[Year 12 SofDev] When is enough enough? Data structures depth ofknowledge required.[y12]

[Andrew Shortell]

Hi Andrew
Adrian's point is valid.
We also need to look carefully at what is actually examined and why...

Although you are in Gippsland it would be very worthwhile for you to
mark the exam papers in the subject for a few years. The effort involved
in travelling up and down will be amply repaid in the significant
changes that you would make in the teaching of the subject.

Careful reading of the examiners' reports over the years indicates that
2d arrays have moved onto the exam. Why?.... careful reading of the
study design indicates that they have been there for a while....

I teach this subject because I enjoy programming, I enjoy teaching the
students to program, I enjoy making things. The theory is fine and
obviously contributes to understanding the programming (weellll some of
it does)

For me the bottom line is that we do the bits that are fun and (then)
concentrate on getting a good mark. I teach for enjoyment. ;-)

Andrew Shortell
Braemar College


-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Adrian Janson
Sent: Friday, 12 September 2008 8:25 AM
To: 'Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [Year 12 SofDev] When is enough enough? Data structures
depth ofknowledge required.[y12]

Hi Andrew,

As one of the authors of one of the SD texts - I feel I must point out
that
although the contents of the study design are fully represented in my
text -
my text is not fully represented in the study design!  The only 'book'
that
you should be truly using as a reference is the Study Design.  My text
contains a lot of material that is beyond the study - and teachers
shouldn't
get the impression that any text is the equivalent to the Study Design.

On the topic of Data Structures - I do take your point that it is not
well
defined in the Study Design, however, it is not difficult to know what
is
'reasonable'.  For example, 1D and 2D arrays are a must and I feel that
a
knowledge of the function of records, stacks and queues is also good.
Linked Lists and trees are really a bit beyond what students need to
know -
and certainly teaching the algorithms for them is too much.  You are of
course entitled to teach data structures to any depth that you like -
and it
all serves to enrich the topic as a whole!

Cheers,
Adrian
 
Adrian Janson, 
VITTA President
Director of ICT, 
Melbourne High School, 
Forrest Hill, South Yarra 3141 Australia.
Phone: 03 9826 0711 International: +61 3 9826 0711
Fax: 03 9826 8767 International: +61 3 9826 8767
E-mail: janson.adrian.a at edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au
Blog: http://jansona.edublogs.org

-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Dr Andrew Wenn
Sent: Thursday, 11 September 2008 2:41 PM
To: sofdev at edulists.com.au
Cc: Andrew Wenn
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] When is enough enough? Data structures depth
of
knowledge required.[y12]

Hi,

Could someone please advise on how much knowledge VCE students are
required
to have of data structures?

Looking at the two main texts there is a fair difference for example in
the
discussion of linked lists in terms of implementation and algorithms. I
find
the Study Guide even more vague (now why does that suprise me????)

Obviously students should have an appreciation of structures such as the
array, queue, stack, linked list and trees and when and why they would
be
used.

It would be easy to for me to teach six months of data structures and
implementation but what amounts to enough knowledge? Are students
expected
to know insertion and deletion algorithms for linked lists or even how
to
traverse a tree or a list? 

All answers to be supplied on the back of a table napkin pls :-)

Andrew Wenn
Gippsland Grammar

-- 
email: andrewwenn at mac.com

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