Big idea. A machine can only solve a problem that has been stated exactly. The skill of computing begins with a precise specification and a method that works for every valid input.
Outcomes served. O1 (state a problem precisely) and O6 (design, test and explain an algorithm).
Plan your six hours
| Part | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Opener and orientation (this page) | 15 |
| M1.L1 From problem to specification | 55 |
| M1.L2 What makes a method an algorithm | 50 |
| M1.L3 Tracing an algorithm by hand | 50 |
| M1.L4 Pseudocode, edge cases and testing | 50 |
| Practice set | 35 |
| Lab: Trace, find the fault and fix it | 50 |
| Mastery checkpoint | 30 |
| Discussion prompt and recap | 25 |
| Total | 360 (6 hours) |
Assumed. Nothing from earlier modules. You should be able to follow a numbered list of steps and read a small table.
Where this topic appears in practice. Anyone who writes a spreadsheet formula, a recipe for a team process or a program meets the same task: say exactly what goes in, what must come out, and the steps between. See the encyclopedia entry on binary search for a famous example of a precisely stated method.
Privacy. Your answers stay with you. This course does not store, collect or send anything you write or tick.