CS 200 Test 1 Review.docx - Pearls Question 1 We have thus...

Pearls
Question 1. We have thus far discussed three “pearls of wisdom” for the effective use of
computers. Name and explain two of these as if you were relating them to a CS
200 student who has never heard of them — which is say, clearly, concisely and
convincingly. (To be convincing, you must explain how awareness of each pearl
makes a computer user learn and use computers more effectively.)
The first pearl is the Model Pearl. Modelling is a matter of efficiency. Applications structure their
interface in order to make it predictable in other ways. In well-designed operating systems,
there is considerable consistency in the organization of menus from application to application.
Observing how these models are designed will help you move from one application to another
with greater ease, since you know what to look for. A good model is far easier to remember,
since there is less to remember.
The second pearl is the Poke Pearl. When you’re familiarizing yourself with a new application,
experiment with its interface. You may find useful features of an application by clicking, double-
clicking, or a combination of button and mouse commands. Gaining a habit of experimenting
with the program can reveal useful features that may not seem obvious at first glance.
The third pearl is the Copy Pearl. This pearl emphasizes the importance of keeping a copy of
what you’ve done. It is useful to have an example document or reference for when you need to
do something similar in the future. When you need to go back and reference that item, it will
easy to remind yourself how it works. This is an effective and easy way to reduce duplicate effort
in relearning how to do something you’ve done before.
Question 2 a. The first and most important pearl is “Model.” We discussed two kinds of
modeling. State what they are, and explain them as if you were relating them to a
CS 200 student who has never heard of them — which is say, clearly, concisely
and convincingly. (To be convincing, you must explain how awareness of each
makes a computer user learn and use computers more effectively.)
The first is modelling an application’s interface. The first place you typically want to go is the
menu system. The system should be structured in a predictable way, in that you can identify a
theme of where in the menu to find the item for the task you wish to perform.
The second is modelling an application’s data objects. You want to build a model of the objects
an application manipulates. An advantage of doing this is that it helps you learn and use an
application, but you can also build off of this knowledge on another application. Instead of
learning from scratch, you have a foundation to work off of.
Question 2 b. Name and explain one of the remaining two pearls we have discussed
thus far as if you were relating them to a CS 200 student who has never heard of
them — which is say, clearly, concisely and convincingly. (To be convincing, you

must explain how awareness of each pearl makes a computer user learn and use
computers more effectively.)