THE TOP SIX ERRORS IN CODELAB SUBMISSIONS:
(1) Having the right idea but providing the wrong language element.
Example:
Instructions: x is an int variable, write an EXPRESSION whose value is
one more than x
Student writes: x = x + 1;
The good news: student is adding one to x
The bad news: this is not an expression, it is a statement.
Also, we didn't ask for x to be changed.
(2) Writing more than is asked for. For example, CodeLab may ask you to write
a statement that displays the string "Ice cream". If you write a program
that does that, you've gone overboard. A program is not a statement. (This
is similar to (1) above.)
(3) Misspelling keywords and mistyping identifiers. If the exercise
says use a variable named countOfStudents, don't write countofstudents.
(4) Misreading the instructions.
Example:
Instructions: Assign b's value to a.
Student submission: b = a;
The good news: student knows the syntax of assignment.
The bad news: student got did the reverse of the instructions
and assigned a's value to b.
(5) Initializing variables that the instructions said were already initialized.
Example:
Instructions: An int variable x has been declared and initialized.
Another int variable y has been declared. Write
a statement that assigns y a value that is twice as
large as x's value.
Student: x = 5;
y = 2*x;
Good news: student has the basic idea
Bad news: instructions didn't ask that x be modified and x doesn't need to
be modified-- in fact, the student submission doesn't give y
a value twice as large as x (what if x had originally been 8?),
it gives y the value 10, no matter what x's original value was.
(6) Adding more output than is asked for.
Example:
Instructions: age is an int variable that has some value.
Display the value on standard output.
Student: print("The value of age is: "); print(age);
Good news: student knows how to display a variable's value
and has learned from class that it is often good to label output.
Bad news: the code doesn't meet the specifications.