1. Computing in the BC Ed Plan
Curriculum revision and feedback

2. About Me Cam Joyce Johnston Heights joyce_c@surreyschools.ca
Teach Math and CS
Great wedge for introductions
BASc = Computing Science
Somehow qualifies me as an expert in all things tech related
Ask Cam, he’ll know?

3. Goals
Clarify the draft documents
Obtain feedback for final drafts

4. Content Concept oriented How were concepts chosen?
Can be met in any way that the teacher feels best serves their students
How were concepts chosen?
Audience – what would a typical student be expected to do
Scope/Sequence – what were the things that a quality course would include
Those content items were altered to described their underlying concept
Not whether or not the same thing is taught in every room across BC

5. Content I teach students about logical operators
I teach DeMorgan’s Law
I teach my students to create a logical statement from minterms
I teach my students about short circuiting
So we all teach our students to construct and evaluate logical statements
Concept = Construction and evaluation of logical statements
We are all meeting the concept in some form

6. Content (need to) vs Elaborations (nice to)
Construction and evaluation of logical statements
logical statements
AND, OR, NOT logical operators
Short circuit/minimal evaluation of a logical statement
Relational operators (<, >, <=, >=, ==, != or <>)
Logical equivalences (Eg. Demorgan’s Law), simplification of logical statements, truth tables, etc.

7. OOP Example I like OOP I teach OOP
Nothing in the document there says I can’t
When working with post-secondary stake holders none said OOP was a fundamental CS skill they taught to beginning CS students
It’s still important and relied on heavily in industry
We’re talking polymorphism/inheritance/abstract classes/interfaces/etc. here… not just creating a class
OOP would make some languages preferable to others
Some would not be possible
The (ground level) concepts in the courses are those which are fundamental to the discipline
They are required of all who study CS
They will not go away with new paradigms/languages/etc.

8. Got it?

9. Content vs Elaborations Q&A
Do I have to use your elaborations?
How do I know if I’ve taught the content?
Others?

10. CS courses Aimed at students who will study CS in post secondary
Emphasis on logic and applying discrete mathematics to support concept
Complexity
Data Structures
Introduce and practice Computational Thinking

11. Computational Thinking (CSTA)
Computational thinking (CT) is a problem-solving process that includes (but is not limited to)the following characteristics:
Formulating problems in a way that enables us to use a computer and other tools to help solve them.
Logically organizing and analyzing data
Representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations
Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking (a series of ordered steps)
Identifying, analyzing, and implementing possible solutions with the goal of achieving the most efficient and effective combination of steps and resources
Generalizing and transferring this problem solving process to a wide variety of problems
These skills are supported and enhanced by a number of dispositions or attitudes that are essential dimensions of CT. These dispositions or attitudes include:
Confidence in dealing with complexity
Persistence in working with difficult problems
Tolerance for ambiguity
The ability to deal with open ended problems
The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal or solution

12. CS11
Course Concepts:
Programming language basics
Representing data, Types of data, Basic input and output, Primitive data vs. Objects, Utilizing built in libraries
Modularity
Reducing complexity and redundancy in code, Problem decomposition
Logic
Conditional statements, Logical operators, Relational operators (for primitive data and objects), Logical equivalences/simplification, Truth tables (min/max terms)
Control flow
if/else if/else branching, iteration
Arrays and Lists
Organization of memory in a ordered set, Standard operations, Searching algorithms (introduction to complexity) 
Throughout the course there will be regular activities meant to aid you in increasing your computational thinking skills, particularly those that aid in the development of algorithms. These include: stepwise refinement and the use of pseudocode and flow charts. We will also regularly visit applications of Computing Science to Mathematics. This includes programming solutions, approximations, and simulations to (curricular) mathematical problems. In particular we will look at “what if” analysis in various financial scenarios such as interest rates, inflation, investments, credit cards, retirement planning, etc.

13. CS12 Course Concepts: Classes Data structures Multi-dimensional arrays
Persistent memory
Recursion
Algorithms
Complexity
Throughout the course there will be regular activities meant to aid you in increasing your computational thinking skills, particularly those that aid in the development of algorithms. These include: stepwise refinement and the use of pseudocode and flow charts. We will also regularly visit applications of Computing Science to Mathematics. This includes programming solutions, approximations, and simulations to (curricular) mathematical problems. In particular we will look at “what if” analysis in various financial scenarios such as interest rates, inflation, investments, credit cards, retirement planning, etc.

14. To be fair… We are wading into new waters… Mathematics
New for secondary, not post-secondary
As a mathematics credit, some content and elaborations are there to help align us with mathematics
Reasoning and Analyzing
Understanding and Solving
Communicating and Representing
Connecting and Reflecting

15. Applications of Computing Science to Mathematics
Students can bring their math problems to CS class
Write a program to:
Determine how many roots a quadratic equation will have
Solve a system of linear equations
Generate terms in a geometric sequence/series
Generate a worksheet of practice problems and answers
Expand a binomial expression
What-if analysis (financial mathematics):
What is the total cost of an item if you choose to buy it with your credit card and pay just the minimum monthly payment?
What if you double the minimum
Your mortgage provider allows you to pay up to 15% extra per month off your mortgage. How much interest will you save and how much quicker will your loan be paid off if:
You pay the full 15%? You only pay 10%?

17. CS vs. CP

18. Programming
What about students that just want to write code and make software but aren’t inclined to learn the theory
Quicksort algorithm in detail vs. sort( myList )
Rely on prebuilt solutions/open source examples
Those that “Google” a solution to borrow rather than make their own
I took shop, woodwork, auto…
Never intended to take up a trade
It seemed fairly unanimous that there were two groups within the existing ICTP structure anyway

19. Welcome to ADST
Sharing

20. One ring to rule them all…
As an ADST course, computer program is required to fit within the design cycle also.
Luckily this is not a big stretch for us

21. Conflicting Goals? Learning to write code/build software
Learning to use the design cycle

22. Complementary goals Learning to write code/build software
Learning to use the design cycle
Learning to write code/build software

23. Beginning the design cycle
New programmers have no coding experience and would need a preliminary unit before the design cycle could begin
Instead they can use a product with existing source code
Download a project online with source code
Find a YouTube tutorial about how to build a game you are interested in
Use the projects as a case study in how the design cycle was used
What would the requirements, design, development,… have been?
They will modify the existing project
Learn about variables, functions, structures like decisions and loops.
Exposure to coding and creating software
Emphasis on the product and design, not necessarily how to write the source code (that’s the CS stream)
Use the design cycle to improve/remix an existing game

24. Completing a cycle – CP11
The balance of the course, once they learn enough to edit or make additions to source code, is essentially to complete the software design cycle (or several times if time permits)
Students will think of an app/game/etc.
Develop the requirements
Design the software
Build the software (not necessarily from the ground up)
Test the software
Maintenance reserved for CP12

25. CP12 Students improve their basic coding skill set
Create their own functions/modules/classes to improve organization
Improve their ability to manage larger projects (more source/people)
Documentation (for working in teams)
Collaboration tools
Debugging tools
Interface design elements
Scope expands to projects that require management of several source files
Students use data structures from standard libraries
Maintenance (bug reports/feature requests)

26. CP11
Elements of coding
Style/Whitespace/Commenting
Input/Output
Variables
Decisions
Loops
Use of code libraries and how to navigate their documentation
Students are expected to learn the basic coding skills above. However, to build better software they will often be expected to seek out and improve/modify existing solutions.
(Software) Design Cycle
Generating a set of requirements
Transforming the requirements into a software design
Implementing design with source code
Testing

27. CP12 Elements of coding Interface Design Team work/collaboration
Functions or other structures that aid in modularity/problem decomposition
standardized source code documentation (JavaDoc, PyDoc, etc.)
self-documenting code (style)
Use of a debugger
Error handling
Use of pre-built data structures
Interface Design
Team work/collaboration
tools for programming in teams
management of complexity
(Software) Design Cycle
Generating a set of requirements
Transforming the requirements into a software design
Implementing design with source code
Testing
Maintenance  Feedback from sharing the project

28. Theory vs. Application

29. CS vs CP
CS = computational thinking + elements of CS (classical algorithms, complexity, data structures)
Creating algorithms and translating them into source code
Understanding the basics of complexity and data structures
Theory
CP = design cycle + product
What is the process that is used to build software (in teams)
How do I use/obtain/create/modify source code to execute my design
Product

30. Feedback Thoughts on the: Two streams Courses themselves
Will CS/CP serve their intended audiences
Courses themselves
Content/Concepts
Clarity/elaborations
Supplemental information/resources that would be helpful
Instructional examples…