[Year 12 IPM] RE: 2005 Exam

[Mark Kelly]

Mark Scott wrote:
> 
> A few comments:
> 
> **Multi-guess section**
> 
> 
> Q16 and Q8 both examples of IPM-speak not used in the real world (a 
> waste of time and energy?)

I always hate the strategic/tactical questions. There's no clear 
distinction between them, and it all depends on the nature of the 
organisation.  And there's rarely enough info about the org to make the 
decision clear.

> Q5 will confuse lots of students. Is this the way to get a spread of marks?

It's still confusing *me*  I think 2005 Q5 will become a classic.

> Q20 will challenge those students who are mathematically challenged.

Even though only basic arithmetic is needed, I know some of my kids 
would've been sweating over that one  :-)  It involved quite some 
thinking for a single mark.

> 
> **Short answer section**
> 
> Q8 will be easy for the boys, harder for the girls. What happened to 
> equal opportunity?

But knowledge of hardware components is one of the key knowledge 
dotpoints (KK 3.1.02).  I reckon it's a valid question for an IT exam.

> 
> Q2 most will get wrong because they will miss one word "design". Is this 
> a fair question? Are we testing their IT knowledge or their 
> comprehension skills?

Not sure what you mean.  How are you interpreting the word "design"? How 
do you think kids will mis-read it?

Design, to me, would include the design of the database structure (e.g. 
splitting customer name into two fields, putting suburb in a discrete 
field).
Design would also include planning its appearance (column order, bold 
headings etc)

At any rate, I agree fully about the exam's terrible expression and its 
strain on anyone's comprehension skills.  Too many questions are badly 
worded or just plain confusing... especially A-5 and B-10

> Q1 I wonder whether "Not printing passwords on coffee cups" is an 
> acceptable response.

LOL!  I dare them to mark it wrong :-)

I still want to know the purpose of the cartoon in B-1 (my shorthand for 
Section B, Q1).  It's just plain decoration, AFAICT, like the burglar 
cartoon last year.  The question did not refer to it, and it was not 
meant to give students source information.

> 
> Q11 I loved the case study

It seemed a bit far-fetched to me; but a good example of a bad IT idea.

> 
> Q11c I suppose an acceptable response would be that this would eat into 
> class time and effect student learning.
> 
> BUT would our over worked stressed out teachers really be unhappy?

hehehe

The teachers would not like the extra task of collecting lunch money and 
"confirming the lunch orders" (what DOES that mean??)

> Q11e The real world would suggest a number of correct responses. Another 
> example of IPM-speak that don't reflect the real world.

Yeah.  I just followed the 'analyse, design, develop, test, document, 
implement, evaluate' order.

> 
> Q12b (ii) A tiny little box to describe an appropriate strategy for the 
> ergonomic requirements for users. Most organisations have booklets pages 
> and pages long dedicated to this.

> 
>  
> 
> **Overall**
> 
>  
> 
> Too easy and no (or hardly any) sign of project management,  networks, 
> network topologies, GANNT charts, PERT charts etc
> 

Indeed - a shame, considering the effort many of us put into them. 
Networking didn't get much of a look-in either.  Nothing on topologies 
or protocols.

>  
> 
> Will wait with interest for the results (dec 12?) and the examiners 
> report next year.
> 
>  
> 
> Mark Scott
> 
> Luther College
> 


-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria Australia
Phone +613 95780844  Fax +613 95789253
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
IPM Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
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