Maria Knobelsdorf, University of Dortmund, Germany - Didaktik der ...

x.4 0 0 0 0 1
x.5 0.5
0 0 0
x.6 0 0 0.5 0.5
x.7 0.5 0.5 0 1
x.8 0 0.5 1 0
x.9 0 0 0.5 0.5
x.10 0 0 0 0.5
x.11 0 0
0
x.12 0
Sum 2 / 11 0 / 4 1.5 / 12 4 / 10 4 / 11
Strand (18%) (0%) (13%) (40%) (36%)
Overall
Sum
11.5 / 48 (24%)
Table 5. Selected Standards in the in the HTL for Informatics
Stand- Strand Strand Strand Strand Strand
ard No. CT CO CP CC CG
x.1 1 0 1 0.5 0
x.2 1 0.5 0 1 0.5
x.3 1 0 1 1 0
x.4 0.5 0 1 0.5 1
x.5 1
0.5 1 0
x.6 1 1 0.5 0.5
x.7 1 0.5 1 1
x.8 0.5 0.5 1 0
x.9 0.5 1 0.5 0.5
x.10 1 0 0 1
x.11 0 0.5
0
x.12 0
Sum 8.5 / 11 0.5 / 4 7 / 12 7 / 10 4.5 / 11
Strand (77%) (13%) (58%) (70%) (41%)
Overall
Sum
27.5 / 48 (57%)
As the tables 3, 4 and 5 show, there is no difference at all between
the basic/core curriculum (25%) and the specialization in Chemistry.
However, the Informatics curriculum specifies a lot more
skills and competencies in terms of computer science education
than the other two curricula do. Consequently, the degree of
implementation rises from 25% to 56%. Since Chemistry and
Informatics certainly represent two extreme points on a continuum,
one can interpolate these scores in order to estimate the implementation
percentage of an average HTL curriculum.
7.1.3 HLW
Finally we analyze the curriculum of the HLW. The results are
displayed in table 6.
Table 6. Selected Standards in the HLW Curriculum
Stand- Strand Strand Strand Strand Strand
ard No. CT CO CP CC CG
x.1 0 0 0.5 0 0
x.2 0 0.5 0 0.5 0.5
x.3 0 0 0 0.5 0
x.4 0.5 0 0 0 1
x.5 0
0 0 0.5
x.6 0.5 0 0.5 0.5
x.7 0 0 0.5 0.5
x.8 0 0 1 0
x.9 0 0 0 0
x.10 0 0 0 0.5
x.11 0 0
0
x.12 0
136
Sum
Strand
Overall
Sum
1 / 11
(9%)
0.5 / 4
(13%)
0.5 / 12
(4%)
8.5 / 48 (18%)
3 / 10
(30%)
3.5 / 11
(32%)
As table 6 shows, the implementation of the CSTA standards in
the HLW is quite poor. It only scores an overall sum of 16% over
all five strands. Similar to the AHS, programming skills are ignored
in the HLW curriculum. It mainly focuses on office- and
information-management and user skills, which students may
need for future professions in the field of economics, tourism
and/or commerce. Moreover, the HLW’s curriculum demands a
lot of general concepts and ideas on computer science from students,
which are, in some cases, quite difficult to interpret. According
to the curriculum, students should, for example, be able to
master a current operating system, which is very complex to
define. Knowing or mastering an operating system might imply to
understand the general concepts and how to use it, but might also
go far deeper into other subject matters. Personal experience and
the overall structure of the curriculum, led to a very general interpretation
of this and similar statements. Therefore, it is assumed
that certain declarations, such as the one mentioned above, do not
purport to focus on depth but on giving overviews related to
practice. However, this fact might have also diminished the results,
as the CSTA standards for level 3A, are partly a lot more
specialized and ask for in-depth knowledge as well.
7.2 Comparison of the Curricula
Following the isolated inspection of the selected curricula, it
seems interesting to compare the scores of the curricula. Table 8
clearly depicts the differences in implementation of the CSTA
standards in the respective curricula.
Table 7. CSTA Standards in Curricula Selection
Strands AHS
(1) CT
(2) CO
(3) CP
(4) CC
(5) CG
Sum
Average
2 / 11
(18%)
1 / 4
(25%)
2 / 12
(17%)
1.5 / 10
(15%)
2 / 11
(18%)
8.5 / 48
(18%)
HTL
HTL
Chemistry Informatics
2 / 11 8.5 / 11
(18%) (77%)
0 / 4
0.5 / 4
(0%)
(13%)
1.5 / 12 7 / 12
(13%) (58%)
4 / 10 7 / 10
(40%) (70%)
4 / 11 4.5 / 11
(36%) (41%)
11.5 / 48 27.5 / 48
(24%) (57%)
14 / 48
(29%)
HLW
1 / 11
(9%)
0.5 / 4
(13%)
0.5 / 12
(4%)
3 / 10
(30%)
3.5 / 11
(32%)
8.5 / 48
(18%)
Note: Since the basic/core HTL curriculum is the same as
the one for the specialization in Chemistry, only the latter
is featured in the table above.
As expected beforehand, the AHS, being the school with the most
general background and aim in education, also features the lowest
score (8.5/48). Likewise, the HLW, since specialized in business
and tourism, does not exceed this score (8.5/48). The HTL curriculum
for Chemistry, which has the same features as the basic/core
HTL curriculum, tops them by a few points (11.5/48) which might
be due to the more technical focus of the school. However, the
HTL for Informatics is the only specimen that manages to break
through the 50% barrier (27.5/48) and is thus the school type with