lecture roger sutton [email protected] 21: revision 1

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Lecture

Roger Sutton [email protected]

21: Revision

CO331 Visual Programming

Module page

The aim of this module is to introduce students to computer programming using a modern programming language. You do not need any previous programming experience to take this module.

Assessment:

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Coursework 50% Examination 60%The coursework comprises:

1. Class attendance and effort 10%2. In-class test 20%3. Programming assignment 1: 25%4. Programming assignment 2: 25%5. In-class on-line multiple choice test 20%


Strategy

Remember this module is not compensatable. Hence depending on your existing coursework mark you should aim to gain at least 40% in the examination. So people who put some effort into the coursework and achieved over 40% will have less to do. Start by fixing the target. The examination paper will require you to• define terminology, • describe aspects of the development environment • describe activities related to programming• design a user interface• demonstrate your knowledge of Visual Basic.Net syntax

and produce code to respond to problem situations.3

4CO331 Visual Programming

Strategy – cont’d

Accordingly a substantial part of this is "recall", some requires you to demonstrate an understanding and the rest you are required to solve a problem and be creative. As you progress through the stages 1 to 3, the weight on recall is lessened, to be replaced by greater emphasis on analysis and creativity.


Revision – Task 1

• A check list of the terminology encountered on the course will be posted on the module page and the session in which it is likely to have been covered.

• Print out the check list. • Write out a sentence or two to define or describe the

terms. Cross check your summary with that provided by a text book. Yes, there are quite a few of them and it will take time. Remember you are attempting to condense a 12-week course so its going to take a little effort. You may even have to obtain a book from the library.

• Once you are content that your summaries are complete and sufficiently concise, tick them off on the check list.

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Revision – Task 1

• Commit your summaries to memory. I recommend that you write them out at least twice to start with and then twice again nearer to the examination.

You should not go into the examination without a bank of prepared definitions committed to memory.

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Revision – Task 2

The exam paper will require you to know some elementary programming syntax of Visual Basic.Net.For example: How to • name a variable • declare a variable of various data types • declare a variable to be constant and set its value • initialise a variable • declare an array of various data types • initialise an array • assign a value to a variable • construct an If statement

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Task 2 – cont’d

• construct a Select statement • contruct a Do loop • construct a For Next loop • create a method header • call a method • create an object of a class • access the value of an instance variable of an object • set the value of an instance variable of an object • reference the method of an object

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but a start!As before, write a line or two to accomplish each of the above. Check them and when correct, write them out again at least twice, and twice more nearer to the examination

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Revision – Task 3

Certain topics covered on the course relate to programming generally.For example:• Software development life cycle • Object Oriented Programming • Software re-use • Testing • Error handling

Write out a paragraph on each of these containing as much detail as space will allow (say half a page). Clearly you have to be clear what each involves but restrict yourself to what has been covered on the course in relation to Visual Basic.Net.

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Revision - Task 4

• Review your coursework programming assignments - coursework 1, 2 and 3These will not be reproduced (assessed a second time) but aspects of them will be drawn out and possibly applied in a different context.

• Try to identify particular subtasks within the coursework that might prove useful on another occasion.

It is not expected that you will be able to produce syntactically correct code in an examination, but you may need to solve a problem algorithmically, i.e. outline an approach to yield a solution.

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Task 4 – cont’d

This is probably the most demanding aspect of the course and is the most difficult to respond to and recover at this stage. This skill is built up over time by practice and experience - hence all those class exercises that were set! There is time to go through all the class exercises now but this will be impractical if you leave matters until the end of Term 2.If you have prepared properly you should enter the examination room confidently with the view that you are perfectly able to pass!One last thought, you need 40% from this examination, not 100%! You have 2 hrs to achieve it. You gain nothing by leaving the examination room early.

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lecture roger sutton [email protected] 21: revision 1

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