Identifying the problem
Name:
Date:
Class:
A
Quick Questions
Shade in the A or B circle for each question.
1. Which is a clear problem statement?
2. A problem statement should be:
3. Which statement names the user of the program?
4. Which is a vague idea rather than a clear problem?
5. A scenario says: 'A school shop sells snacks. The shop is painted green. The manager wants a program to stop selling items that are out of stock.' What is the real problem?
B
Match the Pairs
Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.
| Left column | Right column | |
|---|---|---|
| 1"Make something for the school shop." | A"A program for teachers to record student attendance." | |
| 2"A program that lets shop staff record each sale and show the day's total takings." | B"The club has 40 members and a blue logo. It needs a program to work out each member's fee." | |
| 3A problem statement should make clear who will use the program | CIt picks a detail that is not part of the problem. The real problem is logging late arrivals. | |
| 4When reading a scenario, pick out the real problem to solve and ignore extra details | DA clear problem statement: it says who uses it and what the program must achieve | |
| 5"Create a fun app that is really good." | EA vague idea: it does not say who uses it or what the program must achieve | |
| 6"The bus is red and the driver is called Sam. The school needs a program to log late arrivals." Problem: the bus is red | FIt is too vague. It does not say who will use the app or what it must do. It should state the user and the goal. |
C
Definitions
problem statement
D
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.
1.
// _______: a shop needs a till program
2.
// Problem: find a class's average mark
// ____: a teacher
3.
// Vague: make a game
// _____
: a quiz that scores a pupil out of 10
4.
// Problem: store each pupil's test score
// __________: the colour of the school bus
5.
// ________: Lunch queues are very long.
// Problem: shorten the time spent in queue
E
Spot the Error
Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.
Question 1
A
PROBLEM: Make a cafe thing
B
USER: Cafe cashier
C
GOAL: Show the total to pay
Question 2
A
PROBLEM: Track library books
B
USER: School librarian
C
GOAL: Make it look nice
Question 3
A
SCENARIO: Club has 40 members
B
They lose track of who paid
C
PROBLEM: Design a club logo
Question 4
A
PROBLEM: Convert temperatures
B
USER: Science students
C
GOAL: Show degrees Fahrenheit
D
IGNORE: Celsius input values
Question 5
A
PROBLEM: Book school trips
B
USER: Nobody in particular
C
GOAL: Record places booked
Answer Key
Identifying the problem
Section A: Quick Questions
Q1
A — A program that lets teachers enter test marks and shows each student's average.
Q2
A — One or two clear sentences
Q3
B — A cinema cashier needs a program to work out the total cost of tickets.
Q4
B — I want a cool app for my club.
Q5
A — Stopping the sale of out-of-stock items
Section B: Match the Pairs
Q1
"Make something for the school shop." → A vague idea: it does not say who uses it or what the program must achieve
Q2
"A program that lets shop staff record each sale and show the day's total takings." → A clear problem statement: it says who uses it and what the program must achieve
Q3
A problem statement should make clear who will use the program → "A program for teachers to record student attendance."
Q4
When reading a scenario, pick out the real problem to solve and ignore extra details → "The club has 40 members and a blue logo. It needs a program to work out each member's fee."
Q5
"Create a fun app that is really good." → It is too vague. It does not say who will use the app or what it must do. It should state the user and the goal.
Q6
"The bus is red and the driver is called Sam. The school needs a program to log late arrivals." Problem: the bus is red → It picks a detail that is not part of the problem. The real problem is logging late arrivals.
Section C: Definitions
Q1
problem statement — A clear one or two sentence description of what needs to be solved and what the program must achieve, written so the user and the goal are obvious.Section D: Fill in the Blanks
Q1
// Problem: a shop needs a till programQ2
// Problem: find a class's average mark
// User: a teacherQ3
// Vague: make a game
// Clear
: a quiz that scores a pupil out of 10Q4
// Problem: store each pupil's test score
// Not needed: the colour of the school busQ5
// Scenario: Lunch queues are very long.
// Problem: shorten the time spent in queueSection E: Spot the Error
Q1
A — Line 1 is a vague idea, not a clear problem. It should state exactly what needs solving, such as 'PROBLEM: Calculate cafe bill'.
Q2
C — The goal must say what the program has to achieve. 'Make it look nice' is vague. It should be something like 'GOAL: List overdue books'.
Q3
C — The scenario says the real problem is losing track of who has paid. A logo is not mentioned. The problem should be 'Record who has paid'.
Q4
D — Only details that are not part of the problem should be ignored. The Celsius values are needed. The lab colour is the irrelevant detail.
Q5
B — A clear problem statement says who will use the program. 'Nobody in particular' does not. It should name the users, e.g. 'School office staff'.