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Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. —. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955 ). Programming Logic and Visual Basic .NET. Thad Crews Computer Information Systems Western Kentucky University. Prentice Hall PHIT Las Vegas, NV April 3, 2004. In a nutshell…. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Programming Logic and Visual Basic .NET
Thad CrewsComputer Information SystemsWestern Kentucky University
Prentice Hall PHITLas Vegas, NVApril 3, 2004
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.Albert Einstein(1879 - 1955)
—
Working IT professionals benefit from the advancement of modern programming languages, tools, and paradigms. However, these same advancements create significant challenges for faculty who design and teach introductory programming courses
Complicated Syntax
Overwhelming Environment
50% D/F/W
10 pounds of material in a 5 pound bag
(PLUS) Jobs being outsourced overseas
In a nutshell…
The March of Progress
266 pages
1536 pages
What Is a Faculty Member to Do???
Industry is driven by professionals and their needs, not academics and our needs. Therefore expect more of the same…
More powerful tools and environments
More students making Ds, Fs, and Ws
More programming jobs being outsourced overseas
ACM/IEEE Computing Curriculum 2001 Report
“Programming courses often focus on syntax and the particular characteristics of a programming language, leading students to concentrate on these relatively unimportant details rather than the underlying algorithmic skills. This focus on syntax details means that many students fail to comprehend the essential algorithmic model that transcends particular programming languages.”
ACM/IEEE Computing Curriculum 2001 Report
Computing Curricula 2001http://www.computer.org/education/cc2001/final/
—
“Once students have a solid grasp of the algorithmic foundations and the range of data and control structures […], they can then move on to a more conventional language, either partway through the first course or, at the latest, the beginning of the second course. Because students have experienced a wider range of both data and control structures early, their later progress through conventional programming work can occur more rapidly and class time can be more explicitly focused on issues of effective programming practices and systematic debugging skills.”
Teach Logic Before Syntax
There is a growing movement to teaching programming logic and design skills rather than emphasizing the mastery of syntax for a particular programming language de jour. One of the classic tools for this is the flowchart.
Code vs. Flowchart – An Experiment
IF A < D THEN PRINT AELSE PRINT D IF B < C THEN PRINT B ELSE PRINT C END IFEND IF
Code vs. Flowchart – Correctness
0
1
2
3
Simple Medium Complex
FlowchartProgram
(significant at p < 0.002)
Code vs. Flowchart – Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
Simple Medium Complex
FlowchartProgram
(significant at p < 0.003)
Code vs. Flowchart – Time
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
Simple Medium Complex
FlowchartProgram
(significant at p < 0.000)
Executable Flowcharting Projects
The results strongly support the general consensus that flowcharts are valuable for novice students. However, flowcharts become powerful educational tools when they are executable, providing students with immediate, accurate feedback on the logic and design of their solution.
Visual Logic
Visual Logic (Current Status) Enhance I/O (dialog, console, file)
Conditions
Loops
Procedures
Parameters (pass by Value, pass by Reference)
Arrays
Graphics
Multimedia
Debugging Support (breakpoints, variable watch, stepping)
Intuitive Interface
Great Tool… Now what???
I was using early versions of Visual Logic in my intro programming courses back in 1998. We would spend about 5 weeks on programming fundamentals and 11 weeks using the traditional text…
“Because students have experienced a wider range of both data and control structures early, their later progress through conventional programming work can occur more rapidly and class time can be more explicitly focused on issues of effective programming practices and systematic debugging skills.”
Computing Curricula 2001, p. 32 —
Support Material For First 5 Weeks
Interview
Case Study Scenario
Ask the Author
Tips
Mentor/Manager
Topic Summary
Quick Check
Case Study Solution
Enhanced end-of-chapter Material
Experiences
“Middle Value”
“Procedures and Graphics”
“More Experimental Findings”
“Diversity of Students (CS-Majors & Novices)”
“When to teach Objects?”
“The Power of .NET”
Programming Right From the Starthttp://www.prfts.com