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

[Kevork Krozian]

Hi James,

 You raise a very good question.

Using the last umpteen years of IT (Systems ) exams as a guide the programming component of the written exam rarely comes close to what the students do in class.
Many colleagues have privately ( off the record but visible here to the world ) have decided to dumb down the level of rigour in programming in class  ( SAC ) work and just focussed on the exam type questions.
So, to answer your question, perhaps you can look at a set of simpler algorithms taken from the last 10 years of exams ( VCAA, VITTA and any others such as IARTV, Chemistry Associates ) and ask them to simply desk check and find the logic errors.
 If they are keen they can write the program in the language you are using but since exam questions have always been in pseudocode ( there may have been an N-S sample sometime in the past too ) there is no benefit whatsoever in doing more coding as far as the exam is concerned.

I may be challenged on this but would love to take up the discussion if there are any other views.

Regards


Kevork Krozian
IT Manager , Forest Hill College
k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au
Mobile: 0419 356 034

>>> "James GIBNEY" <jgy at sthelena.vic.edu.au> 15/08/2007 11:24 am >>>
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