Student Assignment

[Rufus]

I'm "helping" (?) some high school students with their entry-level
computer science course. They need to write a class file that goes with
the following client file. The final grade is determined by the sum of
the higher of the students's two test scores and the exam. Offhand, I
don't remember the exact cut-offs for the letter grades, but it was
something like: >= 90 A; >=80 B; >= 60 C; >= 50 D; < 50 F.
Any help would be appreciated!

import javax.swing.*;
import java.text.DecimalFormat;

public class studentClient
{ // begin class
public static void main(String args[])
{ // begin main
// ***** declaration of constants *****

// ***** declaration of variables *****

String strin; // input string
String strout; // output string

// ***** create objects *****

Student s1 = new Student(); // default student
Student s2 = new Student(1234, 34, 41, 38);
Student s3 = new Student(2234, 24, 26, 27);

// ***** create input stream *****

ConsoleReader console = new ConsoleReader(System.in);

// ***** Print Banner *****

System.out.println("**********************************");
System.out.println("NAME: Your Name Here");
System.out.println("Class: Mine");
System.out.println("Assignment: ");
System.out.println("**********************************");

// ***** processing *****

System.out.println("Student 1");
s1.printStudent();
System.out.println("\n\n");

System.out.println("Student 2");
s2.printStudent();
System.out.println("\n\n");

System.out.println("Student 3");
s3.printStudent();
System.out.println("\n\n");

s1.setId(3234);
s1.setT1(35);
s1.setT2(33);
s1.setExam(34);

System.out.println("Student 1 again");
s1.printStudent();

s2.setExam(41);
System.out.println("Student 2 again");
s2.printStudent();

// ***** output *****

System.out.print("Student id\t" + "Test 1\t" + "Test 2\t");
System.out.println("Exam\t" + "Final\t" + "Letter");

System.out.print("\t" + s1.getId() + "\t" + s1.getT1() + "\t" +
s1.getT2());
System.out.println("\t" + s1.getExam() + "\t" + s1.getFinal() + "\t"
+ s1.getLetter());

System.out.print("\t" + s2.getId() + "\t" + s2.getT1() + "\t" +
s2.getT2());
System.out.println("\t" + s2.getExam() + "\t" + s2.getFinal() + "\t"
+ s2.getLetter());

System.out.print("\t" + s3.getId() + "\t" + s3.getT1() + "\t" +
s3.getT2());
System.out.println("\t" + s3.getExam() + "\t" + s3.getFinal() + "\t"
+ s3.getLetter());




// ***** closing message *****

System.out.println("end of processing");

} // end main
} // end class

 

[Patricia Shanahan]

I'm "helping" (?) some high school students with their entry-level
computer science course. They need to write a class file that goes with
the following client file. The final grade is determined by the sum of
the higher of the students's two test scores and the exam. Offhand, I
don't remember the exact cut-offs for the letter grades, but it was
something like: >= 90 A; >=80 B; >= 60 C; >= 50 D; < 50 F.
Any help would be appreciated!

....

I'm a volunteer tutor for a high school calculus class. The biggest
difficulty is finding ways to help the students find the answers for
themselves - often much, much harder than it would be to solve the
problem myself, and tell them the answer.

One approach that seems to work quite well is to ask them questions. In
the beginning Java context that might be something like "What does the
assignment require you to do?", "What pieces of that do you already know
how to do?"...

Do they have a good textbook? Do they know about on-line tutorials? Do
you think they would benefit from my beginning programmer advice:
http://home.earthlink.net/~patricia_shanahan/beginner.html?

Have they done all prior assignments? I've noticed the calculus students
seem to think mathematics is a series of disjoint pieces, and that they
can learn later material without thinking about earlier material. I
suspect young CS students might assume they can jump straight into a
later exercise without having done everything that leads up to it.

Patricia

 

[Rufus]

...

I'm a volunteer tutor for a high school calculus class. The biggest
difficulty is finding ways to help the students find the answers for
themselves - often much, much harder than it would be to solve the
problem myself, and tell them the answer.

One approach that seems to work quite well is to ask them questions. In
the beginning Java context that might be something like "What does the
assignment require you to do?", "What pieces of that do you already know
how to do?"...

Do they have a good textbook? Do they know about on-line tutorials? Do
you think they would benefit from my beginning programmer advice:
http://home.earthlink.net/~patricia_shanahan/beginner.html?

Have they done all prior assignments? I've noticed the calculus students
seem to think mathematics is a series of disjoint pieces, and that they
can learn later material without thinking about earlier material. I
suspect young CS students might assume they can jump straight into a
later exercise without having done everything that leads up to it.

Patricia

I am asking more on behalf in order to maximize our quality together
time. Until last week, I thought java was another tasty hot beverage.
They seem to know the if/else loop.

 

[Patricia Shanahan]

I am asking more on behalf in order to maximize our quality together
time. Until last week, I thought java was another tasty hot beverage.
They seem to know the if/else loop.

Even without knowing Java, you could take some of the questions in my
original response, and use them as starting points to help the students
get thinking.

If they are having trouble getting started, point them to the URL I
gave. If they have got started, and are having trouble with some
specific point, work with them to formulate a good newsgroup question, a
useful skill in its own right, and post the question.

Patricia

 

[Rufus]

Even without knowing Java, you could take some of the questions in my
original response, and use them as starting points to help the students
get thinking.

If they are having trouble getting started, point them to the URL I
gave. If they have got started, and are having trouble with some
specific point, work with them to formulate a good newsgroup question, a
useful skill in its own right, and post the question.

Patricia

Assignment is already past due . . .

 

[Chris Smith]

Assignment is already past due . . .

Then perhaps it's a little late to asking for help on your... ahem, I
mean, these students'... homework. However, by completing the
assignment, it is still possible to learn something even the grade
assigned isn't commensurate with the learning that happened.

 

[Patricia Shanahan]

Rufus wrote:
....

Assignment is already past due . . .

I suppose that means you are asking for a solution, rather than for tips
on how to help the students solve the problem.

If so, that is a very, very bad idea.

Most importantly, the act of turning in as their own work something
someone else wrote for them would be a lie.

However, even ignoring the dishonesty, there are practical arguments
against it. Their teacher needs to know that they have not mastered the
skills tested by the assignment. Even if this is the end of their
course, there would be a risk of them being placed, based on a grade
they didn't earn, in courses that are too advanced for them in the
future, which would be a waste of their time.

It would be much better to encourage them to try to do the assignment
even if it won't be graded. That way, they learn perseverance and
programming, both of which are much more useful than how-to-cheat.

Patricia

 

[IchBin]

Rufus wrote:
[snip]>

Assignment is already past due . . .

Here is something you would need for this project:
class Student
{
Integer id;
Integer t1;
Integer t2;
Integer exam;
Integer finalExam;
String letter;

Student()
{
}

Student(Integer id, Integer t1, Integer t2, Integer exam)
{
this.id = id;
this.t1 = t1;
this.t2 = t2;
this.exam = exam;
}
protected void printStudent(){
System.out.print("\t" +
getId()+
"\t" +
getT1() +
"\t" +
getT2());
System.out.println("\t" +
getExam() +
"\t" +
getFinalExam() +
"\t" +
getLetter());
}
/**
* @return the exam
*/
protected Integer getExam()
{
return exam;
}
/**
* @param exam the exam to set
*/
protected void setExam(Integer exam)
{
this.exam = exam;
}
/**
* @return the id
*/
protected Integer getId()
{
return id;
}
/**
* @param id the id to set
*/
protected void setId(Integer id)
{
this.id = id;
}
/**
* @return the t1
*/
protected Integer getT1()
{
return t1;
}
/**
* @param t1 the t1 to set
*/
protected void setT1(Integer t1)
{
this.t1 = t1;
}
/**
* @return the t2
*/
protected Integer getT2()
{
return t2;
}
/**
* @param t2 the t2 to set
*/
protected void setT2(Integer t2)
{
this.t2 = t2;
}

/**
* @return the finalexam
*/
protected Integer getFinalExam()
{
return finalExam;
}

/**
* @param finalexam the finalexam to set
*/
protected void setFinalExam(Integer finalexam)
{
this.finalExam = finalExam;
}

/**
* @return the letter
*/
protected String getLetter()
{
return letter;
}

/**
* @param letter the letter to set
*/
protected void setLetter(String letter)
{
this.letter = letter;
}
}


--

Thanks in Advance...
IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA
http://weconsultants.servebeer.com/JHackerAppManager
__________________________________________________________________________

'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
-William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)

 

[Alex Hunsley]

I'm "helping" (?) some high school students with their entry-level
computer science course. They need to write a class file that goes with
the following client file. The final grade is determined by the sum of
the higher of the students's two test scores and the exam. Offhand, I
don't remember the exact cut-offs for the letter grades, but it was
something like: >= 90 A; >=80 B; >= 60 C; >= 50 D; < 50 F.
Any help would be appreciated!

Hold on a mo. You're helping students with their Java practical, but
aren't in any position to help as you don't know the subject? Why are
you trying to help them? Why don't those students come here directly?

Of course, I suppose it could be /you/ who needs the help. Who knows...

Trying asking direct questions, apart from "someone do my^Wsomeone
else's practical for me"....

 

[Rufus]

Hold on a mo. You're helping students with their Java practical, but
aren't in any position to help as you don't know the subject? Why are
you trying to help them? Why don't those students come here directly?

Of course, I suppose it could be /you/ who needs the help. Who knows...

Trying asking direct questions, apart from "someone do my^Wsomeone
else's practical for me"....

 

[Rufus]

Hold on a mo. You're helping students with their Java practical, but
aren't in any position to help as you don't know the subject? Why are
you trying to help them? Why don't those students come here directly?

Of course, I suppose it could be /you/ who needs the help. Who knows...

Trying asking direct questions, apart from "someone do my^Wsomeone
else's practical for me"....

Thanks for all the suggestions and even the code! And "my bad" on the
tone of my posting. I now realize I should have been more specific in
my request. My only excuse is that I don't have copies (they each have
slightly different ways of attacking the problem) of what they have
written so far and I thought it would be easier to "start from
scratch". I think I can convince the instructor to give the students
part marks on what they have completed.

 

[jmcgill]

Rufus wrote:

I think I can convince the instructor to give the students
part marks on what they have completed.

I'm sure I'd give the "instructor" a piece of my mind. He has failed to
teach the students such that they have the knowledge to deliver
assignments he has given them. And he has allowed the "tutoring"
responsibility to fall on someone who lacks the knowledge to fulfill
that role.

Now I expect the students will take the punishment, and the "instructor"
will not receive any criticism at all... and will do it again to the
next class.

 

[Chris Smith]

I'm sure I'd give the "instructor" a piece of my mind. He has failed to
teach the students such that they have the knowledge to deliver
assignments he has given them. And he has allowed the "tutoring"
responsibility to fall on someone who lacks the knowledge to fulfill
that role.

Now I expect the students will take the punishment, and the "instructor"
will not receive any criticism at all... and will do it again to the
next class.

This is a bit of a stretch from just reading a few newsgroup posts. If
indeed there are any students aside from the person posting (which I'm
not entirely convinced of), then they may or may not have even let the
instructor know that they are having problems. They may or may not have
attended or participated in the class. They may simply find it more
convenient to seek help from someone who apparently will just help them
to cheat at the course rather than trying to help them learn the
concepts involved.

If the instructor's fault is to not be available to help the students in
the class, then I agree it deserves criticism. If the students don't
want to learn, then I wouldn't single out fault on their current
instructor for that, though perhaps some share of blame belongs to any
number of teachers and other role models throughout their lives to this
point.

 

[jmcgill]

This is a bit of a stretch from just reading a few newsgroup posts. If
indeed there are any students aside from the person posting (which I'm
not entirely convinced of)

Yeah, it did sound very fishy. The strangest thing about it is that
it's June, so this is someone's mid-term in a summer session, I guess.

I didn't read the thread or the assignment very carefully (turned off by
the attitude), but what I saw didn't look that difficult.