Hi all. I have believed that for SD U4O1 students should be provided with an SRS, based on the same study design text on p.82 quoted by Maggie: "Students
must be provided with a design brief that includes an analysis of an
information problem, couched in terms of an SRS."<br><br>Also in the assessment handbook, p.34: "<span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">An
accurate interpretation of the provided software requirements specifications is
evident in the design of a feasible solution. "</span><br><br>Also, regarding:<br><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>There has been a lot of discussion about needing to
include either 2D arrays, stacks, queues, sorting and searching (or
combinations). There is nothing in the Key Skills that states this. "</span><br>The AssHandBook (as I like to call it) says on p.43 (admittedly in the "Sample approaches" section (which probably can be interpreted as a suggestion rather than a decree) that "The design brief should...include at least one type of data structure."<br>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br>[Mounts soapbox]<br><br>I must say that as I try to craft an outcome for U4O1 that it is increasing frustrating trying to stitch together all the mandates spread across different parts of the study design, asshandbook, FAQs, errata, and VCAA bulletins. In the end I go through all the sources copying dictates and pasting them all together in one place to aggregrate them and make sense of them, and I suspect I still miss bits. <br>
<br>It's quite a messy process, and it's no wonder that people can miss key information that they didn't see sprinkled here or there.<br><br>I don't suppose VCAA would consider creating an easy-to-use web-based amalgamated resource that merged information from all of those sources?<br>
<br>[Dismounts]<br><br>Cheers<br>Mark<br><br>On 28 July 2011 15:14, Matheson, Heath A <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Matheson.Heath.A@edumail.vic.gov.au">Matheson.Heath.A@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-AU">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Good Afternoon,
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">My Zimbabwean dollars worth,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">I tend to use the assessment handbook in creating the SACs and assessment criteria. For this outcome the handbook is a little contradictory / inconsistent / unclear / all of the above? (Eg the
mobile phone oversight Paula cleared up for us). The “designing the assessment task” section pretty much restates the key skills from the study design so I agree with Adrian that we are assessing key skills. In order to be able to address the key skills you
need the key knowledge and make sure you choose the most effective and efficient processes to create the solution. In U3 O2 each of my five students used a different method to solve the problem and they all worked. There is nothing to state that queues, stacks,
2D arrays all must be used. However, the performance descriptors do emphasise and require validation.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Apart from the use of “mobile phone” instead of “device”, the description states to create a “solution in response to a design brief” suggesting an SRS is not essential but the performance descriptors
state “</span>An accurate interpretation of the provided software requirements specifications is evident in the design of a feasible solution”<span style="color:#4F81BD">
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">suggesting an SRS is essential. My gut says that the VCAA intends us to provide an SRS again.
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">I wonder whether it is worth weighting each statement in the performance descriptors equally. The coding will take the most time but does that mean it is more important in creating a solution
than say an comprehensive testing table? This is where I would like some opinions.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">So my interpretation of what we are assessing (equally?):<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> interpret the SRS and create a feasible design including all specifications.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Create a design that takes into account mobile devise constraints and is clear and accurate.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Clear and logical algorithm .<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">The coding and internal documentation is awesome.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Data validation and “techniques and procedures” (I take this as data structures, sequence, selection and iteration procedures) are effectively applied.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> Testing Table<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><span>7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">The solution covering all the SRS.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">By now my Zimbabwean dollars worth is nearly zero so I’ll sign off!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Cheers,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Heath<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span 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>Margaret King Iaquinto<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 28 July 2011 2:25 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Devil's advocate == me?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div><div class="im">
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Adrian, what kinds of responses are you looking for (depth, breadth, list?) in your first assessment criterion? Samples you would expect...?</span><br>
<br>
Because I will couch my task in an SRS, the factors are pretty much listed there in functional and non-functional requirements.<br>
<br>
I need help here.<br>
<br>
Maggie<br>
VK3CFI <br>
<br>
<b>On Thu Jul 28 11:47 , 'Adrian Janson' sent:</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Hi everyone,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">OK. I have been reading a lot of the posts about U4O1 – and have written my own which I will post to the lists very shortly. There has been a lot of talk about the SAC and what needs to be included – but
I have some issues / questions for the community. <u></u><u></u></span></p><div class="im">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The follow is my opinion only!!!! (disclaimer!)</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Now my understanding of Key Knowledge vs Key Skills is this: the key knowledge describes the content of the Area of Study and is full examinable (as is everything in the study design proper). The Key Skills
describe what needs to be addressed via the assessment of the area of study (the SAC). Not all points within the Key Knowledge need to be assessed via the SAC.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div><p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span>1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> A lot of people are writing SACs in which the student needs to work from / interpret an SRS. This is not a requirement of the SAC. The Key Skill states: ‘interpret solution requirements in order
to ....’. Now the ‘solution requirements’ could be framed in an SRS (and for consistency I have done it this way), but it doesn’t need to be. The Key Skill in U3O2 stated: ‘interpret software requirements specifications by ...’. The Key Skills are different.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span>2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt">There has been a lot of discussion about needing to include either 2D arrays, stacks, queues, sorting and searching (or combinations). There is nothing in the Key Skills that states this. I have
chosen to write a task that lends itself to a queue – and have included requirements that are need sorting / searching routines – but this is not necessary. I feel that it is in students best interest to include some of these things so that U4O1 is set apart
from U3O2 and there is a progression in skills. Also as these things are going to appear on the exam it is in the best interest of students. However, a task need not have these things – the Key Skills says ‘write solutions and internal documentation’ and
‘interpret solution requirements in order to design and develop solutions’ (only). Yes – the Key Knowledge states ‘forms and uses of data structures to organise and manipulate data, including two-dimensional arrays, stacks and queues’ and it would be hard
to write a solution without using a data structure at all – but all the task asks is that students ‘write solutions’.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span>3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt">User interface and validation. I am putting a fair emphasis on the design of the user interface and the validation as I feel that there needs to be as this is ‘a solution’. The Key Skills do not
mention user interface or validation at all (they are mentioned in detail in the Key Knowledge). We want students to produce a complete solution – therefore there needs to be an emphasis on these things. They will also have a significant effect on the testing
table.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Again – all my opinion – and not intended to cause confusion – just to promote an understanding of the task amongst all of us.<u></u><u></u></span></p><div class="im">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">(so flame away!!!)<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Cheers,</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Adrian</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#002060">Adrian Janson
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#002060">B.Sc, Dip.Ed, M.Ed<br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#002060">Director of ICT<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#244061">Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria 3141 Australia.<br>
Phone: 03 9826 0711 International: +61 3 9826 0711<br>
Fax: 03 9826 8767 International: +61 3 9826 8767<br>
E-mail: <a href="http://janson.adrian.a@edumail.vic.gov.au" target="_blank">janson.adrian.a@edumail.vic.gov.au</a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#244061">Website:
<a href="http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au</a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#244061">Blog:
<a href="http://jansona.edublogs.org/" target="_blank">http://jansona.edublogs.org</a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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