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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">Hey there Mark...
<div>I gave the 'Swift Playgrounds' Apple language a run this year with the 7/8 crew on their iPADS. It uses functions and looping in its learning phase. Plus...the kids enjoyed it as it had an animated character they were making do the moves(visual aspect!).</div>
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<div>just a thought...</div>
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<div>Kent.<br>
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<div style="font-size:13px; font-family:Tahoma"><strong>Kent Beveridge</strong><br>
Teacher</div>
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<div id="divRpF388052" style="direction: ltr;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> sofdev [sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au] on behalf of Mark [mark@vceit.com]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, 13 December 2017 2:12 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Slightly off topic question<br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Paragreen, Chris J <span dir="ltr">
<<a href="mailto:paragreen.chris.j@edumail.vic.gov.au" target="_blank">paragreen.chris.j@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<p class="gmail-MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">I haven’t, but it gives me an idea …. A good way to embed some algorithmic thinking …?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">Chris</span><br>
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<div>I fully endorse the brief exposure of SD students to the concept of assembly code - even machine code, and how CPUs work in binary with registers and stuff.</div>
<div>But... going to that depth to teach <i>algorithms</i> may be less beneficial.</div>
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<div>You <i>may</i> risk losing sight of the overall algorithm in the tortuous and bulky detail of the assembly code...</div>
<div>High level source code hides the gory complexities of CPU operations and lets humans focus on higher, more spiritual and abstract programming matters.</div>
<div>That's one of the reasons the exam only deals in generic, high-level pseudocode.</div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000"><RANT></font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000">In fact SD pcode is <i>so</i> high level that I have yet to see any VCAA exam pseudocode that even calls a function using parameters! </font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000">This <i>really</i> need to happen soon. </font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000">The lack of functions in pcode is a serious deficiency in examining students' understanding of basic modular programming. </font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000">Would it be so hard for pseudocode like...</font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">sampletext <-- "foobar"</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">mode <-- "upper"</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">newtext <-- CHANGECASE(sampletext, mode)</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">DISPLAY newtext</font></div>
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</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000">and then include a function like</font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">FUNCTION CHANGECASE(T,M)</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> IF M == "upper" THEN</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> Convert T to uppercase</font></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0); font-family:monospace,monospace"> ELSEIF m == "lower" THEN</span><br>
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<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> Convert T to lowercase</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> ELSE</font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> DISPLAY "Mode parameter must be UPPER or LOWER"</font></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0); font-family:monospace,monospace"> END IF</span><br>
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<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace"> RETURN T </font></div>
<div><font color="#ff0000" face="monospace, monospace">END FUNCTION</font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000">... and then a nice question about calling the function, passing some parameters, and using the function's output?</font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000">Think of how deliciously <i>juicy</i> the exam pseudocode could become with the added milky goodness of functions... drool.</font></div>
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<div><font color="#ff0000"></RANT></font><br>
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<div>My point is, it can be all too easy to get lost in the lower-level opcodes and forget the overall shape and intention of the algorithm one was supposed to be working for.<br>
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<div>I don't miss the days when I could calculate in hexadecimal as easily as I could in decimal.</div>
<div>Now I expect software to carry that mundane load for me, like a faithful servant, so I can dwell on more lofty and ethereal matters.</div>
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<div>Like lunch.</div>
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