[Year 12 SofDev] How to use programming to add value to thestudents' learning

[Andrew Shortell]

Hi James

 

I, personally, get my students to do a practice exam - under exam
conditions - in that double instead. Every week. When you have done all
of them then start again. By that time they should be starting to know
what to put on the exam. There are a lot of past practice papers out
there. I realise that this imposes a major marking burden which I hate.
So I give them the solutions after, get them to mark it themselves, then
review their marking and marks and consult on anything that they could
not answer. The past VCAA papers that I have marked as an assessor I
mark those because I learnt the answers off by heart and can do those
quickly. 

This provides great feedback to me and ok to them.

I aim to have the course finished by the end of august at the latest so
there is plenty of time to review, practise exams and find all of those
bits that they did not learn during the course of the year (year = 7
months of teaching).

 

I know that this does not fit with many ideas of teaching but by the end
of year 12 I want them to do as well as possible. I also know that the
exam is reasonably easy but all of the questions are about material that
is on the curriculum. So many of the students in this subject believe
that they know all about computers already and so do not study what is
in the curriculum. Thus students that actually study the course have an
inestimable advantage and I try to reinforce that advantage as much as I
can. Frequently I fail but where I can manage to do so it has helped
immensely.

 

Also, doing many practice exams give students a good feel for the exam
and so they are relaxed when they go in - that is - less stressed. The
tone of the exam has changed subtly over the years but not drastically
which is one of the great benefits of having a stable exam setting panel
( Hi to them ;-) )

 

Remember, one of the consequences of statistical moderation is that all
of your class needs to work together to achieve the best possible exam
marks both individually and as a group whereas in the SACs they are
fighting tooth and nail to climb the rank order. One hopes that you have
none of your top ten students on the same aggregate SAC score.

 

Good luck - it is nearly finished

 

Andrew Shortell

Braemar College

 

 

________________________________

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of James GIBNEY
Sent: Wednesday, 15 August 2007 11:25 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] How to use programming to add value to
thestudents' learning

 

Hi all,

 

Now that my class has finished the last programming SAC I'm wondering
how I can continue to use programming as a tool to reinforce the
students' learning. Throughout the year I have been allotting 2 of my 5
periods a week to programming and the students enjoy working on the
computer. In other years I have got the students to use VB like
Powerpoint or a hyperlinked document as a revision tool or to summarise
work done in class. Does anyone have any ideas how to use the
programming software as an aid for teaching the remainder of the course
and as preparation for the exam?

 

Thanking you for your help in the past and the future

 

Jim

 

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