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Lesson Plan

Type of Lesson:            Multimedia -- Audio/Video

Lesson Plan Title:         Introductory Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition Tutorial

Discipline and Topic:   Technology

Students will take part in a unit of an introductory-level course entitled "Computer Programming and Problem Solving," designed for advanced credit standing.


Target Population:

Grade Level:   High School -- Grade 12

Population Characteristics:  This lesson will be presented to 12 students who have been selected to participate in an Advanced Placement (AP) course. The students are highly-motivated, and each maintains above-average grades in all subjects. In addition, each has expressed a specific interest in learning the basics of computer programming.

Lesson Groupings:  Students will work individually at computer stations that are equipped with the Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition program .

     
Curriculum Links:

Objectives:  Students will be able to . . .

• use a website to locate and run video tutorials and other files designed to provide instruction in computer programming.
• understand the concepts of Input, Processing, and Output.
• understand and use the steps in the Programmer's Development Cycle.
• analyze and design solutions (algorithms) for problems.
• create flowcharts that graphically depict solutions to problems.
• navigate the Visual Basic 2005 programming environment.
• create Visual Basic interfaces.
• write basic programming code.
• document code using comments.
• properly save projects to the hard drive and copy entire files to USB devices or floppy disks.
  

Media Literacy Objectives:

• Routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communication, and productivity.
• Investigate and apply expert systems, intelligent agents, and simulations in real-world situations.
  
• Collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content-related knowledge base by using technology to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information, models, and other creative works.

Materials and Timing:

One computer for each student; headphones; Internet connections; URL for the course website; Windows Media installed on computers; notebooks and writing implements for recording information and for drawing flowcharts; individual file folders for storing handouts, printouts, etc., USB devices or floppy disks for storing projects; printers and printer paper.

The lesson plan covers an introductory unit and is set up for five 45-minute daily sessions. These classes will take place in the school's Computer Lab and will be overseen by the Technology instructor.

Scope and Sequence:

Day One

Step 1:

Students have been assigned individual computer stations that are equipped with headphones. In addition, they have been provided with the website address where links to mini-lectures, video tutorials, and other resources are stored (https://mkellyhalsey.tripod.com/index.html). Experienced computer users, they will be asked to go to the site to access the course, and they will view a digital video, An Overview of the Course, by clicking on the link provided. After watching the video and returning to the home page, they will be instructed to read Mini-Lecture No. 1, available for download. Following the reading, the instructor will hold a brief discussion of the concepts in the lecture, inquiring if students have any questions (20 minutes).

Step 2:

The instructor will advise students that they will be expected to analyze all problems assigned in the course in the manner demonstrated for determining the sum of two numbers discussed in the Mini-Lecture. There, it was determined that in order to produce the sum of two numbers (output), the individual numbers first had to be entered (input) and manipulated (processed). For each project during the course, the student must turn in a short written analysis of the problem (10 minutes).

Step 3:

Students will receive a handout entitled Notepad Window. Notepad, which is included on the Accessories menu in Windows, will be used to create text files during the Visual Basic course. After opening Notepad, the students will practice entering lists of the type that will be used during the course, as instructed. The Technology teacher will point out that files from this application are saved with a .TXT extension. At the completion of exercises, students will be reminded to save all handouts in their individual folders for future reference (15 minutes).


Day Two:

Step 1:

The instructor will begin the lesson by explaining where the Visual Basic project files are to be saved on the hard drive, as set up in advance on the drive. Students will practice locating the folder and copying individual project sub-folders to their USB drives and/or floppy disks. When VB projects are saved, they contain several additional files and folders within them; therefore, it is essential students be familiar with the entire process (15 minutes).

Step 2:

The instructor will explain that, as indicated in the reading, there are several tools programmers use to aid them in planning their programs in advance of writing any code. In this course, students will use flowcharts to outline the logic of their programs. For the assignments, flowcharts may be drawn by hand or built with a program such as Smart Draw*, which the students have learned previously. Students will be instructed to view the Flowchart Shapes interactive map that has been prepared for use with these lessons. Although there are other symbols, the map contains only the symbols the students will be using in the course. Students will make note of each of the symbols and its function in a flowchart (10 minutes).

* Link to free download trial of Smart Draw.

Step 3:

Students will view a Creating a Flowchart video that has been prepared demonstrating how flowcharts are built for the simplest programming structure, sequential structure. The video uses a simulation program designed for demonstration purposes; the program models the procedure students will follow in designing their assigned flowcharts. After watching the video, students will be asked to draw flowcharts by hand for a few problems they will be using in class during another lesson. The students will be asked to keep their flowcharts in their individual file folders (20 minutes).

Recommended site for further information regarding flowcharting: National Institute of Open Schooling.


Day Three:

Step 1:

Students will receive a handout entitled Getting Started that provides information regarding starting the Visual Basic program in the Computer Lab. Following the instructions, they will open the program (5 minutes).

Step 2:

Students will watch a video, Preparing the Visual Basic Screen for the Course, that demonstrates the way they should set up the screen for working in this course. Using the video as a guide, pausing and alternating as necessary, students will set up their own screens as demonstrated (20 minutes).

Step 3:

When the screens have been set up, students will view the How to Save the Project video. Using this video as a guide, they will save the project on their individual computers. Next, they will practice locating the saved project and copying it to a USB device or floppy disk (20 minutes).


Day Four:

Step 1:

Students will view the Reopen a Saved File video on how to reopen a saved file, make changes to it, and save all changes. Following the video, they will practice opening their saved project, making the change demonstrated, and saving the changes. Next, they will copy the re-saved project to the USB or floppy, replacing the old version (20 minutes).

Step 2:

Students will view the video entitled The Interface, after which they will create the interface project demonstrated, save it on the hard drive, and copy the folder to their USB and/or floppy disks (25 minutes).


Day Five:

Step 1:

Students will view the Required Elements presentation that informs them of four items that must be included on every project they create during the course. (Note: Click your left button to return here after viewing). The teacher will stress that no project will be graded unless the elements are present (15 minutes).

Step 2:

Students will asked to take a short quiz (must be downloaded) that has been designed to help them determine how much how have learned during the unit (10 minutes).

Step 3:

The instructor will assign projects requiring the creation of interfaces. The students will create some in class and complete the others as homework (20 minutes).



Supplemental Materials:

Microsoft Website to download Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition and view Video Feature Tour.

Recommended textbook:  An Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 2005 (6th Edition) by David Schneider.

Learning Videos (requires membership):  Learn VisualStudio.Net.

Additional writing implements, paper, and floppy disks, as needed.

Evaluations:

Scoring:

21-27 Points = Excellent                           13-20 Points = Good                          0-12 Points = Needs Improvement

Objectives	0 Points	1 Point	2 Points	3 Points	Score
Followed directions	Followed no directions and required  instructor assistance with every task.	Followed some directions and did require  instructor assistance that should not have been needed.	Followed all directions but did require  instructor assistance that should not have been needed a few times.	Followed all directions and did not require  instructor assistance.
Turned in all assigned projects  on due date	Turned in no, or few, projects on due date.	Turned in several projects on due date.	Turned in most projects on due date.	Turned in all projects on due date.
Provided analysis and flowchart for each project	Analyses and/or flowcharts missing for all, or nearly all, projects.	Analyses and/or flowcharts weak or missing for several projects.	Provided a thorough analysis and a complete flowchart for most projects.	Provided a thorough analysis and a complete flowchart for each project.
Accurate flowcharts; included all necessary Elements--title, correct shapes, flowlines, etc.	No, or only a few, flowcharts were accurate and included all necessary elements.	Several flowcharts were accurate and included all necessary elements.	Nearly all flowcharts were accurate and included all necessary elements.	Every flowchart was accurate and included all necessary elements.
Demonstrated understanding of coding process	Student demonstrated no understanding of the coding process.	Student demonstrated some under- standing of the coding process.	Student demonstrated a good under- standing of the coding process.	Student demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the coding process.
Project interface design	No, or a few, projects demonstrated functionality in design, and nearly all were not aesthetically pleasing.	Several projects lacked functionality in design and/or were not aesthetically pleasing.	Most projects were functional in design and aesthetically pleasing.	All projects were functional in design and aesthetically pleasing.
Observed naming conventions where required	Failed to  observe naming conven- tions where required.	Failed to  observe naming conven- tions for many required element.	Observed naming conventions for nearly every required element.	Observed naming conventions for every required element.
Documentation provided	No comments were included in the code.	Some comments were included in the code.	Many comments were included in the code.	Comments were included throughout the code.
Included All Four Required  Elements	Failed to include all four required elements in any, or just a few, programs.	Failed to include all four required elements in several programs.	Included all four required elements in almost every program.	Included all four required elements in every program.

 


Evaluation of the Lesson:

In evaluating the lesson plan in an effort to determine if it was a successful lesson, I would: examine my anticipated time schedule; observe students during the lesson to determine if they were motivated to stay on task; and, discuss with students whether they felt that working with the website and video tutorials contributed to their learning while providing them with an interesting and enjoyable experience.

Following these steps, I would regard the lesson as successful if, in addition to discovering there were no major problems with the time schedule, a large number of students: had no problem understanding what was expected of them; demonstrated a positive attitude towards using the tutorials in their efforts to learn about programming in the Visual Basic environment; and, were able to receive satisfactory grades for their flowcharts and programming projects.