<div dir="ltr">Hi Calum<div><br></div><div>In SD programming outcomes (but not in theory tests) I gave kids free access to reference sources and previous programs. </div><div>I found it rarely made a difference to students' performance in tasks.<div><div><br></div><div>Competent students would use the resources as useful memory-joggers, like 'cheat sheets' in maths tests. They could apply their higher mental faculties to solve the problem.</div><div>Weaker students would not know which resource was relevant and would not benefit from it. </div><div><br></div><div>You could give me an English/Tibetan dictionary, throw me into a Tibetan language exam and I'd still fail. I'd spend so much time looking basic things up that I'd make no progress in the exam.</div><div><br></div><div><div>If an SD student needed to refer to a template to write code to create (for example) a random file, the student would first need to have known that a random file was better than a serial file, XML or an external database. A weaker student would not have known which template to refer to.</div></div><div><br></div><div>Memorisation of a language's syntax is a pretty trivial intellectual skill compared with the wise selection and application of good fundamental programming principles.</div><div>After all, a real programmer in the real world does not rely on memorisation of trivial language syntax. He or she has constant access to context-sensitive online help and pre-written procedures.</div><div><br></div><div>I guess it's much like the logic of allowing kids to use calculators in SD exams. The arithmetic is a trivial task compared to choosing which algorithm to use for the calculations.</div><div><br></div><div>In contrast, I usually <i>never</i> gave IT Applications [Informatics] kids access to notes during tests or outcomes, since their assessment is very concept-based and did not hinge on whether a keyword was spelled 'COLOR' or 'COLOUR', for example.</div><div><br></div><div>My 2.2c worth (or 2.3c with 15% GST)</div><div><br></div><div>I'd be interested to hear other people's philosophies on the issue.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div><br></div><div>Mark</div><div>Ex McKinnon Secondary College</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 16 February 2016 at 12:30, CALUM MUNRO <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mun@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">mun@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Are students expected to do the assessment tasks 'closed book' or are they allowed to refer back to previous programs?<div><br></div><div>Thanks, Calum</div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><div><br></div><div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">Calum Munro<div>McKinnon Secondary College</div></div></div></div></div>
</div></font></span></div>
<br></blockquote></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><i><br></i></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px">Mark Kelly</span><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com" style="font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">mark@vceit.com</a><br></div><div><a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div></div>