About the course
This course enables students to further develop knowledge and skills in computer science. Students will use modular design principles to create complex and fully documented programs, according to industry standards. Student teams will manage a large software development project, from planning through to project review. Students will also analyse algorithms for effectiveness. They will investigate ethical issues in computing and further explore environmental issues, emerging technologies, areas of research in computer science, and careers in the field.
Computer Science
Course Credit
1
Course Price
$ 550.00
Course Developer
My Learning Oasis
Prerequisite(s) (Text)
Introduction to Computer Science, Grade 11, University Preparation(ICS3U)
Course Code
Department Head & Contact Information
ICS4U
Ravi Sharma (ravi@mylearningoasis.com)
Course Type
University
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 explore how to convert from one data type to another and how to compare strings and other functions. They will look at how to develop 2D arrays and how to compare two arrays. They will be introduced to a one dimensional array with compound data types. They will write subprograms to sort and manipulate 1D and 2D arrays. Such programs will include recursive routines. They will build on grade 11 concepts surrounding modularity in programing and reusable codes. At this point they will be introduced to OOP and the advantages that come with it.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours
Software Development
In this unit students will brainstorm on a software project and apply techniques used in the industry to facilitate it to its end. They will produce software scope documents and determine the tasks, deliverables, and schedule. Students will then develop the software product according to plan and ensure that it meets all that is demanded of the end user. They will evaluate such things as quality, standards, timelines, budgets, efficiency, and intended needs. Students will be introduced to the Gantt chart and explore how they can incorporate it in managing this project. They will explore other project management software to the same end. They will deliver the project and assess how well and evenly each member of the team contributed. They will look at ways to improve.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 25 hours
Designing Modular Program
In this unit students will delve deeper into modular programs. They will decompose the project written in the last section as much as possible to use modularity. They will be introduced to data encapsulation. 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 revisit recursive modules and explore their advantages and disadvantages. Students will then be introduced to the mathematical concepts associated with looping to show that a short program written with a lot of loops and inter-loops may not be as efficient as one without loops, though it may be significantly longer in terms of lines of codes. They will examine how to evaluate pre and post conditions in an algorithm. They will be introduced to linear and binary searches. Students will compare the efficiencies of various sorting algorithms.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 22 hours
Topics in Computer Science and the environmental impact
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: 13 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: 23 hours
Final Exam
This is a proctored exam worth 30% of your final grade.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 2 hours
Total: 110 Hours
Resources
Resources required by the student:
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: demonstrate the ability to use different data types and expressions when creating computer programs;
A2: describe and use modular programming concepts and principles in the creation of computer programs;
A3: design and write algorithms and subprograms to solve a variety of problems;
A4: use proper code maintenance techniques when creating computer programs.
B. Software Development
B1: demonstrate the ability to manage the software development process effectively, through all of its stages – planning, development, production, and closing;
B2: apply standard project management techniques in the context of a student-managed team project.
C. Designing Modular Programs
C1: demonstrate the ability to apply modular design concepts in computer programs;
C2: analyze algorithms for their effectiveness in solving a problem.
D. Topics in Computer Science
D1: assess strategies and initiatives that promote environmental stewardship with respect to the use of computers and related technologies;
D2: analyze ethical issues and propose strategies to encourage ethical practices related to the use of computers;
D3: analyze the impact of emerging computer technologies on society and the economy;
D4: research and report on different areas of research in computer science, and careers related to computer science.
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; Pg 21-24 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%
Do you like rewards? Knowledge grows when you share, so does our benefits when you refer a friend.