7.10. ASSESSMENT: Create: Programming Performance Task #2 (INSTRUCTOR MATERIALS)

This assessment is the official CREATE programming performance task. AP students will submit this to the College Board and must not receive help from teachers. Non-AP students should complete this CREATE project working in pairs as a final assessment. In this programming performance task, students work in pairs to collaboratively develop a mobile app. This includes going through the entire development process of designing, implementing, and debugging a mobile app. Students then document their work by creating a portfolio write-up and share their work through an oral presentation to the class or a recorded video presentation. (Note: the video presentation is required by the College Board.)

Professional Development

The Student Lesson: Complete the student activities for the Mobile CSP Create: Programming Performance Task #2 assessment. 

The Student Handout: College Board's reproducible CREATE Performance Task Description student handout from the Course and Exam Description booklet.

Grade Sample Projects: Use the CREATE Performance Task Scoring Guidelines to grade at least two student samples (from College Board) or peer projects (app projects from your professional development group).

NEW as of Fall 2023, students no longer need to turn in a Create written response to the AP Digital Portfolio submission site. However, students should still complete the Create written response to prepare for the AP exam. The Create performance task still consists of three components—program code, video, and instead of the written response, a student-authored Personalized Project Reference containing screen captures of their list and procedure. Students will use Component C: A Personalized Project Reference to answer questions during the AP exam. To prepare for these questions, students should complete Create written response even though they do not need to submit it to the AP site.

Materials

7.10.1. Learning Activities

Estimated Length: 12 hours minimum

Note: The College Board will require that teachers set aside at least 12 hours of classroom time to complete all aspects of the Create Performance Task.

  • Hook/Motivation (5 minutes): So far, except for the first CREATE project, students have completed tutorials based on app ideas that already exist. Now, it's the their time to be creative and develop their very own app. Students will work with a partner to create an app of interest to them, that uses graphics, drawing, animation, and/or simulation. (While we encourage students to think about socially useful apps, that is not a requirement of the College Board.)
  • Experiences and Explorations (about 11 hours):
    • AP Warm Up Activity: Create Grading Rubric (45 mins): AP classes can use the Create Performance Task Scoring Guidelines to grade the two Create Performance Task Samples in lesson 8.9 to familiarize students with the rubric and Create write-ups. Encourage them to carefully review the prompts as well as the scoring rubric. Also have them review the grading rubric and the College Board student samples so they can see examples of high, medium, and low graded student work.
    • Explanation: Explain the Create Task. Students should follow the Create Task with Design Thinking Iterative Process Handout. This is divided into 3+ Iterations. Students will be provided with 12 hours of in class time to complete this assessment with minimal help from the instructor.
    • Iteration 1 (45-90 mins): Each pair works collaboratively on brainstorming a project idea.
      Each pair should develop drawing(s) of the User Interface, as well as, create a rough storyboard of how their app will function. Here is a wireframe template that can be used.
      When brainstorming is completed, each pair should begin preparing for their elevator pitch by completing the following template:
      [name of app] is a [kind of thing it is] for [the people who would use it] that, unlike [similar apps] is able to [the major distinguishing feature of your app], and giving an elevator pitch in front of the class. Provide an opportunity for students to give feedback to each group, addressing these questions: What is a strength of the proposed app? What suggestions do you have to improve the app? (Note: Teachers can assist students in defining their focus by asking questions, but not by making selections for them. Student interests should drive their choice in projects.)
    • Iteration 2 (90-135 mins): Students should work collaboratively to develop, test, and debug a minimum working app. This could be just a User Interface with 1 functioning button. Students should follow the User Interface drawings and storyboard that they designed. Students may work on just one computer together and take turns using the mouse using pair programming or they may work on creating the app in each of their accounts using buddy programming. Students should keep a daily journal or fill out an exit slip describing what they did and problems and solutions they encountered.
    • Iteration 3+ (135-225 mins): Students should iteratively add more features following the handout. All work should be saved frequently using the checkpoint button in App Inventor. Encourage students to do more research, such as using the App Inventor glossary to learn more about components and features as they program their app. Students should keep a journal or complete exit slips. 
      During this time, teachers should:
      • Clarify directions
      • Help students maintain their timeline
      • Resolve collaboration issues
      • Remind students about citing APIs or other code used in the project
      • Assist in resolving technical issues such as hardware malfunctions (not related to the program's correctness or functionality)
      • Instruct students on how to capture their program code for the write-up

      Teachers may NOT:
      • write, edit, or correct student work that will be turned in to the College Board,
      • help debug code,
      • let students turn in practice code that has been corrected in the final submission,
  • Rethink, Reflect and/or Revise (45-90 mins): Each student should create a new portfolio page that explains their project. Each pair should have more or less the same content on their individual pages. See How To: Create A Portfolio Write Up.
    • AP students: Each student who is taking the course for AP credit must create the video and the write up for the College Board independently with no feedback or input from others. Submissions are due on the AP Digital Portfolio by April 30th. Students should not state their names or schools in the videos which must be anonymous. You may give students a grade for this assessment only after they turn it into the College Board. Be clear that your grade is not connected in any way to the official College Board grading. Optionally, you may have students present their apps to the class and invite school administration, other teachers and students, and parents.
    • Non-AP students: Each pair should give a 5-10 minute oral presentation for the Create #2. Inviting your school administration, other teachers and students, and parents to the presentations is encouraged.

AP Resources

Assessment Opportunities and Solutions

Summative: See the CREATE Peformance Task Scoring Guidelines from the College Board.

Notes on the College Board Rubric: to be added

Teacher Contributed Resources

Teaching Tip: Classroom Considerations

  • This project could be used after Unit 6 or 7 material.
  • It could serve as a final project depending on your course schedule. However, you cannot provide feedback to students until they've submitted the final version of their performance task to College Board.
  • You may want to point out and review the Resources page with students. The Resources page provides information on things such as One Minute Lessons that may be helpful to students.
  • We really encourage you to find a way to celebrate your student's apps and their achievements this year, especially by inviting others at the school. This is a great opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of computer science...as well as recruit students for next year's course!

7.10.2. Professional Development Reflection

Discuss the following questions with other teachers in your professional development program.

  • What questions do you have about how to implement the performance task in class? Do you need any clarification on the role of teachers for this performance task? (See College Board's Course and Exam Description, pg. 82-83 for role of teachers in the CREATE Performance Task.)
  • Review the CREATE - Programming Performance Task Scoring Guidelines , paying attention to the content areas (rows) and the descriptors for each performance quality (columns). What areas are you comfortable assessing? What areas do you have questions about?