ap computer science an overview of the program. outline the state of computer science education...

AP Computer Science

An overview of the program

OutlineThe state of Computer Science Education 计算机教育现状

Goals and Background of the APCS course 美国大学先修课程中计算机课程的目标和背景

Technology Requirements 科技配置Structure of the Course 课程结构 / Sample Syllabi 课

程大纲范例 / Exploration of Units 单元研究Grid World & Case Studies 世界网格 & 案例学习The Exam and Scoring Rubrics 考试和评分规则The AP Audit Process 美国大学先修课程选修程序Question & Answer 疑问 &解答

Job OutlookCNN.com and CareerBuilder.com published a list of "What

some fastest-growing jobs pay” (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/Careers/01/26/cb.top.jobs.pay/index.html)

The article listed ten jobs, with starting salaries ranging from US$60,880 up to US$81,140, all of which were on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' list of the fastest growing jobs through 2014. Of the ten jobs listed in the article, five of them were jobs for which a Computer Science degree would be great preparation:

- Computer Systems Software Engineer - Computer Applications Software Engineer - Computer Systems Analyst - Database Administrator - Network Systems and Data Communication Analyst

Job Outlook

AP Computer Science Goals• Provides access to a university-level, object-

oriented programming class• Design and implement solutions to problems by

writing, running, and debugging computer programs.

• Use and implement commonly used algorithms and data structures.

• Develop and select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve problems.

AP Computer Science Goals• Code fluently in an object-oriented paradigm using the

programming language Java. Students are expected to be familiar with and be able to use standard Java library classes from the AP Java subset.

• Read and understand a large program consisting of several classes and interacting objects. Students should be able to read and understand a description of the design and development process leading to such a program (Case Study).

• Recognize the ethical and social implications of computer use.

The Number of AP Computer Science Exams

The AP Computer Science Exam

1984: First APCS exam in Pascal (6,911 exams)1992: Split into separate A and AB APCS Exams1995: First Case Study introduced 1999: Exam language switched to C++2004: Exam language switched to Java2008: GridWorld Case Study introduced2010: AP Computer Science AB discontinued2015: GridWorld Case Study no longer required

Grade Distributions andUniversity Credit

More than 90% of U.S. Universities award credit or placement based on AP exam scores

AP Computer ScienceCourse Content

• University faculty are involved in curriculum development, test writing, grading, and grade equivalence

• University faculty are surveyed on a regular basis to determine course content. Based on the results of the 1999-2000 survey, the APCS curriculum was revised to emphasize Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs) and a subset of Java

• The APCS A course is meant to be the equivalent of a University-level Computer Science 1 course

AP Computer ScienceCourse Content

• Periodically, AP exam scores are compared to university-level performance by having sections of the exam completed by students in first-year university courses.

A score of 5 on the exam equals average A-level work in universityA score of 4 on the exam equals average B-level work in universityA score of 3 on the exam equals average C-level work in universityA score of 2 on the exam equals average D-level work in universityA score of 1 on the exam equals average F-level work in university

Grade Distributions forAP Computer Science

• Scores and passing rates have moved progressively upward

AP Computer Science in China

Technology Requirements

Technology Requirements科技配置

• Each student should have access to a dual-core (or better) computer

• Each computer should have a large hard drive (> 100 GB) and sufficient memory (> 2 GB)

• Each student should have access to a computer after school hours (more on this in a moment)

Course Requirements

• Completion of Algebra• Adequate time with a computer to complete

programming assignments. Includes a minimum of 20 hours of programming labs

• Students typically spend 8+ hours per week on the computer to complete their APCS homework. AP recommends an absolute minimum of 3 hours per week outside of class

Course Requirements

• APCS teachers need to teach more than programming. The course is focused on procedural and data abstraction, object-oriented program design, and algorithms

• Because of the dynamic nature of Computer Science, APCS teachers should always be updating their skills and investigating other computer languages



Technology Requirements 科技配置Structure of the Course 课程结构 / Sample Syllabi

课程大纲范例 / Exploration of Units 单元研究Grid World & Case Studies 世界网格 & 案例学习The Exam and Scoring Rubrics 考试和评分规则The AP Audit Process 美国大学先修课程选修程序Question & Answer 疑问 &解答

I. Object-Oriented Program Design

• The overall goal for designing a piece of software (a computer program) is to correctly solve the given problem. At the same time, this goal should encompass specifying and designing a program that is understandable, can be adapted to changing circumstances, and has the potential to be reused in whole or in part. The design process needs to be based on a thorough understanding of the problem to be solved

• AP Computer Science Course Description Book, © 2010 College Entrance Examination Board


A. Program design1. Read and understand a problem description,

purpose, and goals.2. Apply data abstraction and encapsulation.3. Read and understand class specifications and

relationships among the classes (“is-a,” “has-a” relationships).

4. Understand and implement a given class hierarchy.5. Identify reusable components from existing code

using classes and class libraries.



B. Class design1. Design and implement a class.2. Choose appropriate data representation and

algorithms.3. Apply functional decomposition.4. Extend a given class using inheritance.


II. Program Implementation

The overall goals of program implementation parallel those of program design. Classes that fill common needs should be built so that they can be reused easily in other programs. Object-oriented design is an important part of program implementation.



A. Implementation techniques1. Methodology

a. Object-oriented developmentb. Top-down developmentc. Encapsulation and information hidingd. Procedural abstraction



B. Programming constructs1. Primitive types vs. objects2. Declaration

a. Constant declarationsb. Variable declarationsc. Class declarationsd. Interface declarationse. Method declarationsf. Parameter declarations


APCS Course Topic: Java Program Libraries



Technology Requirements 科技配置Structure of the Course 课程结构 / Sample Syllabi

课程大纲范例 / Exploration of Units 单元研究Grid World & Case Studies 世界网格 & 案例学习The Exam and Scoring Rubrics 考试和评分规则The AP Audit Process 美国大学先修课程选修程序Question & Answer 疑问 &解答

Sample Unit Outline

Sample Chapter Outline




程大纲范例 / Exploration of Units 单元研究GridWorld & Case Studies 世界网格 & 案例学习The Exam and Scoring Rubrics 考试和评分规则The AP Audit Process 美国大学先修课程选修程序Question & Answer 疑问 &解答

GridWorld Case StudyThe GridWorld Case Study is intended to

be a substitute for writing a single large program as a culminating project. Due to obvious time restraints during the exam, the GridWorld Case Study is provided to the students prior to the exam. They are expected to be familiar with the classes and interfaces (and how they interact) before taking the exam.

Roughly five multiple-choice questions in Sections I are devoted to the GridWorld Case Study, and it is the topic of one free response question in Section II.

Case Study: A quick introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

• All of the Objects (“Things”) inside the program have Methods (“Actions”) that they can do

• The Bug object in GridWorld can create a copy of itself with the new constructor and it has an act method that tells it what to do.

• The act method is automatically called by the Grid World for each “actor” on the grid

Results When Code Is Run

New APCS Lab Component for 2014-15

• Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, the GridWorld case study will be replaced by a required lab component consisting of a minimum of 20 hours of hands-on lab experiences.

• Three new APCS labs are available to support the implementation of at least 20 hours of hands-on lab work in the classroom.

• Exemplar labs:- Magpie- Elevens- Picture Lab

The APCS Exam• The exam consists of two sections: a multiple-

choice section (40 questions in 75 minutes), which tests proficiency in a wide variety of topics, and a free response section (4 questions in 105 minutes), which requires the student to demonstrate the ability to solve problems involving more extended reasoning

• Minor points of syntax are not tested on the exam. All code given is consistent with the AP Java subset. All student responses involving code must be hand-written in Java

The APCS Exam• Students are expected to be familiar with and able to

use the standard Java classes listed in the AP Java subset. For both sections of the exam, an appendix containing a reference to both the case study and the classes in the AP Java subset is provided

• In the determination of the grade for the exam, the multiple-choice section and the free-response section are given equal weight. It is not expected that many students will be able to correctly answer all the questions in either the multiple-choice section or the free response section

Multiple Choice Question

Example Free-Response Question

APCS Audit Process

• http://www.collegeboard.com/html/apcourseaudit/courses/computer_science.html

Final Thoughts

• Set aside enough time for the 20+ hour minimum for hands-on labs

• Practice writing programs and AP questions• Emphasize Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

throughout the year• Assign meaningful projects• Grade student projects using the AP Computer

Science grading process• Join the APCS discussion group

Question & Answer 疑问 & 解答

Resources

Software, sample lessons, and resources can be found at: http://hosted.concordiashanghai.org/apcs/

Contact Information• College Board AP Computer Science Website:

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/4483.html

• Website for all resources presented today:

http://hosted.concordiashanghai.org/apcs/

• Need help? Please Contact:

Mr. Joel KlammerEmail: [email protected]: joel.klammerTel: +86 (0) 21 5899-0380Fax: +86 (0) 21 5899-1685Mobile: +86 136-8180-0093201206 上海浦东金桥明月路 999号

ap computer science an overview of the program. outline the state of computer science education...

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