Assessment Tool

Lecture 3: Variables, Values, and Types

Content Tested: Variable Identifiers

Lecture Content:

Variables
Declarations
Identifiers and Reserved Words
Types
Expressions
Assignment Statement
Variable Initialization

Goals:

Develop analytic skills
Develop ability to draw reasonable inferences from observations
Improve memory skills
Develop appropriate study skills, strategies, and habits
Learn terms and facts of this subject
Learn concepts and theories of this subject

Assessment Technique: Categorizing Grids

Purpose:

This activity allows instructors to see if students understand appropriate variable naming style and illegal variable names.

Activity:

In today's lecture we saw rules for naming variables when programming in the C language. In your group (or as an individual) generate variable names that fit the following three categories: good style and legal name, poor style and legal name, illegal name.

Good Style and Legal Name	Poor Style and Legal Name	Illegal Name

Possible Solutions:

Good Style and Legal Name	Poor Style and Legal Name	Illegal Name
`num_apples` `numApples` `income` `profit`	`a` `first_integer_input_by_user` (poor description and too long to type) `input1` (poor description of contents)	`void` (reserved word in C) `12days` (can't begin with a number) `num-apples` (can't include - ) `num Apples` (can't have spaces)

Possible Uses of Activity:

Have students work in groups to complete this activity. The instructor may want to circulate throughout the groups to ensure that each group is making progress. After the groups have completed their lists, the instructor can make a composite list with all variables from every group. As a group adds a new variable name to the list, have them explain why they placed it in a certain category.
Have students work individually on their lists and then form groups of 4-5 people to discuss their individual lists with other members of the group.