Applying data structures in exams

  • Authors:

  • Briana B. Morrison;Mike Clancy;Robert McCartney;Brad Richards;Kate Sanders

  • Affiliations:

  • Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA, USA;Univeristy of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA;University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA;University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, USA;Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, USA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 42nd ACM technical symposium on Computer science education
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

It is important for students to be able to select and apply the appropriate data structure for the problem to be solved. Testing this knowledge on exams can be difficult, however. We examined 59 data structures final exams and found only 36 that contained questions involving the application of data structures. To promote assessment of this knowledge in the data structures course, we present a framework for classifying apply exam questions, with illustrations from the exams collected. We then show how a number of questions can be developed by varying a single rich apply question along the dimensions of this framework