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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Hi all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">In an exam situation, I think correctness is more important than efficiency. Provided the student is following the rules of pseudocode (begin/end use of indentation
etc.) and the logic is correct, they should be fine.<a name="_MailEndCompose"><o:p></o:p></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_MailEndCompose"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_MailEndCompose"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Chris<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 4 August 2016 1:26 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List <sofdev@edulists.com.au><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Year 12 SofDev] Exam pseudocode marking - effectiveness or efficiency?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">In the SD sample exam, B2, students are asked to write pseudocode. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I expect the marker would want to see an answer like this:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Begin<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> If Student in Student Details File Then<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> If Competition_Score >= 50 Then<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b> If Competition_Score >= 95 then</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b> Award <img width="15" height="13" style="width:.1562in;height:.1354in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D1EE56.548B52B0"> "High Distinction"</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b> Else</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b> Award <img width="15" height="13" style="width:.1562in;height:.1354in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D1EE56.548B52B0"> "Pass"</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> EndIf<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> Print “Certificate” Award<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> EndIf<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">End<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It got me to wondering. If - instead of the 'else' a student wrote something like <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Elseif Competition_Score >=50 </b><br clear="all">
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">which also would work (but would be redundant since the second IF construct already tested for this) would the student be penalised?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It's good to see SD exams recently recognising and testing students' ability to optimise code, but is optimisation and efficiency a criterion in assessing students' pseudocode?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Mark<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">-- <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt">Mark Kelly</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt">mark@vceit.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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