[Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

[Michael Wooldridge]

Re question 9. I see your point and, technically, I think you are quite
correct. 

 

Perhaps however the answer lies in the word 'modifies'. Is A=0, setting the
initial value of the variable, while the function modifies it? I don't know!
It's a debate that could rage on for a while. 

 

If it does, I'm siding with you, that an instruction is the most appropriate
answer.

 

Description: signiture

 

"It is the tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn't know - and
the less a man knows, the more sure he is that he knows everything" Joyce
Cary.

 

Michael Wooldridge

Information Technology Coordinator

Mornington Secondary College

1051 Nepean Highway, Mornington 3931

(: 03 59700250 6: 03 59700299

mwo at mornsc.vic.edu.au

 

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From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Tuesday, 15 May 2012 2:06 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

 

I've put the SD examiners' comments on the 2011 exam into my post mortem
(http://www.vceit.com/postmortems/2011sd/SD2011exam.htm)

In the process I noticed section A, Q9...

In a program, a line of code that modifies a variable's content is best
described as a

A. function.
B. procedure.
C. instruction.
D. control structure.

The official answer was A. 

I don't know about this one... I acknowledge the word "best" but still
wonder why couldn't the answer equally be an instruction? 
A common instruction like A=0 modifies a variable's content just as often as
a function would... more often, probably. 

The study design (U3O2 KK09) says kids need to know "processing features of
programming languages, including instructions, procedures, methods,
functions and control structures" but instructions are not defined by the
glossary, the old Fitzpatrick/Keane text, or Adrian's text (it's not in the
index at least).

What do you regard as an instruction?  Trying to get a definition from the
internet is frustratingly elusive...

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au (don't use my Edumail account!)
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

--
An E-flat, a C, and a G go into a bar. The bartender says, "I'm sorry, but I
can't serve minors."



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