[Year 12 SofDev] Your homework!

[Adrian Janson]

Hi everyone,

My question - I am afraid!  And I will gladly put up my hand and say 'Yes it
is a badly written algorithm - but I designed it to be so!!'

I think the problem is really that I did too good a job in this regard and
it is SO bad that is becomes a little unclear.

Part of the reason that the question is not explained is that I feel
students need to be able to logically evaluate the function (or intended
function) of an algorithm without being explicitly told what it is meant to
do.

In this case, the user is first asked to enter to test marks.  The first
test mark is checked to see if it is within the range 0-100.  If it is not,
the user is asked to enter it again (note that this new entry is not
likewise checked - which could be listed as one of the errors).  The second
test mark is not checked at all (another error).  The total ranges do not
take into account the value '100' exactly - another error.

Algorithms are traditionally done extremely badly and I don't think
questions like this are a great problem as they force students to really
think logically and critically.

Well - my 2c anyway!

Cheers,
Adrian


-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Frank Van Den Boom
Sent: Friday, 12 October 2007 1:14 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 SofDev] Your homework!

My kids did this trial paper this morning - this was not a good
question. It would have been helpful if the question had a few words
explaining what the algorithm was intended to do. There are any number
of answers to this when it is this open.

Btw, I still thought this was a good trial paper - lots of other good
questions. The case study was good though it had some similarities to
last years EOY paper.

Frank 

-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
Sent: Friday, 12 October 2007 1:09 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Your homework!

Refer to SD VITTA exam 2, Q10b - algorithm...

Module Print_marks
Begin
     Display heading
     Enter Test_mark1
     Enter Test_mark2
     If Test_mark1 < 0 or Test_mark1 > 100
         Display error message
         End program
     Else
         Display prompt for user
         Input Test_mark1
     End if
     Test_total <- Test_mark1 + Test_mark2
     Case of Test_total
     Case: Test_total > 100
         Display 'S'
     Case: Test_total >= 160
         Display 'HD'
     Case: Test_total < 100
         Display 'F'
     End Case
End

Q10b. Under what circumstances will the user be asked to enter
'Test_mark1' again?

The suggested answer is "If test_mark1 is < 0 or > 100"

Can you spot something rather odd with this?
Only 4 of my 13 kids did :-)

--
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia Direct line / Voicemail:
8520 9085 School Phone +613 8520 9000 School Fax +613 95789253 kel AT
mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

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You'll know when we are officially a civilised race: our schools have
all the money they need and the Air Force has to run a chook raffle to
buy a new bomber.

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