[Scott Leiper]

24/02/2015 at 9:22 am

Students are asked for their assumptions… Is this how the SQA get round writing vague program specifications, and then get the students to assume what is meant, or am I missing something. I set Language Tutors last year, and I can’t find my marking scheme to identify what I felt was an acceptable return from them then, this year with Games Review I can’t think of any assumptions they have to make. That the end user has the python translator installed, that they have a keyboard, and fingers, and fully functioning sight?

Any ideas?

[Lee Murray]

25/02/2015 at 10:26 am

I did the Music Fans assignment and the only assumptions I could think of related to the number of tickets that each fan could buy per gig.

In the program, you give 10% discount per ticket bought, so some pupils assumed that fans were limited to one ticket per gig (there were five gigs), others assumed that there was a maximum discount of 100%.

Others made no assumptions and allowed unlimited tickets and unlimited discount (over 100%).

I do think it’s a bit of a get-out clause for vague specifications. I suppose it adds a wee bit of realism where some assumptions may be made in real life, but what would be more realistic is asking the client to clarify the situation.

[Stuart Rose]

03/03/2015 at 11:27 am

The Music Fans program specification is as clear as mud.

In my eyes the program should…

Input the loyal fans names into an array
Input the number of concerts attended into an array

Then I got confused!

Does it then ask for the number of tickets (validated) the fan wants to buy for the Newcastle gig? In which case it applies either 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% as a discount based on the previous concerts attended?

It wasn’t this confusing last year.

[Peter Thoresen]

03/03/2015 at 12:18 pm

Using v1.1 of the task

pg 15:

The band has decided to reward their loyal fans. Anyone who has bought tickets for at least three of the previous concerts will be known as a ‘loyal fan’. If they buy a ticket for the final concert, loyal fans will be given a discount of 10% for every ticket previously bought. In addition, two of the loyal fans will be randomly chosen and given back-stage passes to meet the band at the final concert.

pg 16:
– input the names of each loyal fan, and how many concerts each has attended
– input and validate the number of tickets these customers bought
– calculate the final discounted cost of the ticket for each customer
– decide who wins the free back-stage pass
– output information to be sent to all fans

The database has Boolean for a ticket for each concert. Program refers to no of concerts and no of tickets.

My Assumption = no of tickets is the same as the number of concerts.

So, for each “loyal” customer (database result) input name and valid no of concerts/tickets.

In addition, pg 15 says two fans win backstage pass but pg 16 says “the backstage pass”. This discrepancy means that pupils have to make another assumption as to whether there are 1 or 2 winners.

[Stuart Rose]

03/03/2015 at 1:44 pm

I thought number of tickets MIGHT have meant number of concerts attended.

Last year I had 2 backstage pass winners and was successfully verified so I’ll stick with that.

Thanks.

[Stuart Rose]

03/03/2015 at 1:58 pm

The example output that reads:

“John the cost of your final concert ticket with a 40% discount is £9.
I’m sorry you have not won a back-stage pass.”

I think the last sentence is going to be tricky for them to implement in their code so I will accept any output that displays the 9 names, discount percentages and final ticket costs followed by the names of the backstage pass winners.

Final thought… the documentation says something like “the 6 loyal fans” but there are 9. That sums this whole task up for me!