[Linux-aus] Re: High school computing texts

[Andrew Donnellan]

On 3/21/07, Peter Miller <millerp at canb.auug.org.au> wrote:
> On Wed, 2007-03-21 at 10:29 +1030, Glen Turner wrote:
> > Joel wrote:
> >
> > > Since when is binary arithmetic irrelevant? *smirk*
> >
> > It's entirely irrelevant for a course named "software design
> > and development".
>
> 2s complement arithmetic, yes.
> Limits of numerical representation, no.
<snip>

Yes, definitely.

I would cut down the arithmetic parts of relevant courses to:
* conversion between binary/decimal/hex
* basic arithmetic (addition/subtraction)
* how binary relates to usage of variables (variable overflow etc.)

That is all that is *really* needed for a basic intro to software design.

Things that need to be done to fix these courses up:
* drop irrelevant stuff
* use programming languages that aren't extinct (ie. move on from Pascal)
* cover more recent developments in IT
* more modern textbooks (perhaps even an open/wiki textbook could be
designed for a standard (HSC or similar) course)

Does anyone know of any projects to create free textbooks that comply
with school syllabuses?

-- 
Andrew Donnellan
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