Instructional Goal Statement The Java programming students in the department of computing science will learn Java methods by 1) purchasing and creating an account in WileyPlus, 2) complete pre-assignment exercises to learn about the concept, 3) complete primary assignments, and 4) take module quiz to discover transfer knowledge. Performance Objectives Every learning or performance objective will contain three items: an observable action or task, the conditions or environment under which a task is being completed, and the standard against which the performance will be measured, using a rubric.
The students will demonstrate account creation by completing an extra credit assignment that provides an introduction to the WileyPlus environment. Students who complete the assignment receive 1 point for each answered question (out of 9). Student who do not complete the exercise receive no extra credit points. The extra credit points are averaged in with their total exams average. The students must complete assignment within 2-weeks of the start of the course or no credit is provided.
The students will complete pre-assignment concept skills exercises after reading the chapter in the WileyPlus online text with an accuracy of 70% or higher. Honor students must complete exercises with an accuracy of 80% or higher.
The students will complete primary assignments with an accuracy of 70% or higher. Honor students must complete exercises with an accuracy of 80% or higher. There are two primary assignments. The first assignment is a review lab containing basic structure for the main concept. The second assignment is a more comprehensive lab requiring the student to analyze a problem to create a solution. The points are awarded using a rubric and is based on requirements met.
The students will complete a module quiz with an accuracy of 70% or higher. Honor students will complete with an accuracy of 80% or higher.
Instructional Sequence The Java Programming module on methods has three major parts: 1. Chapter reading, 2. Concept assignment, 3. Primary assignment, and 4. Module quiz. The chapter reading takes about 30 to 45 minutes and contains interactive questions for the students to practice while reading. The students practice skills that include writing a Java method comment, a Java method signature (combined with comment makes up the header), and a Java method definition (which is the body of code). The concept assignment takes about 30 minutes and is made up of a set of review exercises that focus only on the concept of creating a Java method header and definition, as well as answering general syntax questions on both. The assignment questions are multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank. The primary assignment takes about 30 minutes and is made up of a simple lab exercise that expands the multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank exercises. The student is given Java code that partially works and they must enter the correct code to make the code work fully. The module quiz takes 20 minutes and is completely multiple choice. The questions are analytical in nature and require more than rote knowledge. Pre-Instructional Activities Prior to instruction, the students will complete a prior module covering the basic material needed to write Java methods. Students are not required to have previous programming knowledge or experience for the modules in this Java programming course. The students are required to have some math experience and must take a trigonometry and algebra course as a pre-requisite to the course. Strategies for Teaching Each Module The basics of this module, and as a part of the module series, for this course feed directly to a second part in an advanced topics course. There is no minimum requirement module to module for students; however, students must pass both the lecture and the lab course with a ‘C’ or better to move to the next course in the series. The student cannot obtain a ‘C’ in the lecture and fail the lab, and vice versa. Should either of these scenarios occur, the maximum grade the student can receive in the course passed with a ‘C’ or better, is a ‘D+’. The student is given opportunity to be successful prior to the Java method module (which usually starts at the midterm of the semester) by re-doing two assignments in any prior module. The student is given a grade of no more than 70% for these “made-up” assignments. Students who have achieved a 50% or lower must discuss their options in the course, including dropping and retaking during another semester. Should the student decide to continue in the course, they are referred to additional resources and monitored for attendance with the tutoring staff. Media Selections and Rationales for Delivery of Instruction The materials required for teaching the Java programming methods module include: WileyPlus (WP) online textbook and assignment portal, Eclipse programming development environment, and a computer. The instructor’s guide and answer resources are provided in WP, as well as lecture slides. The module is taught in six classes over two weeks, where each class is 100 minutes. The lesson is taught in 50 minutes while the students work on assignments the other 50 minutes. The lecture consists of both lecture slides and working examples provided by the instructor. The ideal group for this lesson is 20 or fewer students. No activities are group-based; however, students are encouraged to help each other during the work time and there is a teacher’s assistant in the classroom during the 50 minutes for which the students are working. Pre and Post-Tests – Formative Data (that will be used) Quizzes are given at the end of each module. There are technically no pre-test quizzes unless the prior module quiz is used. If the prior module quiz is used, the pre-determined requirements of 70% and 80% can aid in directing students on the appropriate material to study when reading. The study of these averages can also help the teacher when choosing appropriate labs for the students to complete. Samples for the Module The following contains examples of the material provided for the Java programming methods module (and for each module):