Transitioning to Grade 12

1
Transitioning to Grade 12

• Chris Stephenson
• University of Waterloo

2
Curriculum Pathways
3
Course Designations

• Computer Information Science
• Grade 10 - Open
• Grade 11 - University/College
• Grade 12 - University /College
• Computer Engineering Technology
• Grade 10 - Open
• Grade 11 - University/College
• Grade 11 - Workplace
• Grade 12 - University/ College
• Grade 12 - Workplace

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College/University

• Designed for students who are destined for
  college or university.
• Delivered as single courses in which students
  preparing for admission to college and/or
  university programs will achieve the same
  expectations.
• Schools cannot offer the U/C preparation courses
  as separate courses because they are not to be
  differentiated
• Teaching and learning will emphasize both
  theoretical aspects and related concrete
  applications of the course content.

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Workplace

• The range and content of the courses offered will
  allow students to prepare for a variety of jobs,
  training programs, and careers.
• Teaching and learning will emphasize workplace
  applications of the course content, but will also
  explore the theoretical material that underlies
  these practical applications.

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Computer and Information Science

• Introduces students to computer science
  concepts
• software design
• fundamental programming constructs
• evolution of programming languages
• relationship to hardware, networks, operating
  systems, and application software

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Computer Engineering

• Introduces students to computer engineering
  (hardware and components)
• computer components and peripherals
• logic gates
• numbering and character representation systems
• networks and operating systems
• programming

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Common Elements

• Problem solving and design
• Introduction to hardware and networks
• Computer programming
• Impact and consequences
• Career awareness and preparation

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Different Focus

• Computer Information Science
• Software design
• Program planning and documentation
• Algorithm development
• Computer Engineering
• Chips, gates and computer logic
• Components and peripherals
• Interfaces

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Comparison with Old Curriculum

• Computer Information Science
• Many familiar expectations, may be addressed in
  an earlier grade.
• The expectations are more specific.
• Increased emphasis on design, documentation,
  networks and hardware, social impact and career
  awareness and preparation.

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Grade 12 ICS4M Teacher Skill Set

• Object oriented programming
• Classes, inheritance and modularity
• Software development and maintenance
• Design, code re-use and documentation
• Programming correctness and efficiency
• Hardware and software requirements
• Career opportunities and employability skills

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Grade 12 ICE4M Teacher Skill Set

• Computer math
• CPU architecture and operations
• Analog and digital electronics
• Computer networking
• Computer interfacing
• Programming (high and low level)
• Career opportunities and employability skills

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Grade 12 ICE4E Teacher Skill Set

• Computer hardware
• Computer maintenance and troubleshooting
• Network hardware and software
• Customer service protocols
• Intellectual property

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Problematic Areas

• Course codes
• Course descriptions
• Prerequisites
• Open courses
• Packed curriculum
• Programming languages
• Intellectual readiness

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Course Codes

• T course codes for CS courses grades 9 and 10
  and I course codes for grades 11 and 12.
• Yes problem 52.1
• No problem 32.3
• No Answer 15.6

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Specific Course Code Problems

• Academic students avoid T courses 29.7
• Students cant find the CS courses 27.0
• Staffing problems 13.5
• Too few students 13.5
• Girls avoid T-coded courses 10.8

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Teacher Comments

• Kids do not get the connection between TIK and
  TEE and ICS and ICM. Teachers dont understand
  that TIK is a programming course.
• Students looking for computer science in grade
  10 will not look in the Tech Studies section of
  the school calendar to find the courses.

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Course Descriptions

• Course descriptions and student/parent selection
  problems.
• Yes problem 60.5
• No problem 23.9
• No Answer 15.6

19
Course Description Problems

• Parents avoid T courses 30.2
• Cant find CS courses 29.7
• Descriptions too generic 27.9
• Assume programming not required 25.5
• Guidance misadvises students 23.2
• Think they are applications courses 23.2

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Teacher Comments

• Students rely on Guidance and they are not
  equiped to advise no matter what info we provide
  for them so students end up in the wrong courses
  all the time.
• The course description for ICS sounds like an
  applications course. It is a programming course.
• Students think TEE does not require strong
  reading/math/problem solving skills.

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Prerequisites

• Lack of prerequisites for Grade 11 courses.
• Yes problem 88.7
• No problem 8.4
• No Answer 2.9

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Specific Prerequisite Problems

• Inexperienced students unprepared 60.2
• Range of abilities too diverse 57.1
• Results in too much repetition 44.4
• Experienced students are bored 38.1
• Inexperienced students cannot meet
• curriculum expectations 17.4

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Teacher Comments

• Those students who did not do the grade 10
  computer studies course are unprepared to do the
  work at the required level. Therefore their marks
  are extremely low.
• Students with no experience take the course and
  find out they cant change courses because it is
  too late and eventually fail.

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Teacher Comments

• Students who have not taken the grade 10 course
  slow the whole class down. The assumption that
  they have learned by osmosis is seriously
  flawed.
• YES! YES! YES! I waste too much time repeating
  the basics. Some students need help and some are
  impatient to move on.

25
Open Courses

• Grade 10 courses are designated open rather
  than academic.
• Yes problem 56.3
• No problem 33.8
• No Answer 9.9

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Specific Open Course Problems

• Large skills gap for some students 65.0
• Range of abilities too diverse 37.5
• Cannot cover required expectations 22.5
• Significantly higher failure rate 22.5
• Workload surprises students 15.0
• Forces too much repetition 12.5

27
Teacher Comments

• Everyone and his brother can take the course
  and so the course has to be taught at a much
  lower level. I have a class of 27 with 6
  identified and 11 grade 11 and 12s who were put
  in the class because guidance could not give them
  the courses they wanted.

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Teacher Comments

• Student achievement/comprehension levels are so
  different that achievers suffer because they are
  not challenged enough despite the curriculum.
• I am getting a lot of special ed students with
  poor math and English literacy skills in my TIK20
  course. These students are unlikely to be
  successful in computer programming.

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Activity 1

• Form a group of about 5 people
• Determine what you think is the most critical
  challenge facing you as grade 12 CS teachers
• Look critically at the issues raised for the
  other grades and determine which of these will
  affect the grade 12 experience.
• Choose a reporter
• You have 20 minutes

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Packed Curriculum

• The rigour is significantly increased
• There is one full year less of teaching time
• No built-in review time
• Need for more diverse teaching strategies
• Students are very mark conscious
• Post-secondary expectations very high
• Often we are just a step ahead

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Intellectual Readiness Issues

• Students are one year younger and their ability
  to understand highly complex abstract concepts is
  less developed
• Many students are not emotionally equipt for
  dynamics of group work
• Many students have very poor independent learning
  skills

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Language as the Leveler

• There are new and conflicting questions about
  programming language use
• Reducing complexity levels (need to learn new
  IDEs)
• Creating a level playing field at each grade
• Evaluating skills transfer to equip students for
  post-secondary learning
• Evaluating teachability

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Critical Resources

• Labs
• Interfacing hardware
• Object-oriented language
• Networking hardware and software
• Texts and reference materials

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Meeting the Challenges

• There are three possible approaches to
  addressing the challenges of the new curriculum
• Political
• Structural
• Pedagogical

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Activity 2

• Divide into three groups
• Political
• Structural
• Pedagogical
• In 15 minutes, create a list of issues which can
  be addressed using one of these methods and come
  up with specific examples. Choose a reporter.