Program Development Practical (Week 10)

Lesson objectives

By the end of the week, learners should be able to:

1. Plan a simple program using pseudocode or a flowchart.
2. Write a BASIC program with LET, PRINT, INPUT and IF THEN.
3. Debug the program if errors appear and confirm the output.
4. Save the runnable program under a clear filename.
5. Compare the planned pseudocode with the final program.

Key vocabulary

• Plan: the pseudocode or flowchart outline before coding.
• Pseudocode: informal notation guiding code creation.
• Flowchart: a diagram visualising the plan.
• Runnable program: code that executes without fatal errors.
• Debug: finding and fixing mistakes in a program.
• Confirm: verifying output matches expectations.
• Filename: the name identifying a saved file.
• Comparison: checking a plan against the final code.

Common misconceptions

• "The plan must exactly match the final code." Plans guide structure but wording can change.
• "A working program does not need debugging." Working programs are products of debugging.
• ""The plan is optional fluff."" A plan keeps development focused and readable.

Teacher activities

1. Starter: display a pseudocode plan and a final program and ask which differs most.
2. Explain the planning requirement and model pseudocode planning on paper.
3. Demonstrate writing a BASIC program from the plan.
4. Model debugging one broken program and confirm the corrected output.
5. Save the final program and reopen it to confirm.
6. Set the creation task and collect materials for submission.

Student activities

1. Choose the plan from the starter and explain how the program changed.
2. Plan a small program on paper using pseudocode or a flowchart.
3. Write a BASIC program using LET, PRINT, INPUT and IF THEN.
4. Debug the program if errors appear and confirm the corrected output.
5. Save the final program under a clear filename and reopen to confirm.
6. Compare the planned pseudocode with the final program.

Practical / learning evidence

A completed plan, a saved runnable BASIC program and a confirmed expected output, plus the comparison between plan and program. Hand in all three for marking.

Resources and preparation

Computers with the BASIC interpreter, blank templates, sample plans and a broken-program sample. Prebuild the interpreter in a read-only folder. Disable Caps Lock before typing. Confirm the computer starts reliably.

Assessment for learning

Inspect the plan for sensible structure. Check the saved program for correct LET, PRINT, INPUT and IF THEN syntax. Compare the plan with the program for meaningful alignment. Flag any learner who ignores the plan requirement.

Inclusion and access

Provide the sample plan prebuilt so learners focus on the program itself. Allow extra time for debugging. Extend confident learners with two programs and a second plan comparison homework. Homework: turn one planned program into two variants differing only in operators.