Design a software program focuses on constructing an algorithmic structure for a specified task and specifying test data for a program.

Initially students learn to construct an algorithmic structure for a basic task that involves input of at least two kinds of predefined types of information, and requires a combination of all of sequential, iterative, and conditional algorithmic structures. Students progress to designing the structure of a complex software program where the plan has a modular structure, an indexed data structure, input and output, and procedural structures that combine sequential, conditional, and iterative structures. By level 8 students should be using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to develop code following a disciplined development process with cycles of incremental development and testing.

[Level 8 Learning Objectives, Teacher Guidance and Indicators of Progression wiil be published when Level 3 achievement standards are finalised for registration]

To support students to develop an ability to design the structure of a basic software program at level 6, teachers could:

• Guide students on how to specify variables and their data types
• Guide students to independently construct flexible and robust plans
• Guide students on how to specify procedural structures that combine well-chosen actions, conditions and control structures, that constitute well-structured logical solution to tasks
• Guide students specify comprehensive sets of test cases with expected, boundary and invalid input for testing programs.

To support students to develop an ability to design the structure of an advanced software program at level 7, teachers could:

• Guide students on how to specify well-chosen scopes for variables, their scopes and data types
• Guide students on how to specify indexed data structures
• Guide students on how to specify modular structures for programs with well-chosen parameters, including details of procedural structures of modules, that constitute well-structured logical decomposition of tasks
• Guide students on how to specify a comprehensive set of expected, boundary and exceptional input cases for testing programs.
• Guide students on how to specify variables, constants, and derived values effectively so as to maximise the flexibility and robustness of independently constructed plans

Students can:

• specify variables and their data types
• independently construct a flexible and robust plan
• specify a procedural structure that combines well-chosen actions, conditions and control structures that constitutes a well-structured logical solution to the task
• specify a comprehensive set of test cases with expected, boundary and invalid input for testing the program.

Students can:

• specify well-chosen scopes for variables, their scopes and data types
• specify an indexed data structure
• specify a modular structure for the program with well-chosen parameters, including details of the procedural structures of the modules, that constitute a well-structured logical decomposition of the task
• specify a comprehensive set of expected, boundary and exceptional input cases for testing the program.