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March 29, 2024, 05:19:46 am

Author Topic: Algorithmics at Distance Education  (Read 4957 times)

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Clockwork

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Algorithmics at Distance Education
« on: October 24, 2016, 08:41:03 pm »
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Hi everyone,

I'm really interested in taking Algorithmics next year, but my school doesn't offer it so I'll have to do it via Distance Ed. I'm wondering if anyone here has taken Algo by Distance before and if so could they tell me how it was? I'm doing Specialist this year via Distance Ed and have found the whole thing a bit 'meh', I didn't really learn much via DE and I thought that the course was watered down a lot compared to a physical class.

Even if no one here has completed Algo via DE, could you share your experience with the subject and what I should expect of it if I were to do it next year?
2016: Psychology
2017: Literature | Chemistry | Maths Methods | Specialist Maths | Algorithmics
2018: ANU

Aaron

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2016, 12:02:25 pm »
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Hi Clockwork,

As far as I can identify - Georgia Gouros takes Algorithmics at DECV. She has a site that contains a presentation for 2017's Algorithmics cohort via DECV:

http://www.slideshare.net/GeorgiaGouros/algorithmics-decv2017
and
https://sites.google.com/site/msgvce/home/year-12-algorithmics

The use of Moodle (an LMS) is very good preparation for university, as this is the primary form of resourcing that universities use too.

I think something like algorithmics is definitely do-able by distance - it's not something that really requires 'hand holding' guide to do. If you're good at maths, you'll be fine at Algorithmics. Obviously I don't want to speak too much as i'd be going off heresay.. hopefully you can get more specific answers from someone that has actually done Alg via Distance Ed (given i've only done the equivalent course at university level).  Cheers
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Mack00102

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2016, 01:18:12 pm »
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Hi Clockwork,

I did algorithmics last year via distance ed. I had Georgia Gouros and Neale Woods for my unit. Overall I found the subject much more interesting than specialist or methods, as it involves more problem solving. I felt it was quite well suited to being a distance ed subject, we mostly had weekly tasks and reading we had to do and once a week we had a google hangouts call for asking any question and going over the problems. For the exam while it did have a fair amount of remembering the tasks we went through made it quite easy to link it all together.

I have now go onto doing computer engineering at Swinburne. If you have any interest in either of these fields algorithmics will be a great addition to your study as when you begin doing programming you know most of the theory.

Aaron

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2016, 05:07:10 pm »
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Hi Clockwork,

I did algorithmics last year via distance ed. I had Georgia Gouros and Neale Woods for my unit. Overall I found the subject much more interesting than specialist or methods, as it involves more problem solving. I felt it was quite well suited to being a distance ed subject, we mostly had weekly tasks and reading we had to do and once a week we had a google hangouts call for asking any question and going over the problems. For the exam while it did have a fair amount of remembering the tasks we went through made it quite easy to link it all together.

I have now go onto doing computer engineering at Swinburne. If you have any interest in either of these fields algorithmics will be a great addition to your study as when you begin doing programming you know most of the theory.

Thanks for the contribution Mack and good luck with this course! It's a great field to study.
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Clockwork

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2016, 10:11:16 pm »
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Thanks Aaron and Mack for your great responses!
I think I've made my mind up now and am most likely not going to do Uni Maths but Algorithmics instead. I think the lack of travel and being a lot cheaper than Monash Uni Maths is a big plus for it. Looking at the study design and past exam for Algorithmics it looks like it's exactly the type of subject I'm looking for and right up my alley.

Thanks again for your responses!
2016: Psychology
2017: Literature | Chemistry | Maths Methods | Specialist Maths | Algorithmics
2018: ANU

Franknsten

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2016, 08:27:33 am »
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Sorry if I'm late to the party, but I was in the first year of Algo, and had Neale and Georgia just like Mack00102

Everything they said holds true for me.

I found it more interesting than methods, easier than methods actually, because I felt it was more hands on and more relevant to my interests and all that. Only 2 of us from my physical school actually sat the exam (5-6 started the year, the others dropped out), so there is a level of difficulty to it (part of the reason my old school doesn't actually advertise Algo to students, but I think the other kids who picked it up thought it would be easy/video game making, rather than computer science type stuff).

Being online based, there were some issues with communication. We did weekly calls in Google Hangouts, but due to issues at the school I was never able to connect, and the techs there didn't seem interested in fixing the problems. Most of my communication with Georgia was via email, which was still really useful.

Coming up to exam prep, Georgia made 3 or 4 entire practise exams just  from the study design, as there were no previous years ones for us to use. This is a good example of the dedication she has to teaching this subject. I'm sure we've all had teachers throughout the years that don't really try, that are just there to get paid, but Georgia really is dedicated to helping you understand the content, and she'll put in just as much as you do.

I'm doing a 2 year gap year as IT Support at my old 7-10 school, and have been accepted into the Criminology/IT Security double degree at Deakin, and I'm sure the stuff we've covered in Algo will come in handy, even if it is just making some classes a bit easier.

For anyone else thinking about Algorithmics, but not wanting to go to Melbourne/Monash for uni, it is always worth asking the heads of the IT area at open days if their uni will give similar credits. I asked at Deakin and Fed, and both of them do offer a similar amount of credit, I can't remember off the top of my head but I think the Fed one would be equivalent to shaving ~$2000 off your degree, as you would be credited 1-2 subjects and not need to study them there.

tanner.wilson23

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2016, 09:31:00 pm »
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Likewise with Franknsten, sorry for the late reply.
I completed the course in 2015 along with Math Methods, Chemistry, Physics, English and Biology in 2014.

I found the course to be thoroughly entertaining, as well as being very hands on and interesting in areas I had not previously looked at with my areas of interest being in subjects that while recquired maths did not recquire as much problem solving skills that were necessary in Algorithmics. Because of those problem solving skills being developed in that subject I feel that all of my other subjects benefited greatly because of the new ways I could approach problems because of those problem solving skills that had been developed.

I am currently enrolled in Advanced Science - Research (Honours) as at Monash University and my subjects have been Physics, Advanced Chemistry, Calculus and Astronomy. While I may not have continued with the computer science side of the algorithmics course, I feel that I was placed at a huge advantage by having completed Algorithithmics because of the problem solving skills that needed to be developed through the subject as well as the advantage that the lecturers may not be as personally involved in your studies as they were in VCE, and as such many self guided learning skills need to be developed.

That being said Georgia and Neale were amazing teachers for me, but obviously you cannot meet with them personally as much as a teacher at your school, so rather than being "schocked" moving to University you can acclimatize to guiding yourself through learning while still having support whenever you need. I feel that completing this subject through DECV gave me that real advantage and as such I would recomend it to someone if they are even somewhat interested.

calliope

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Potatobeans

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2018, 03:24:19 pm »
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Yeah, similar to above, I studied algorithmics at DECV last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, Georgia makes it really easy to keep up and the coursework is fun and easy to access.  I'd recommend it for anyone interested in computer science!

silentcoder99

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2018, 02:15:34 pm »
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Same here, the course has tons of great online resources, making it very suitable for learning by distance. I found learning both programming and good problem solving techniques made it much easier to apply my skill to a wider range of problems.

calliope

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2018, 08:58:31 am »
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There's some information on the Distance Ed webpage about doing Algorithmics there http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subject-tasters/algorithmics-unit-3-4-4/

calliope

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Re: Algorithmics at Distance Education
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2019, 11:05:56 pm »
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Distance Education Centre Victoria is now called Virtual School Victoria and continues to offer Algorithmics (HESS), here's the link to some information http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subject-tasters/algorithmics-unit-3-4-4/