CEP 824 Unit 3 Reflection

• What did you learn?

In S. Grover and S. Basu. 2017, the biggest takeaway is the “design pattern” or assessment argument, which can emphasize the definition of the FKSAs (focal knowledge, skills, and abilities). I usually will start my objectives with "student will learn ..", which are teacher&curriculum facing. The assessment argument is assessment-facing and that teaching goals evaluate if students can really do something.

clarified learning goals

​learning goals

​“design pattern” or assessment argument

​how simple loops work (fixed number of repetitions) algorithmic flow of control–how sequence, repetition and selection works; how instructions are executed in sequence even when there are loops, except that the set of instructions within a loop are repeated what data is, and how it is used in a program how data types define the set of values a variable can have, and the set of operators that can be used how to create, use, assign values to, and update variables how variable values change within loops

Ability to describe what a given loop is doing Ability to describe the sequence that is executed in a given program when the program contains things inside a loop as well as outside of the loop. Knowledge that a loop involves a repeating pattern, that will terminate under a specified condition or after a certain number of repetitions Ability to identify the repeating pattern within a loop Ability to describe the structural components of a pattern (not in a programming context).

In addition, when I created a block-based activity for my students when students successfully created a program, I will say it is a successful activity. With readings, I found that a summative assessment also can be used in teaching. I really like the examples the author provided. Some of the contents even overlap with the Geometry curriculum, such as if-then statements.

• What lingering questions do you have?

1. Where the line of boundary is set between those two types of goals?

2. How can we write each type of goal precisely for each learning objective?

3. What are other great examples of a summative assessment? aka. How can I create one? (i.e. missing great ideas of creating a good activity. )

4. How can we fit CS content into the math curriculum?

• What thoughts does it inspire as you consider creating an inclusive computing culture in your classroom?

I really like the examples of the summative assessment the author provided. It gave me some ideas on how to make a computer science problem. Some of the contents even overlap with the Geometry curriculum, such as the if-then statements. Although I don't have a chance to teach computer science right now, I can still provide some other types of summative assessments inside Geometry for students, such as making end-of-chapter projects.

Reference

1. S. Grover and S. Basu. 2017. Measuring student learning in introductory block-based programming: Examining misconceptions of loops, In Variables, and Boolean Logic. ACM Press, 267--272.

2. Hazzan O., Lapidot T., Ragonis N. (2014) Teaching Methods in Computer Science Education. In: Guide to Teaching Computer Science. Springer, London