[Year 12 IPM] A tip for outcome writing

[Keith Richardson]

This year I had a dream group of 6 kids in IPM, with a spread of
ability.
Well before each sac, I discussed with them what we had to learn and
roughly what skills, knowledge, techniques, procedures etc we needed to
cover in the sac (very casually, not in detail - just to give them a
feel for it) and asked for their suggestions as to what scenario would
be one that they would enjoy living through, that possibly contains
enough 'meat' for them to chew deeply, and any other things (apparantly
totally unrelated to the topics) thay would like to have included such
as music or footy, or underwater exploration, or photography (some
suggestions, although real-life, needed to be censored) etc.
Armed then with a host of ideas and suggestions (but having made no
promises) I locked myself away for the weekend and created the scenario
that permeated the preparation phase and also flowed through into the
actual sac. The kids responded well, and I didn't have to put energy
into motivating them - heard at times was the statement "This was MY
idea..."
I will always do it this way in the future.
Keith
(Yes Mark, but I haven't tried polygamy yet...)




On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:52:39 +1100, "Mark Kelly"
<kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> said:
> 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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Keith Richardson