[Year 12 IT Apps] IT applications 2007 exam: assessor's report

Sat Apr 19 08:28:33 EST 2008

Validation is used to
D. prevent inaccurate data from entering the system

It would have been better if D had read: D minimise inaccurate...
but, given that it didn't, D is the *most* correct answer

because, as has been pointed out, validation (manual or electronic) can 
never prevent inaccurate data from entering a system; eg the form that the 
entry operator is using may have been filled out incorrectly etc

And (for the sake of my pedantic soul) I no longer think spell checking 
should be considered as a validation technique because it is not actually 
checking the validity of the data, but the validity of the spelling. 
"Correct" spelling is a convention: fish, fyche, or ghoti are all written 
representations in the English language of those animals you eat with chips. 
If the data were about types of animals found on a plate then 'ghoti' would 
be correct, but becuase it does not follow convention it becomes difficult 
to understand. And isn't that one of the purposes of conventions: to give us 
a common frame of reference?

Regards
Robert T-A

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Scott" <msc at luther.vic.edu.au>
To: "'Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List'" 
<itapps at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 3:11 PM
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] IT applications 2007 exam: assessor's report

Forget machine validation.

The question is talking about manual validation.

Checking for typos etc is clearly checking for accuracy.

Mark Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] 
On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
Sent: Friday, 18 April 2008 2:24 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] IT applications 2007 exam: assessor's report

Hi Mark

Yes, I include spell checking as validation, and I agree that the other
options are all bad, but I don't accept that validation can check that
data are accurate.

If a person's age is entered as 19 into a database, validation can't
prove the person is 19 or not.  All it can do is tell whether 19 is a
reasonable age or not under the circumstances (e.g. 19 would not be
reasonable if the database stored data on newborn babies, or if it were
an old folk's home).

And looking at databases' validation options, you can check for data
range, type, existence, uniqueness, even its existence in a limited
list, but not "accuracy"  :-)

The Q does not mention calculations, but what I tried to say was that
testing accuracy is a role of testing, not validation (and my kids
frequently confuse testing and validation (and evaluation, come to think
of it).

It's mainly annoying that the question contradicts the Study Design
glossary, which is mandated knowledge.  But then again, it's Friday
afternoon and most things annoy me then.

Mark Scott wrote:
> Not sure I agree with you on this one.
>
> Checking data entry for spelling mistakes is validation (I think).
>
> And where does the part d mention calculations?
>
> And it is certainly the most correct response. (the first three are 
> testing)
>
> Mark Scott
> "Education is an admirable thing, but remember that nothing that is worth 
> knowing can be taught." Oscar Wilde
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au 
> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
> Sent: Friday, 18 April 2008 1:23 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] IT applications 2007 exam: assessor's 
> report
>
> I see Section A Q9 had no comment by the examiners...
>
> "Validation is used to
> A. check the accuracy of calculations.
> B. detect software errors and alert the manager.
> C. test functions and alert programmers to errors.
> D. prevent inaccurate data from entering the system.
>
> The official 'right' answer was still steadfastly 'D', which is rubbish.
>
> It cannot be D because validation does NOT check the ACCURACY of data, 
> only its reasonableness.
>
> Even the sacred IT glossary says validation checks data input to a system 
> is of an "appropriate type for processing, and within acceptable
> boundaries")
>
> So are we to accept that validation is used to check the accuracy of 
> calculations? No - that's called testing.
>
> Hmphh.
> Not happy, Jan.
>
>
>
> Christophersen, Paula P wrote:
>> Dear colleagues
>>
>>
>>
>> The assessor's report on the 2007 IT apps examination is now available 
>> at:
>>
>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/it-applications/exams.
>> html#H2N10037
>>
>>
>>
>> It is also attached. I will let you know when the Software development
>> report is available.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Paula
>>
>>
>>
>> Paula Christophersen
>>
>> ICT Curriculum Manager
>>
>> VCAA
>>
>> 41 St Andrews Place
>>
>> EAST MELBOURNE 3002
>>
>> (03) 9651 4378
>>
>
>
> --
> Mark Kelly
> Manager - Information Systems
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia Direct line / Voicemail: 
> 8520 9085 School Phone +613 8520 9000 School Fax +613 95789253 kel AT 
> mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au IT Lecture notes: 
> http://vceit.com
> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>
> A conclusion is the place where you got sick of thinking.
> If you Declare War - is it integer or boolean?
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Applications Mailing List kindly supported by 
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> Association Inc
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html - 
> Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers 
> Association Inc
>
>
>

--
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000
School Fax +613 95789253
kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

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

A conclusion is the place where you got sick of thinking.
If you Declare War - is it integer or boolean?

_______________________________________________
http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html - 
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers 
Association Inc

_______________________________________________
http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html - 
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers 
Association Inc 