[Year 12 SofDev] Trace Tables vs desk Check

Tue Sep 17 05:53:59 UTC 2019

Hi All,

I teach my students that the trace table is the tool we use to perform a desk check (the process). Essentially, they are synonymous. I refer to the diagram on the right.

Regards,

Chris

From: sofdev <sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> On Behalf Of Adrian Janson
Sent: Tuesday, 17 September 2019 2:46 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List <sofdev at edulists.com.au>
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Trace Tables vs desk Check

Hi Damien,

Unless I'm mistaken, Desk Checks aren't mentioned in the study design at all. Trace tables are basically the same, and while I've certainly seen versions that have the line numbers on the side, I feel like they are redundant. I usually do Trace Tables (desk checks) like the diagram on the RHS *(in your example), with the bottom-most values representing the current value of the variable.

I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts on this - as I can change what is in my text for 2020!

Cheers,
Adrian

On Tue, Sep 17, 2019 at 2:35 PM ATKINSON-BUCK, Damien <Damien.ATKINSON-BUCK at ivanhoe.com.au<mailto:Damien.ATKINSON-BUCK at ivanhoe.com.au>> wrote:
Hi all,
Apologies if this has already been asked before.
Could someone please give me a guide as to the difference between a desk check and a trace table. I was under the impression that the desk check was a simply putting all of the variables into a table and checking their value each pass through the loop/function whereas a trace table was a fair bit larger in that they show what happens throughout each line of code, as per the 2 images below.
Trace Table

Desk Check

[cid:image001.jpg at 01D56D70.1DB05DC0]
From https://www.101computing.net/trace-table/<https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.101computing.net%2Ftrace-table%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cparagreen.chris.j%40edumail.vic.gov.au%7C43349d3a62b1424958cd08d73b29fea8%7Cd96cb3371a8744cfb69b3cec334a4c1f%7C0%7C1%7C637042924062671349&sdata=LY31oe7CqgiT12iYBxF7PV%2BEQCS4V5RVi%2BLYknBJ91k%3D&reserved=0>

[cid:image002.jpg at 01D56D70.1DB05DC0]
From 2018 Sov Dev Examiners report

Last year’s exam Section B Q1 asked students to draw a trace table, but the suggested answer in the examiner’s report<https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vcaa.vic.edu.au%2FDocuments%2Fexams%2Ftechnology%2F2018%2Fcomputingsoftwaredevelopment_examrep18.pdf&data=02%7C01%7Cparagreen.chris.j%40edumail.vic.gov.au%7C43349d3a62b1424958cd08d73b29fea8%7Cd96cb3371a8744cfb69b3cec334a4c1f%7C0%7C1%7C637042924062681342&sdata=mFJs%2Bc2U7sVEVGFxljbResuJPdmkvOU0P4xaFPPg%2FJ4%3D&reserved=0> gave what I call a desk check.
Is there a difference?
If there is, what is acceptable in the exam? Given the 2018 exam has used this style, I assume it will be accepted this year, but does anyone have any other thoughts?
Thanks in advance
Damien

Damien Atkinson-Buck
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