[Year 12 SofDev] sorting criteria My thoughts

[brett fitzsimmons]

Hi all,

 

An interesting and informative session today.

 

I'm still confused as to where the term "complex" fits in as part of a
solution. Shouldn't it be efficient, effective and appropriate? We could
make anything more complex but why should marks be awarded for something
that is totally artificial such as sorting arrays of 16 items? Perhaps this
would have been better approached as a key skill in Outcome 1. If you teach
students how to code a "complex" sorting algorithm and the complexity, I'm
guessing refers to how complex it is to code, then won't each student use
the same approach as I certainly wouldn't expect them to reinvent the wheel
and the tyre?

 

We are asked to use features of an OO language so where do we draw the line?

 

There is also the question of data structures and complexity. Does a C#
Dictionary count as a complex data structure? They are pretty much O(1) for
searching and far easier to use than arrays in many instances.

 

Regards

 

Brett Fitzsimmons

 

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Croke, Daryl D
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 10:07 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] sorting criteria My thoughts

 

Hi all

Andrew
"I used Hungarian dances to teach sorting", I thought WTF then i found this
great playlist on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdIKIf9mHk0
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdIKIf9mHk0&list=PLOmdoKois7_FK-ySGwHBkltzB
11snW7KQ> &list=PLOmdoKois7_FK-ySGwHBkltzB11snW7KQ

Andrew
"The young people found that for most of them the actual getting up and
moving around was a good idea"

I will try this in Craigieburn it could be bravest thing I've done since
getting students at Preston Girls to act out a While Loop :) 

 

Cheers

Daryl Croke


Mount Ridley College
8338 3600
http://mountridleycollege.vic.edu.au/

 

keep on coding

http://geekstuff.global2.vic.edu.au/
http://physicalcomputing.global2.vic.edu.au/

 

 

  _____  

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on
behalf of Andrew Shortell [shortell at get2me.net]
Sent: Monday, 20 June 2016 5:26 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] sorting criteria My thoughts

Hi All 

been thinking a lot about today's PD at coburg

 

our table discussed the below - are we too harsh, too easy, or in the
goldilocks zone?

 

in the criteria the students have to document and use a complex sort to
obtain a 9 or 10

 

so the documentation can be the internal doc because very few companies
produce a "Tech Ref Guide" they just put stuff on their website and let
google etc find it

 

so what is a complex sort

 

perhaps start at the other end 

to get 1 or 2 they should be able to use the built in sort function
(properly and put internal doc about it)

 

to get 3 or 4  maybe a bubble sort  (I taught it because it is so simple and
not too hard to get them to understand it)

 

to get 5 or 6 maybe a selection sort - documented

 

to get 7 or 8 a quick sort

 

to get 9 or 10 they need to display deeper knowledge

such as a quick sort is NOT efficient when the sublist size drops below
about fifteen so at that point need to do selection (or insertion) sort

 

in visual studio the sort method uses quick-sort to a sublist of 16 then
selection sort according to MSDN

 

So the sort method in VB is very complex - but using it is so simple

but I want to see that they can code .

 

I used Hungarian dances to teach sorting - even getting students on their
feet and "dancing" around ( I cannot remember for sure who found them on
youtube originally [was it Mystery Mark? ] but thanks)

 

The young people found that for most of them the actual getting up and
moving around was a good idea

It is also a great way to teach linked lists - not a lot of dancing but my
students realised how little movement there is in a linked list!

 

more thoughts as they surface

 

Andrew


Andrew Shortell

Educator

CRC Melton

 

 

shortell at get2me.net (This List)

@acsbear8 (twitter)

 

 

 

 

 

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