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• Stage A: Learning, work in pairs
1. Learn the “roles of variables” concept by reading the “Introduction to
the Roles of Variables.”
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2. Perform the activity “Try to Classify Variables Yourself.”
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3. Try to use “The Role Advisor.”
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• Stage B: Reflection on Stage A, individual work
At this stage, the students are directed to reflect on what they learnt from
two perspectives: as learners of a new concept and as future computer sci-
ence teachers (see Chap. 2). Since it is a reflection activity (see Sect. 5.6),
it is recommended to carry it out individually. Specifically, the students'
tasks are:
1. What new kinds of knowledge did you gain from this exploration?
2.
Do you agree with the interpretation of the “roles of variables” con-
cept? Do you agree with the categorization of the variable roles?
3.
Did you enjoy this kind of learning? Did you enjoy doing the “check
yourself” activity?
4.
Address advantages and disadvantages of this kind of learning.
5.
As a future high school computer science teacher, reflect on using this
kind of discovery learning in high school classes: Do you think that
this interpretation for variable roles should be integrated to scaffold
learners' problem-solving skills? Do you think that pupils can learn it
the same way as you did?
Activity 34: Roles of Variables—Examination of the Roles of Variables Through
the Research Lens
The target of this activity is to expose the students to current computer science
educational research on the roles of variables (see also Chap. 4). They look at
relevant research developments and investigate resources that can serve them
in their future teaching in the high school. This work may also enhance their
curiosity as future researchers.
The students' tasks are:
1. Explore the following resources in the Roles of Variables home page:
− Why Roles
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See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/role_intro.html.
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See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/try.html.
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See http://cs.joensuu.fi/~pgerdt/RAE/.
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See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/why_roles.html.
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