programming tasksheet & assessment
For this assessment you must use GitHub Codespaces
Your teacher will give you a link to the GitHub Classroom assignment
explanation of achieved
explanation of merit
explanation of excellence
develop a testing plan
This achievement standard involves using advanced programming techniques to develop a computer program.
The assessment activity requires that the students develop a computer program in an appropriate programming language that is well structured and tested.
Example might include a fast-food ordering system, a quiz program or an interactive game.
Any programming language is acceptable as long as it allows student’s programs to include:
variables storing at least two types of data (e.g. numeric, text, Boolean)
sequence, selection and iteration control structures
input from a user, sensor(s), or other external source(s)
output of some description
The step up from Level 1 is the requirement for students to program using advanced programming techniques which are clearly specified in the Standard, and to test and debug the program effectively.
Student programs must demonstrate two or more advanced programming techniques may include:
modifying data stored in collections (e.g. lists, arrays, dictionaries)
defining and manipulating multidimensional data in collections
creating methods, functions, or procedures that use parameters and/or return values
responding to events generated by a graphical user interface (GUI)
non-basic string manipulation
using functionality of additional non-core libraries.
This guide may be helpful during the teaching and learning programme to provide a structure for students to use during the development process:
identify the input information
identify the output information
identify any constants, if necessary
identify any indexed data structures, if necessary
determine what calculations are necessary.
develop a modular structure for your program
define the functions identified
create a comprehensive set of expected, boundary and invalid cases for testing the program.
write, test, debug and refine your program.
from NZQA: Computing/digital technologies clarifications
91896: Use advanced programming techniques to develop a computer program
Updated December 2019. Further assessment support can also be found on TKI (see opposite).
Students need to demonstrate at least two advanced techniques in their program. Examples of advanced techniques are given in Explanatory Note 5. These provide guidance about the expectations at level 2, and are not an exhaustive list. Assessors may need to determine other techniques that are advanced.
Students are required to test and debug their program. Testing should be clearly documented. In particular, the tests that the program has passed should be clearly conveyed.
For Merit, a program should have been tested on both expected cases and relevant boundary cases. The task must provide the opportunity for boundary cases to be tested.
Students need to follow conventions for the programming language. Most languages have well-established conventions, particularly relating to naming, code layout and organisation. There are automated tools to check conventions available for many popular languages.
For Excellence, a program needs to be flexible and robust, for example using constants in place of numeric literals and the effective use of parameters. The program also should have been comprehensively tested.