[Year 12 SofDev] Trace Tables vs desk Check

Tue Sep 17 06:29:58 UTC 2019

Hi All,

Study design has “trace tables” as a technique for checking that modules meet design specifications – however, (like Chris) I also considered it to be a tool and the “use of trace tables” to be the technique which would also be called “desk checking”.  But in the end I don’t think it really matters (waiting for the comment…).

As there is no formal definition or description of a trace table in the study design the only definitive response can either come from Phil or our Chief Assessor (in the form of their examination report).  Personally I like the table on the left as a teaching tool as it is easier for my students to follow what is happening as they step through each line in their algorithm to check that it is correct.  Also after you have done a few of them it’s easy to step across to the version on the right – and its quicker to use in examination conditions.

So once again… does it really matter 😊

Regards

Chris Bucknell
Head of CDT; Coord,VCE Exams & Internal Exams
Phone: 03 9904 6360

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From: sofdev <sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> On Behalf Of Paragreen, Chris J
Sent: Tuesday, 17 September 2019 3:54 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 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<mailto: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<mailto: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 01D56D75.2426EE30]
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 01D56D75.2426EE30]
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
Acting Daily Replacement Organiser

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