[Year 12 IPM] A tip for outcome writing

[Mark Kelly]

Thanks, Keith, and I agree 100% with you too.  Are you already married? 
  Anyway...

Fun and relevance are important, where possible.  MY problem is what *I* 
think is funny is often open to argument  :-(  Never mind.  I was raised 
on the Goon Show.  I will never be converted.

After I wrote a couple of outcomes for ITA U302, I thought of a really 
good scenario that anyone else is free to pinch.

Consider global open-source software team-based enterprises such as 
Firefox and (on a smaller but more approachable scale) OpenTTD 
(http://openttd.com) which is an international group of enthusiasts 
contributing to a common goal (the reverse-engineering, resurrection and 
development of a BRILLIANT CLASSIC old game - Chris Sawyer's Transport 
Tycoon.

OK.  I admit.  I'm addicted to the game, but am not an integral part of 
the OTTD development group. Ten points if you can identify my Transport 
Tycoon fan-site on the web.

I have emailed the hub-person of the OTTD group, and 'forumed' (it's MY 
neologism - you heard it first here!) developers within the group asking 
how they organise themselves to build a large, complex single product. 
Should be really interesting.

Heavens above: VCE IT actually connects with the REAL WORLD?  Will 
wonders never cease?

MArk K

Keith Richardson wrote:
> Great advice Mark! 100%, now go quietly...
> Another two requirements I try to build into it, is (a) that it has a
> sense of fun/adventure etc to it, so that the kids get really involved
> enjoyably in its 'life' (c.f. the scenario), and that you avoid
> unnecesssary complexity, and (b) doing it (the preparation phase over,
> say, 2 weeks), plus actually doing the SAC, should be a learning
> experience so that you win both ways - you get the kids assessed, and
> they learn a lot about the concepts thus taking the pressure off you
> when it comes to teaching the stuff to them.
> Hey, Mark, wait for me - I'm coming tooooooooooooo....
> Keith
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:26:04 +1100, "Mark Kelly"
> <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> said:
>> 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
\

-- 
Mark Kelly
McKinnon Secondary College
IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
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