Teaching Content of Computer Science in High School According to the New General Education Program

1.4.3. Teaching content of Informatics in high schools according to the new general education program

(Excerpt from Circular 32/2018/TT-BGD&DT)

In addition to the core educational content of 70 periods/school year, students can study a number of specialized topics according to their interests, needs and career orientation with 35 periods/class/year[6].

a) Core content [6]

Topic A: Computers and the Knowledge Society Topic B: Computer Networks and the Internet

Topic C: Organizing, storing, searching and exchanging information Topic D: Ethics, law and culture in the digital environment Topic E: Application of information technology

Topic F: Problem solving with the help of computers Topic G: Career guidance with information technology

b) Subjects to study [6]

+ Applied Informatics orientation

Table 1.2. Content orientation of Applied Informatics

Class

Topic	Target
10	Practice working with text files	Help students practice skills in using word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet software.
	Practice using presentation software
	Practice using spreadsheet software
11	Practice using decorative drawing software	Help students practice skills in using decorative drawing software, making animations and editing photos.
	Practice using animation software

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Class

Topic	Target
	Practice using photo editing software
12	Practice using project management software	Help students: practice skills in using project management software; know common solutions to protect data; be able to install and uninstall software; analyze data with spreadsheet software.
	Practice data protection, software installation and removal
	Practice data analysis with spreadsheet software

+ Computer Science Orientation

Table 1.3. Computer Science content orientation

Class

Topic	Target
10	Practice with educational robot parts	Help students gain skills to assemble educational robots.
	Connect educational robots to computers	Help students gain skills to connect computers to educational robots and install supporting software.
	Educational robot control programming	Help students develop the ability to program and control educational robots.
11	Practice Algorithm Design Using Recursion Techniques	Help students to be able to design algorithms using Recursion techniques.
	Practice designing algorithms using the Divide and Conquer technique	Help students to be able to design algorithms using the Divide and Conquer technique.
	Practice algorithm design using Browsing technique	Help students to be able to design algorithms using the Browse technique.
12	Learn some linear data types	Helps students understand some basic concepts and apply some linear data types.
	Understanding Binary Search Trees in Sorting and Searching	Help students understand some basic concepts and applications of Binary Search Trees in sorting and searching.
	Learn Graph Traversal Techniques and Applications	Help students understand browsing techniques

1.4.4. Methods and forms of teaching Informatics in high schools according to the new general education program

The general orientation of the new general education program is to form and develop the capacity of learners. In particular, teaching and learning must be suitable to the capacity and strengths of each student. Therefore, teaching methods also need to be changed dramatically in the direction of applying traditional teaching methods while combining active teaching methods to achieve the goals of education.

The general orientation of teaching methods is:

- Visual and practical teaching is valued: Practical teaching methods are very important in forming and developing students' practical capacity. Practical capacity is the ability to use tools and digital software on computers, especially in the stage of learning topics of the Applied Informatics orientation. There are many active teaching methods, but the most prominent is the problem-posing and problem-solving teaching method. This method will put students in problematic situations, which are mainly practical problems. From there, it helps students form thinking, creativity and the ability to apply the knowledge they have learned into practice. However, this method also needs to focus on equipping students with specialized knowledge in addition to problem solving. Avoid the situation where practice is done mechanically and stereotyped without understanding the nature of the problem [6].

- Applying the diversity of the digital environment so that students can actively collect, process and evaluate information. Project-based learning is a typical form of teaching for the diverse application of digital learning materials. This teaching method is called action-oriented teaching. This method focuses especially on intellectual activities and collaboration in students' work. During the learning process, students perform learning tasks associated with action orientation. Individuals or a group

Students will apply the theoretical and practical parts learned to create products and then publish or present the products to the class [6].

- Apply different teaching methods to teaching purposes. Teachers can proactively design teaching and learning activities suitable to the abilities and strengths of each student using many different methods and forms. Use tools such as computers and the Internet for students to explore, practice their thinking, predict, analyze, synthesize and generalize problems [6].

- Exploiting diverse forms of education. In the current 4.0 environment, teachers can use many different forms of education to impart knowledge to students. Implementing interdisciplinary teaching and STEM education will help lessons and topics become more engaging and interesting to students. Teachers need to be the ones to select practical and attractive topics, creating conditions for students to learn and apply information technology not only in the scope of Information Technology but also in other subjects, not only in the school but also outside the school, even on a global scale. Teaching and learning link knowledge content with real-life problems, requiring students not only to propose solutions to problems but also to verify the effectiveness of the solutions through the digital products they create [6].

- Use active teaching techniques to promote students' positivity and creativity. Active teaching techniques are the way teachers and students act in small action situations to implement and control the teaching and learning process. For example: brainstorming, lightning, fish tank techniques...

- Focus on self-study methods for students. This method plays an important role in promoting students' creativity. There are general cognitive methods such as methods of collecting, processing, evaluating information, methods of organizing work, methods of group work, and specialized methods specific to each subject. These methods are flexibly applied by teachers to best promote creative thinking ability and especially improve students' self-study ability [6].

1.4.5. Testing and evaluating the results of teaching Informatics in high schools according to the new general education program

Innovation in teaching methods needs to be associated with innovation in the teaching process and methods of testing and evaluating students' learning outcomes.

The goal of teaching is to orient the development of students' abilities, so assessment activities must also be oriented towards assessing the abilities that students aim for in the learning process. In the subject of Information Technology, it is necessary to focus on assessing the knowledge and skills of information technology that students use to create products while performing the requirements of the lesson. In other words, this is a form of assessment through output results. In addition, it is also necessary to combine with assessment according to the teaching process to assess students' application of knowledge and skills to each specific and reasonable job.

Assessment activities mainly shift from testing knowledge and skills to assessing learners' abilities. That is, the focus shifts from assessing memorization activities to assessing the application of that knowledge and skills to solve practical problems, especially assessing students' thinking and creative abilities. Therefore, we need to shift from assessing year-end results to regular, periodic assessments for each topic and chapter in order to have comments on students' abilities and strengths, from which teachers can proactively adjust the teaching and learning process (if necessary).

+ Some forms of testing and evaluating students' abilities

- Testing and evaluation during practical lessons: Practical lessons are lessons in which students will directly apply the knowledge they have learned to perform certain tasks. Teachers can use the form of testing and evaluation of the implementation of the requirements of the practical lesson through the knowledge and skills that students need to apply. Testing during practical lessons may not test all students in a class/lesson, but it will help students have a higher level of self-awareness while completing the exercises.

learning. In particular, teachers should apply the testing method of not announcing the cases to be tested and announcing that the testing is random. However, if possible, teachers can inform students so that they pay attention to their work and actively do their work to achieve high results. Assessment in practical lessons also helps teachers grasp the practice process, the learning process and the formation of the final product of the lesson of the students. Through this process, teachers also grasp the level of contribution of each student, the level of progress of students in group products.

- Essay or multiple choice test: In addition to testing through practical products on computers or teaching equipment. Teachers can combine multiple choice and essay tests to evaluate students' learning outcomes. In the subject of Information Technology, there are many contents suitable for multiple choice tests such as: program structure, command syntax, operation sequence or command button sequence... There are contents suitable for essay form such as representing algorithms through block diagrams or presenting database security solutions... However, in some cases, teachers can combine both multiple choice and essay tests to most fully evaluate students' thinking, creativity and application skills.

- Paper-based or computer-based testing: The testing format depends on the purpose of teaching. So teachers need to choose the appropriate paper-based or computer-based testing format. The subject of Information Technology has the characteristics of specialized knowledge in information technology and computer skills, exploiting different software. Therefore, the paper-based testing format is often suitable for specialized knowledge content such as: Understanding problems and algorithms (Information Technology 10), Management problems, Information security in databases (Information Technology 12)... The computer-based testing format is suitable for chapters and lessons that require the use of computer skills, using software such as: Microsoft Access database management system (Information Technology 12), Programming

programming in Pascal programming language (Computer Science 11)... If the teacher makes an inappropriate choice, it will easily lead to failure to achieve the purpose of teaching. For example: In the course of Text Editing (Computer Science 10), the teacher tests text formatting operations on paper... then the purpose of practicing computer software skills (Microsoft Word) will not be achieved.

- Form of dividing into groups to do exercises and testing in groups: Currently, the form of teaching in small groups is gradually being applied by teachers because it has many advantages such as developing cooperation and communication skills for students. Therefore, testing in study groups and doing exercises is also gradually being applied. However, teachers must evaluate fairly and objectively, especially determining the level of contribution to the product of each student in the group. Avoid the case of students relying on friends, being lazy at work, not contributing to the common product of the whole group but still getting the same score as their friends.

- Forms for students to self-evaluate each other: Teachers marking, returning papers and commenting on papers for students is a regular job, through which students will recognize their own mistakes and learn from their experiences. However, teachers today can use different methods and ways for students to self-evaluate each other, even give each other marks (with supervision and finalization of marks by teachers) during the learning process, through this learning can help improve students' critical thinking ability in specific situations. Teachers can do this by: Marking students' papers and then returning them in a cross-return form, that is, student A will receive student X's papers, but student X can receive the papers of a certain student B, then ask them to comment on the results of their friends' work. See if what they did was right or wrong, and if they have any additions or corrections for their friends. The teacher can then finalize the issues if necessary and come to a consensus on the students' grades. The second, more common way is for the teacher to divide the students into groups.

Students do exercises, certain topics. Then let them present the results of those exercises in front of the class, in front of the teacher, the classmates will have questions to respond to the content that the students present. From there, the groups of students will draw their own experiences, draw experiences in doing exercises and especially practice skills such as; communication, criticism... Teachers can ask the classes to give students points or 50% of the points will be the points of the students in the class, 50% will be the teacher's points...

1.5. Managing teaching activities of Information Technology in high schools according to the new general education program.

1.5.1. Management of IT teaching content and programs

One of the important management contents in each school is the management of teachers' teaching activities. Informatics has objectives, contents, and plans and is also a subject with all the elements like other subjects. Therefore, the management content of teaching and learning Informatics in high schools today also has the basic contents stipulated in Decision No. 16/2006/QD-BGD&DT dated May 5, 2006 of the Ministry of Education and Training on promulgating the general education program for high schools.

So, managers need to do well the following tasks:

- Good management of the development of teaching content implementation plans: The IT teaching plan needs to be specifically assessed based on the current situation in each school. The content needs to be built based on the flexibility of related personnel and facilities. Then the plan needs to be publicized and disseminated to all staff, teachers and employees in each school.

- Manage the implementation of created content:

After having a plan to implement the teaching content, the school's managers will carry out the work of assigning teachers' professional expertise. Depending on the capacity, strengths and especially the number of teachers currently available, the school will have appropriate assignments. Each teacher, after having a teaching assignment, will build

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