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About the course

This course further develops students’ computer programming skills. Students will learn object- oriented programming concepts, create object-oriented software solutions, and design graphical user interfaces. Student teams will plan and carry out a software development project using industry-standard programming tools and proper project management techniques. Students will also investigate ethical issues in computing and expand their understanding of environmental issues, emerging technologies, and computer-related careers.

Computer Programming

Course Credit

1

Course Price

$ 550.00

Course Developer

My Learning Oasis

Prerequisite(s) (Text)

Introduction to Computer Programming, Grade 11, College Preparation(ICS3C)

Course Code

Department Head & Contact Information

ICS4C

Course Type

College

Grade Level

Grade 12

Course Development Date

June 10th, 2021

Course Outline

Programming Concepts and Skills

In this unit students will review the basics in programming. They will be introduced to platform independence and the advantages of using programming languages that are platform independent. They will compare Javan and C#. Students will explore good programming habits like proper indenting. They will use Java to develop simple programs, using NetBeans. They will explore good programming habits like commenting, indenting etc. They will build on data types introduced in the prerequisite course.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours

Software Development In this unit students will delve into modular programs. They will decompose programs written in the last section as much as possible to use modularity. Students will take complex programs and decompose them into subprograms and classes and apply the principles of reusability (modules, subprograms, methods, and inheritance). They will be introduced to Object Oriented Programming.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours

Programming Environment

Developing software can be a complicated process. In this unit students will be introduced to project management techniques that can help mitigate the difficulties that can come with software development. They will be introduced to the process of starting a project, apply time management skills, consider extraneous and unforeseen variables that can become part of the process and budgeting. They will explore software that can help in the process of project Management.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours

Computers and Society

In this unit students will look at the impact that computers have on the environment. These may include but are not limited to environmental deterioration, environment enhancement (as in contributing to the making of more efficient machines that use fossil fuels, thereby reducing the carbon footprint). Students will explore ways to reduce waste disposal in context. They will explore new research in the areas of computing and the effect they may have on society and the environment. Finally, they will explore job opportunities in the area of computer science.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours

Project

Students will brainstorm to find a project that will involve all of the concepts addressed in this programming project. They will develop a program to demonstrate their learning and present it to the class. This project is worth 15% of the course mark.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 8 hours

Final Exam

This is a proctored exam worth 30% of your final Grade.

Expected Hours of Instruction: 2 hours

Total: 110 Hours

Resources

No textbook is required for this course. All notes will be provided. In the event of programming, the students will be required to download a free version of Java or C or C# or C++ for the online classes. For in-class versions, these will be provided by the computer lab.

Overall Curriculum Expectations

A. Programming Concepts and Skills

A1: use data structures in the design and creation of computer programs;
A2: demonstrate the ability to use standard algorithms in the design and creation of computer programs;
A3: demonstrate an understanding of object-oriented programming concepts and practices in the design and creation of computer programs;
A4: create clear and accurate internal and external documentation to ensure the maintainability of computer software.

B. Software Development

B1: design standard algorithms according to specifications;
B2: design software solutions using object-oriented programming concepts;
B3: design user-friendly graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that meet user requirements;
B4: participate in a large student-managed project, using proper project management tools and techniques to manage the process effectively.

C. Programming Environment

C1: demonstrate the ability to use project management tools to plan and track activities for a software development project;
C2: demonstrate the ability to use software development tools to design and write a computer program.

D. Computers and Society

D1: analyze and apply strategies that promote environmental stewardship with respect to the use of computers and related technologies;
D2: demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues and practices related to the use of computers;
D3: investigate and report on emerging computer technologies and their potential impact on society and the economy;
D4: research and report on the range of career paths and lifelong learning opportunities in software development or a computer-related field

Special Accommodations

Only Some students are able, with accommodations, to be part of a regular course curriculum and to demonstrate independent learning. These accommodations allow access to the course without any dilution of the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate.

These required accommodations to facilitate the student’s learning will be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11*). It is likely that IEP for many or all courses will reflect the same accommodations. The instructions and accommodations are geared to meet the diverse needs of learners. The three types of accommodations that are going to be used are:

i) Instructional accommodations - changes in teaching/learning strategies facilitated by different styles of presentation; methods of organization; the use of technology and multimedia.
ii) Environmental accommodations - Certain classroom settings and preferential seating may benefit these students.
iii) Assessment: assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as Multiple Intelligence Theory, giving more time to complete tasks (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).

For students who require accommodations for only the mathematics courses, the assessment and evaluation of their achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document.

The IEP box on the students’ Provincial Report Cards will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.

* Taken from: Ministry of Education, Ontario. Extracted from The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 10 to 12: Computer Studies, 2008 ; Date of extraction: Sunday, March 14, 2021

Program Considerations For English Language Learners

Students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For many of these students, English is not their spoken language. They may be coming from highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited. These students offer a rich addition to the classroom experience by way of their background knowledge and experience. All teachers will assist with their English-language development. In mathematics the teachers will include appropriate adaptations and strategies in their instructions and assessments to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. Some of these strategies and adaptations are: modification of some or all of the course expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher.

Teaching/Learning Strategy

The key learning strategy at My Learning Oasis Elite Private School is Constructivism. This format facilitates learning by many techniques, most or all of which will be adopted in the classroom. The most dominant of these is group learning. The facilitator places students of different backgrounds in the same group so that they can feed off each other. Each may bring to the table a different reasoning strategy to facilitate problem-solving. Now, each student becomes a learner and a teacher at the same time, as he/she has to communicate his/her solution.

This builds the students' knowledge base and by default, increases their confidence to speak in a crowd, albeit a small group at the beginning. The famous educationalist, Vygotsky, proved that by placing students in a group they function at the upper level of their zone of proximal development, each one scaffolding the other. This strategy is further enhanced by the teacher asking leading questions as opposed to giving the answer outright, then allowing for group discussion. The students are encouraged to make connections between what they have learnt and their life experiences, then share with the group.

The effect of this strategy is intrinsic motivation and learning. Each student develops an expanded appreciation of the topic at hand by seeing how it applies in different settings around the world by way of listening to their group members. This Constructivist approach will be further accentuated by implementing “fish-bowling”. There are many ways to implement this technique.

The one that will mostly be used will be by dividing up the larger problem (technical, mathematics, science, or otherwise) into smaller bits and have each student thoughtfully master one part. That student then teaches the group and facilitates a discussion reflection about the strategy (computational or otherwise) used in the solution. Each student in turn does this. The above techniques enable students to reflect on the material learnt, make real life connections, and develop problem solving skills.

One important by-product of the technique of Constructivism is that each student develops an appreciation of each other’s culture. This cultivates healthy people’s skill, which is not only important for the professional world but for life itself. Constructivism lends itself well to students whose first language is not the language of instruction and who is new to the class. While other strategies will be used for students having difficulty with the English Language, this technique will definitely be used to enhance their English skill.

Assessment And Evaluation

At My Learning Oasis, course facilitators do not wait for a quiz or exam to determine how well a student is doing. Here, evaluation is an on-going exercise. The pedagogical techniques (refer to Teaching and Learning Strategies) used at My learning Oasis are perhaps the best techniques suited for on-going assessment, hence, they being an integral part of our delivery methodologies.

Concrete assessments are made through projects and assignments. However, the evaluation is based on “our flavor” of the Mastery Teaching technique. This ensures that the emphasis is on the quality of learning and NOT grading. Students' projects and homework will continuously be evaluated and re-evaluated with appropriate guidance to meet the school’s and Ministry’s expectations. At My Learning Oasis, we will work with the students until the projects meet a minimum of a B-grade, unless in extreme circumstances where the willful negligence of the students force lower grades.

While this is a lot more taxing on the facilitator, it does not matter because My Learning Oasis is a Learner-centered institution NOT a Grade-Centered nor a Teacher-Centered institution. Four categories of knowledge and skills are outlined in the achievement chart - knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication, and application. Student’s work is assessed and evaluated with respect to these categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories. A final grade will then be recorded for this course and if that grade is 50% or higher, a credit is granted to the student and recorded for this course.

The final grade for this course will be determined as follows: For material evaluated throughout the course, seventy percent of the grade will be assigned. This portion of the grade should reflect the student's consistency in his/her level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement. Thirty percent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation, which is administered towards the end of the course

Final Exam: 30%

Grading for all course work, projects, presentation, participation, interim quizzes and exams: 70%

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