[Year 12 IPM] A tip for outcome writing

[Mark Kelly]

For those newbie IT teachers out there, or those who are nervous about 
creating your own ITA outcomes, here's a strategy I use to make sure my 
task is going to be kosher.

I call it the 'reverse-engineered outcome technique'.  I hope it helps 
someone out there.

1.  Find the IT assessment handbook - pale-blue and white cover.  If you 
don't have it, get it.  You need it.

2.  Find your outcome in the handbook and read the descriptor for the 
top mark range (e.g. 25-30 marks for U3O2, task 1).  Break it down into 
its constituent parts.  The parts should neatly fall into categories 
like Analysis, Design, Development and Evaluation.

3.  Create analysis questions that force students to address the 
analysis descriptors.

4.  Create design tasks that cover the design descriptors. e.g. if a 
descriptor says "including file handling and data protection 
techniques", make sure your design forces students to provide design of 
those things.

5.  Create a task that forces students to exercise skills mentioned in 
the Development descriptors (e.g. "Highly developed skills in the use of 
appropriate software ... to produce a prototype site... that 
demonstrates those components... that support collaborative 
problem-solving and knowledge sharing."

If your task is based on that descriptor, you can't go too far wrong. 
Note that "problem-solving" is a key point in the descriptor.

6.  Create evaluation questions or activities that force students to 
exercise the skills described in the Evaluation descriptors.

--

The assessment advice is pretty broad, so if you're unsure what a 
descriptor means, refer to the key skills (and key knowledge) in the 
study design to find out what it's actually talking about.

When finished, read your outcome again. As skills are exercised and 
student knowledge is mined in the outcome, tick them off in the study 
design.  If everything's there, it's bound to be a nutritious outcome 
with 100% of recommended daily intake of IT.


OK.  I'll come quietly, officer.

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000  <<< NEW NUMBER
School Fax +613 95789253

Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
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