[Year 12 SofDev] MC

Tue Nov 22 09:32:47 EST 2011

Hi everyone,

My 2c now!

I disagree with this view - we are discussing a stack implementation in a
1-D array and in such a case, a stack will work in exactly this way.  Isn't
this the way that we all taught it?  VB.Net has an inbuilt stack data
structure and I certainly made use of it - but only after I taught my class
how to implement a stack in a 1-D array.  I am interested to hear how others
taught it - I just felt that if I used the 'stack' data structure that the
understanding of my class would have been minimal.  I first taught them how
a stack worked, then asked them to write a push and pop algorithm using a
1-D array, which we then coded - and after we had completed all of these - I
showed them the 'stack' data structure in VB.Net.

Is this what others are doing or am I way off base?

Cheers,

Adrian

Adrian Janson B.Sc, Dip.Ed, M.Ed
Director of ICT
Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria 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 <http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au/> 

Blog: http://jansona.edublogs.org <http://jansona.edublogs.org/> 

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Andrew Shortell
Sent: Tuesday, 22 November 2011 8:49 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] MC

Hi all (you too K)

Older members of the list might remember back a long time ago when we were
taught programming.

This way of doing is how it was taught way back then. It made perfect sense
to me. (yes I am 53+ !!  ;-)

Modern programming languages do not have to be so parsimonious with RAM and
processor speed thus the implementation nowadays is not so old fashioned.

Perhaps this is one of those times when making the effort to understand the
exam setting panel makes sense (many of you know my preaching about that so
no more on it now and NO I am not on the panel). Clearly the hard core
programmer on the panel learnt theory back then... (or was taught by someone
who learnt the theory back then.....! )

Off my soapbox and back to work
I need to start packing my gear soon as I am off to a new school in 2012
Very exciting

Andrew

-- 
Andrew Shortell

mailto:shortell at get2me.net 
Leaving the 
Heidelberg Teaching Unit at the end of 2011
Ph 9470 3403
Fax  9470 3215

On 22/11/11 7:27 AM, "Kevork Krozian" <kevork at edulists.com.au> wrote:

Hi Gordon,

 I am with you on this question.
 This very point about the state of the stack is what gets me and every one
of my programmer and lecturer friends scratching our heads.

Once a stack is popped ( this can be demonstrated with a few short segments
of code in PHP, C#, C++ ) any attempt to access the popped location leads to
either garbage or undefined or no value being returned from the element.

This clearly demonstrates that for stack data structures that are built in
to a programming language 
1.       Elements are not stored contiguously in memory

2.       Elements are not retained once popped

3.       There is no overwriting of a popped element by a new Push

It seems a manual deliberate implementation with a quirky Pop method is the
only way to duplicate the scenarios presented in both the practice and final
exams. Whilst possible to do, it does not reflect what happens when
programming.

Kindest Regards

Kevork Krozian
Edulists Creator Administrator
www.edulists.com.au
tel: 0419 356 034

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Poultney, Gordon A
Sent: Friday, 18 November 2011 8:41 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] MC

Heath,

I saw your comment and realised I must not have replied to the list
yesterday?

I was  nitpicking about A-18

"re: Q 18, D is clearly the best answer. 

But I would have thought that the 'pop' removes reference to that location,
while leaving '10' in memory, but not in the stack as such. 10 is no longer
'there' in stack. Maybe just nitpicking on my part Damien! 
At least there were 3 clearly incorrect answers.

Pretty good exam for Part A and B. 

I still haven't read the case study through, but C-3 is a little awkward. I
wouldn't link functional reqs. with a context diagram that only shows data
flows - perhaps a DFD was intended here?"

cheers
           gordon

-----------
Gordon Poultney
Horsham College

  _____  

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on
behalf of Matheson, Heath A [Matheson.Heath.A at edumail.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 11:39 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] MC

Hi guys,

I agree with Juliana's solutions, except I think in your description of Q12
that B and D are non-functional requirements since they don't affect the
data inputs and outputs of the program. I don't think we're told any of the
functional requirements for this scenario.  I think Michelle needs to
interview the bank manager for them. 

For question 13, I'm 90% confident you always complete internal
documentation while you are coding and this would be before testing which
only leaves option B. A is incorrect as the only time you interview is in
the analysis and evaluation phases and the question states analysis is
complete. 

I had to think about Question 20. I think is a bit of a  "horses for
courses" question between A and B. Some people like scrolling while some
people are really good at zooming in on images with index finger and thumb
and could click a map. This would be particularly useful if you were looking
different countries in a region, but a problem if you don't know where the
country is located. So I think the scrollable list, still works well on the
iPod. Matching characters would be difficult if there was a spelling error
or you enter a city instead of a country (Someone asked me today if Dubai
was a county).

I'm interested to see what error Gordon has spotted. 

Heath Matheson
Mount Beauty Secondary College. 
PS - I have more in my IT class next year than my biology class. First time
for everything.

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Pang, Juliana C
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 6:06 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] MC

This is just my opinion for question 12.

A.      The bank does not want her to add extra functions (so this defines
the boundary of the solution) 

B.      The program will be made available via the bank's website
(functional requirement) 

C.      The bank is only small and does not require a complex program (silly
response) 

D.      The program must cater for visually impaired people and people with
normal vision (functional requirement)

So I think A. 

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of El Tabbal, Riad R
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 5:57 PM
To: sofdev at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] MC

For Q12, the manager specified that the program must cater for visually
impaired people as well as people with normal vision. What do you think?

Kind regards,
Riad El Tabbal
Math/IT Teacher
Copperfield College
Delahey Campus
03 9307 5555

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