Thanks, Don. If we can't trust the examiners to correctly use words that are defined in the glossary, whom can we trust?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 17 November 2010 22:58, Don Morelli (Optus) <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:da_morelli@optusnet.com.au">da_morelli@optusnet.com.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-AU"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Thanks Mark for the time and effort in putting together the UML work together. You have made it easier for a lot of us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">I agree that the phrasing of the question was bad, as I assume that they did not mean effective in the way that we would “normally” use it. Maybe they should have said “the most logical order” to minimize unnecessary steps being carried out. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">However, on thinking over it again we are giving error messages to users and just getting the message</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: red;">You must enter some data</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> is more effective in conveying the message as to the actual error, than what I think the reverse of the correct answer would yield in error messages</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: red;">What you entered is not in the database</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: red;">You have not entered the correct number of digits</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: red;">Make sure you only enter numbers and not alphanumerics</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: red;">You must enter some input</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">So maybe you could argue that the question is OK??? Do any others think that this is what they meant by effective (in succinctly getting the message across as to what you had actually done wrong)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Also confused, but I might be confused about that</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Don</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><div style="border-width: 1pt medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; padding: 3pt 0cm 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"> <a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark KELLY<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, 17 November 2010 1:11 PM<div class="im"><br><b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List<br></div><b>Subject:</b> [Year 12 SofDev] SD Exam - Question 4</span></p></div><div><div>
</div><div class="h5"><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">Hi all. I've started getting a bee in my bonnet (or a terrier in my trousers) about Section C, Q4.<br><br><i>Percy is writing the program specification. For the section dealing with entry of the Medicare number he writes</i></p>
<div style="margin-left: 20pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i>If the user makes a mistake entering the Medicare number, the program has to provide as much information as possible about what is wrong. Therefore include these validation tests.</i></p>
<div style="margin-left: 20pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Length - to make sure that the correct number of characters has been entered</i><br><i>Existence - to make sure that the number entered exists on Medicare's database</i><br>
<i>Null - to make sure something has been entered</i><br><i>Type - to make sure that only numeric characters have been entered</i></p></div></div><div style="margin-left: 20pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Note: These tests must be performed in the most effective order.</i></p>
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><i><br>a. Place these validation tests in the most effective order. 1 mark<br><br>Then students have to give 3 reasons why it's the most effective way of doing those tests. (3 marks)<br>
<br></i><br>Hmm. What is "effective" about the order? It must relate to <b>how well</b> it does the job of finding invalid numbers.<br><br>But if <b>all 4 tests</b> are going to be conducted, any order of the 4 tests will yield <b>exactly the same</b> results.<br>
<br>It might be different if we wanted to find invalid numbers <b>soonest,</b> or with the <b>minimum number of tests</b>, but they are <b>efficiency</b> criteria, not effectiveness.<br><br>I'm seriously starting to believe that this is a Bull Mastiff of a question... All orders must be equally effective.<br>
<br>I can usually work out what the examiners were <i>probably</i> trying to get at, but this one has me completely baffled (like multichoice Q3 on the ITA paper). <br>I have no idea whatsoever of what knowledge the examiners are hoping I will show.<br>
<br clear="all">So, can anyone please tell me:<br><br>1. how one order can be <i>more effective</i> than another.<br>2. what order is most effective, and why the <i>reverse order</i> would be less effective!<br><br>Growl.<br>
<br>Mark<br>-- <br>Mark Kelly<br>Manager Information Systems<br>Reporting Manager<br>IT Learning Area Manager<br><br>McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204<br>Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085<br>
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