of online courses offered by universities. These online courses may be part of a traditional classroom based course, or they may act as an entire course by themselves. Student engagement, assessment, feedback and guidance are important parts of any course, but have an added importance for one that is presented online. Together, in the absence of a human tutor, they can greatly aid the student in the learning process.
We present an automated skills training system for a database programming environment that will promote procedural knowledge acquisition and skills training. An SQL (Structured Query Language) select statement tutoring tool is an integral part of this. Targeted at students with a prior knowledge of database theory, and as part of a blended learning strategy, the system allows the student to practice SQL querying at his own time and pace. This is achieved by providing pedagogical actions that would be offered by a human tutor. Specifically, we refer to synchronous feedback and guidance based on a personalised assessment. Each of these features is automated and includes a level of personalisation and adaptation. A high-level of interaction and engagement exists between the student and the system. Students assume control of their learning experience.