QCC – CIS PROGRAM
Assessment
Introduction to Programming for Business (BU-520)
Anthony Kolios
2015
A. Kolios 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
The assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Rubric .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Expected Interface .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Arbitrary Student’s Work Sample ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Part A............................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Part B ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Scored Rubric ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Course Assessment Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 9
A. Kolios 2015
Introduction
This document aims to provide a common tool/assignment for evaluating students’ learning outcomes in
the Introduction to programming for Business ( BU520) class.
The section titled “The assignment” is the assignment to be given verbatim to the students.
The section titled “Rubric” is the rubric to be used to measure the degree of success/completion of the
assignment. This is not to be used for grading purpose but simply to enumerate the students in each cell.
Record the number of students who fall into a cell that represent the intersection of a criterion and the
degree of accomplishment.
The section titled “Expected Interface” is a sample interface just for reference and to give some visual clue
of the assignment.
The section titled “Sample VB solution” is just an interpretation of the solution expressed in Visual Basic
(VB 2012)
The assignment
Develop, code and test a Visual Basic program that accepts two inputs. The Gross Annual Income
of a family and the size of the household. When the Compute Tax button is depressed the system
computes and displays the following items: Gross Income, Federal Tax Amount, State Tax Amount and
Net Income.
Notes and other relevant information:
 By household size we mean the income earner, the
spouse if any, and the children if any.
 Federal and state governments exclude from taxation 7% of the gross income per family member
the total sum of exemption not exceed 17,000
 For state tax purposes exclude the Federal Taxes from the State taxable income
 Federal Tax Rate and State Tax Rate are 10% and 5% respectively
 The Gross Annual Income input is always a whole number
Part A
1. Create a text document in which you identify the required variables and their data type. Assuming
10,000 as gross annual income and 2 as the size of the household write below the arithmetic
answer include all the steps of the arithmetic solution.
2. Does the system require any structure(s) such as “sequence”, “Decision”, “Repetition”, “File I/O”,
“Arrays”? Which ones if any, and why. Be specific.
Part B
Develop, and Submit VB assignment by _________.
A. Kolios 2015
Rubric
Criteria
Very Good
Analysis and problem decomposition
Variables
All quantities are
associated with a
variable and
mnemonic
appropriate
identifiers are
used
Quantitative
There is evidence
logic /
of differentiation
comprehension between Tax Rate
and Taxes as well
as proof of state
taxable income
Arithmetic
solution
There is a correct,
precise, step by
step and well
organized
arithmetic
solution
VB
programming
logic
structure(s)
All the necessary
structures are
identified and
justified
Good
Poor
Failed
All quantities are
associated with a
variable but the
variable names
are arbitrary
Some quantities
are associated
with variable
No variables or
very few are used
There is evidence
of differentiation
between Tax Rate
and Taxes but no
understanding of
what constitutes
the state taxable
income
There is no clear
evidence of
differentiation
between Tax Rate
and Taxes and t
no understanding
of what
constitutes the
state taxable
income
There is no
There is no
correct solution
correct solution
because although because although
the arithmetic
the arithmetic
operations are
operations are
correct there
correct there
is/are
is/are
misunderstanding misunderstanding
of quantity values of quantity values
such as Taxrate
such as Tax-rate
VS Taxes
VS Taxes and or
issues with
presentence with
order of
operations
Not all the
Some structures
necessary
are identified but
structures are
not explained
identified and/or what for
justified
The tax rate,
taxes, taxable
income concepts
are absent
Contains all the
required controls
but the layout can
be improved, and
default names
have been used
Missing some
critical controls
and there is some
disconnect
between the
interface and the
Arithmetic
deficiencies are
the cause of
wrong solution
Structure(s)
issues have not
been addressed
VB Program Implementation
Interface
Design
The interface has
all the elements
and is user
friendly. The
programmatically
accessed controls
Contains most of
the controls but
an unfamiliar
user may have
difficulties
interacting with
A. Kolios 2015
Variable(s)
declaration,
naming and use
Data Types
Assignments
have been named
appropriately
There are
variables for each
quantity including
constants.
Variable Names
are appropriate
Each variable is
associated with an
appropriate data
type. and there is a
co evidence
All variables are
assigned values,
and data-type
conversion has
been implemented
Sequence
All Statements
appear in proper
order/sequence
Selection /
Decision
All selection
structures are
complete and
accurate
Result(s)
evaluation
The program
executes and the
results are
accurate and are
properly
presented
Overall design, Cohesive,
logic and
documented and
implementation efficient
for all the
controls
There are
variables for
some values but
not for constants.
Variable names
are appropriate
Some variables
are associated
with an data
types
the interface
task
There are
variables for
some but not all
quantities.
Variable names
are arbitrary
Issues of data
type are
prevalent
Very few or no
variables are
used.
Some variables
are assigned
values, and datatype conversion
issues have not
been addressed
There is one
statement or
block of related
statements out of
sequence/order
There a few
issues with value
assignments to
variables
No assignments
used
There are two or
more statements
or blocks of
related
statements out of
sequence/order
The decision
making
structure(s) is
incomplete or
both the
comparison
operators are
inappropriate and
the compared
values are not
appropriate
The program flow
and logic seems
reasonable but
does not execute
The concept of
order/sequence is
absent
Does not Work
but main
concepts are
there
Does not Work
and no sense of
any cohesiveness
The decision
making
structure(s) is
complete but the
comparison
operators are
inappropriate or
the compared
values are not
appropriate
The program
executes and the
results are
accurate but not
properly
presented
Missing one or
two elements but
works
No data types
used
Evidence of
decision/selection
concept is absent
The program does
not execute and
there is/are
programming
logic issues
A. Kolios 2015
Expected Interface
A. Kolios 2015
Arbitrary Student’s Work Sample
Part A
Note: For an editable file see Student4.pdf
Part B
For Part B implementation please unzip Student4.zip, after the extraction process is complete Visual
Studio 2013 is required.
A. Kolios 2015
Scored Rubric
Criteria
Very Good
Analysis and problem decomposition
Variables
All quantities are
associated with a
variable and
mnemonic
appropriate
identifiers are
used
15 or 57.7%
Quantitative
There is evidence
logic /
of differentiation
comprehension between Tax Rate
and Taxes as well
as proof of state
taxable income
Arithmetic
solution
VB
programming
logic
structure(s)
14 or 58.3 %
There is a correct,
precise, step by
step and well
organized
arithmetic
solution
9 or 36%
All the necessary
structures are
identified and
justified
10 or 40%
VB Program Implementation
Good
Poor
Failed
All quantities are
associated with a
variable but the
variable names
are arbitrary
Some quantities
are associated
with variable
No variables or
very few are used
6 or 23.1 %
There is evidence
of differentiation
between Tax Rate
and Taxes but no
understanding of
what constitutes
the state taxable
income
5 or 19.2%
There is no clear
evidence of
differentiation
between Tax Rate
and Taxes and t
no understanding
of what
constitutes the
state taxable
income
7 or 29.2 %
3 or 12.5 %
There is no
There is no
correct solution
correct solution
because although because although
the arithmetic
the arithmetic
operations are
operations are
correct there
correct there
is/are
is/are
misunderstanding misunderstanding
of quantity values of quantity values
such as Taxrate
such as Tax-rate
VS Taxes
VS Taxes and or
issues with
presentence with
order of
operations
10 or 40 %
6 or 24 %
Not all the
Some structures
necessary
are identified but
structures are
not explained
identified and/or what for
justified
5 or 20%
3 or 12 %
The tax rate,
taxes, taxable
income concepts
are absent
Arithmetic
deficiencies are
the cause of
wrong solution
Structure(s)
issues have not
been addressed
7 or 28%
A. Kolios 2015
Interface
Design
Variable(s)
declaration,
naming and use
Data Types
Assignments
Sequence
Selection /
Decision
Result(s)
The interface has
all the elements
and is user
friendly. The
programmatically
accessed controls
have been named
appropriately
14 or 56%
There are
variables for each
quantity including
constants.
Variable Names
are appropriate
11 or 44%
Each variable is
associated with an
appropriate data
type. and there is a
co evidence
18 or 72%
All variables are
assigned values,
and data-type
conversion has
been implemented
16 or 64%
All Statements
appear in proper
order/sequence
Contains all the
required controls
but the layout can
be improved, and
default names
have been used
for all the
controls
6 or 24%
There are
variables for
some values but
not for constants.
Variable names
are appropriate
10 or 40 %
Some variables
are associated
with an data
types
Contains most of
the controls but
an unfamiliar
user may have
difficulties
interacting with
the interface
Missing some
critical controls
and there is some
disconnect
between the
interface and the
task
3 12 %
There are
variables for
some but not all
quantities.
Variable names
are arbitrary
3 or 12 %
Issues of data
type are
prevalent
2 or 8%
Very few or no
variables are
used.
5 or 20%
Some variables
are assigned
values, and datatype conversion
issues have not
been addressed
8 or 32 %
There is one
statement or
block of related
statements out of
sequence/order
1 or 4%
There a few
issues with value
assignments to
variables
1 or 4%
No assignments
used
15 or 68.2%
All selection
structures are
complete and
accurate
5 or 22.8%
The decision
making
structure(s) is
complete but the
comparison
operators are
inappropriate or
the compared
values are not
appropriate
13 or 52%
The program
4 or 16%
The program
There are two or
more statements
or blocks of
related
statements out of
sequence/order
1 or 4.6%
The decision
making
structure(s) is
incomplete or
both the
comparison
operators are
inappropriate and
the compared
values are not
appropriate
The program flow
1 or 4%
No data types
used
1 or 4%
The concept of
order/sequence is
absent
1 or 4.4%
Evidence of
decision/selection
concept is absent
8 or 32%
The program does
A. Kolios 2015
evaluation
executes and the
results are
accurate and are
properly
presented
10 or 40%
Overall design, Cohesive,
logic and
documented and
implementation efficient
6 or 24 %
executes and the
results are
accurate but not
properly
presented
11 or 44%
Missing one or
two elements but
works
14 or 56%
and logic seems
reasonable but
does not execute
not execute and
there is/are
programming
logic issues
2 or 8%
Does not Work
but main
concepts are
there
1 or 4%
2 or 8%
Does not Work
and no sense of
any cohesiveness
4 or 16%
Course Assessment Overview
The “Introduction to Computer Programming for Business” (BU 520) is a lower level course in the
Computer Information Systems (CIS) program of the Business Department.
The goal of this course is to familiarize the students with computational terms, rules, conventions and
algorithms in solving simple business problems and eventually transforming these algorithms to a
computer program using a current high level programming language.
This assessment was based on a small programing project the students had to implement in the middle of
the semester. This hands-on assignment was divided into two parts:
Part A. This was the preliminary work in analyzing the problem, deconstructing the issues onto smaller
parts, identifying quantities provided and quantities to be computed. The purpose of part A was to
prepare the algorithmic foundation required for the part B.
Part B. The students had to implement a computer based solution based on the part A components by
creating an appropriate interface, transform the algorithm to a computer program, obey the rules and
syntax of the programming language and finally test the results for accuracy.
The assessment was conducted during the spring 2015 semester, there were two section of the course
with approximately twenty (20) students in each section. All twenty students were asked to implement
this small project as part of their coursework.
A. Kolios 2015
Data Interpretation and Suggestions
The encouraging news first. More than fifty percent(50%) of the students scored “Good” or “ Very Good”
in every assess area. There are areas of concerns though. Twenty four percent (24%) of the participants
were not able to produce an arithmetic solution. Nineteen percent (19%) were not able to identify all the
quantities and associate them with variables. More than twelve percent (12%) were not able to
differentiate between the notion of taxes and tax-rate.
All the aforementioned percentages are clear indicators that a considerable number of students lack
quantitative literacy.
Thirty two percent (32%) were not able to construct a logical structure of decision making. This is an
expected result within the framework defined by the previous indicators. That is because logical
constructs require higher level thinking processes than the arithmetic concepts.
Based on the assessment it is suggested that:
a) Further examination should be given to the possible remediation issues.
b) The instructors should allocate some time and explain the arithmetic requirements of each assignment
and ask the students to seek help from the tutorial services and the math center.
C )The instructors, with the help of the department head, approach the math center and convince them to
help all students with math/arithmetic deficiencies.