[Year 12 IT Apps] RE: answer to ITA Exam Que B12e
Mark Kelly
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
Wed Nov 18 10:03:55 EST 2009
I admit it's a murky issue. It depends on your definitions of things,
and the definitions in ITA tend to be rather simple. In ITA, we work on
a pretty simple level of critical path management compared to real
project managers.
In ITA I've always defined a critical task as a task that's on the
critical path (CP) and by definition can have no slack.
However www.cpmtutor.com/glossary.html defines the CP as
"that set of activities from the start of the project through to the
end, that have the minimum total float." (where float == slack)
Which messes up the simple definition a bit.
Microsoft defines the CP as "The series of tasks that must be completed
on schedule for a project to finish on schedule."
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/ha101567881033.aspx)
This implies a lack of slack on all critical tasks. But then Microsoft
muddies the waters by going on to say that, "In Project 2007, a
critical task has zero days of slack. However, you can change this
default value and define a task as critical that has, for example, one
or two days of slack."
I'm not sure about the Potts statement that a CP can't have lag. Lag is
an enforced wait on a successor. No work is done during lag, but
otherwise it's equivalent to just adding the length of lag time to the
predecessor's duration.
I explain lag to my kids in terms of pouring a concrete slab and then
erecting the walls. The pour might take 1 day. Letting the concrete
set takes no labour or resources, but consumes (say) 3 days. The
successor task (erecting the walls) can't begin until the concrete has
set, so there is enforced waiting time (lag) of 3 days.
It's not as if the pour can run overtime without affecting a following
task (i.e. it has no free slack), and the setting time can't run
overtime without affecting the successor's start time, so lag's not
really like slack which is defined as how much time a task can run
overtime before affecting a following task. Lag is a time extension on
a task where no work need be done.
(More precisely, Microsoft helpfully defines two flavours of slack:
- Free slack: how much a task can slip before it delays another task.
- Total slack: how much a task can slip before it delays the finishing
date of the project.)
In ITA we have to draw a line somewhere saying "This far and no further"
in terms of how deep our theory should go. The study design sometimes
helps indicate what level of knowledge is needed, sometimes it doesn't.
On the whole, ITA tends to be on the shallow side (no offence intended).
In fact, I was a bit surprised that the exam actually included lag for
the first time in living IPM/ITA memory. It's the deepest they've ever
gone (apart from a dummy task in IPM 2003, which the exam got wrong!)
The average ITA candidate is not the type to hungrily devour intricate
theoretical matters. Software Development students are more likely to do
that, which helps explain why SD is marked down less than ITA.
But we ITA teachers tend to like gnawing at theoretical bones.
So getting back to Jacinta's question, what do other people think about
lag not being allowed in a CP?
Jacinta Chamberlain wrote:
> I am a bit confused about so if someone could enlighten me about Q20. I
> also thought lag time however according to Potts you can not have lag
> time on a critical path.
>
>
>
> *From:* itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au
> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] *On Behalf Of *Lumsden, Richard G
> *Sent:* Tuesday, 17 November 2009 3:05 PM
> *To:* Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> *Subject:* [Year 12 IT Apps] RE: answer to ITA Exam Que B12e
>
>
>
> Here’s my attempt at Q12be
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au
> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] *On Behalf Of *Chattrath,
> Divinderjit S
> *Sent:* Tuesday, 17 November 2009 1:05 PM
> *To:* itapps at edulists.com.au
> *Subject:* answer to ITA Exam Que B12e
>
>
>
> Hi Everyone
>
> G'Day
>
> /Ok! Now it is time to talk again since Mark have mentioned and I quote/
>
> /“//It's been a week since the ITA exam and not one wise and erudite ITA
> teacher across the entire state has managed to suggest a way that B12e
> could be answered.”/
>
> / /
>
> /I was not saying anything about this question because I was thinking
> from students’ point of view./
>
> /I can do this. Process is as follows and if anyone has doubts, please
> feel free to ask for the actual demonstration. which will be done on
> this weekend as I need time (fair enough?)/
>
> /I will use some buttons with VBA coding/
>
> /Steps/
>
> /Arranging the customers’ names in order (no need if they are already in
> order as in this case. It looks that delivery cost worksheet is already
> made to bring them in order. This can be possible if the entry form is
> on a different sheet and then the data is stored in this sheet)/
>
> / /
>
> /Now we are to read the customer’s id which is starting from a fixed
> cell number and write it on a new sheet say “recepitForCustId_1” along
> with all the related data from “DeliveryCost” sheet and the customers’
> info from “CustomerInfo” sheet . It is not any problem but now we will
> have to check through coding whether the customer id code is repeating
> in the next row. If it is repeating then the info of this line goes to
> the same sheet. This part can be put in a LOOP. Once the Cust_id changes
> then we can create a new sheet with the new cust id and repeat the
> process again using LOOP until the cell with the ID is blank./
>
> / /
>
> /So this way we have all the receipts produced on the separate sheets. /
>
> / /
>
> /We can now have a print button which can print all the new produced sheets/
>
> / /
>
> /Now we can have another button “DELETE receipts sheets” which will
> delete all the receipts produced./
>
> / /
>
> Regards
>
> Bobby
>
> IT & Maths Teacher, Craigieburn Secondary College
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of
> itapps-request at edulists.com.au
> *Sent:* Tue 17/11/2009 12:02 PM
> *To:* itapps at edulists.com.au
> *Subject:* itapps Digest, Vol 57, Issue 41
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: ITA Exam B12e challenge (Mark Kelly)
> 2. RE: ITA Exam B12e challenge (Bane, Janet A)
> 3. Re: ITA Exam B12e challenge (Mark Kelly)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:45:22 +1100
> From: Mark Kelly <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
> To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
> <itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Message-ID: <4B01E412.40007 at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
> From http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/stricken.html...
>
> "Most of the time the past participle of “strike” is “struck.” The
> exceptions are that you can be stricken with guilt, a misfortune, a
> wound or a disease; and a passage in a document can be stricken out. The
> rest of the time, stick with “struck.” "
>
> ;-)
>
> Bane, Janet A wrote:
>> stricken or struck?
>>
>> Janet Bane
>> Patterson River SC
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
>> Sent: Tue 17-Nov-09 8:58 AM
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> OK. It's been a week since the ITA exam and not one wise and erudite
>> ITA teacher across the entire state has managed to suggest a way that
>> B12e could be answered.
>>
>> In my mind that makes it a fatally flawed question, and I will write to
>> VCAA to have it stricken from the exam.
>>
>> Regards
>> Mark
>>
>> --
>> Mark Kelly
>> Manager - Information Systems
>> McKinnon Secondary College
>> kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>> McKinnon Rd, McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
>> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085 Fax +613 9578 9253
>>
>> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
>> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/> <http://vceit.com/>
>> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>>
>> Why do people mis-spell 'grammar' and mispronounce 'pronuniciation'?
>> _______________________________________________
>
>
> --
> 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 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>
> RealMenDon'tNeedSpacebars.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:51:28 +1100
> From: "Bane, Janet A" <bane.janet.a at edumail.vic.gov.au>
> Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
> To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
> <itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Message-ID:
>
> <BFAB4F58A236B04189B6F277FD3333D4034F1CCD at edusm05.education.vic.gov.au>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> geez Mark, you would give the bird on Can we help a run for her money.
> I am now enlightened :)
>
> regards
>
> Janet Bane
> Patterson River SC
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
> Sent: Tue 17-Nov-09 10:45 AM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
>
>
>
>
> From http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/stricken.html...
>
> "Most of the time the past participle of "strike" is "struck." The
> exceptions are that you can be stricken with guilt, a misfortune, a
> wound or a disease; and a passage in a document can be stricken out. The
> rest of the time, stick with "struck." "
>
> ;-)
>
> Bane, Janet A wrote:
>> stricken or struck?
>>
>> Janet Bane
>> Patterson River SC
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
>> Sent: Tue 17-Nov-09 8:58 AM
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> OK. It's been a week since the ITA exam and not one wise and erudite
>> ITA teacher across the entire state has managed to suggest a way that
>> B12e could be answered.
>>
>> In my mind that makes it a fatally flawed question, and I will write to
>> VCAA to have it stricken from the exam.
>>
>> Regards
>> Mark
>>
>> --
>> Mark Kelly
>> Manager - Information Systems
>> McKinnon Secondary College
>> kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>> McKinnon Rd, McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
>> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085 Fax +613 9578 9253
>>
>> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
>> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
> <http://vceit.com/> <http://vceit.com/>
>> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>>
>> Why do people mis-spell 'grammar' and mispronounce 'pronuniciation'?
>> _______________________________________________
>
>
> --
> 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 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/> <http://vceit.com/>
> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>
> RealMenDon'tNeedSpacebars.
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au <http://www.edulists.com.au/>
> <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 -
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> <http://www.vitta.org.au/> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
> Teachers Association Inc
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:36:35 +1100
> From: Mark Kelly <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
> To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
> <itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Message-ID: <4B01F013.4070008 at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> The bird on Can?
>
> Bane, Janet A wrote:
>> geez Mark, you would give the bird on Can we help a run for her
> money. I am now enlightened :)
>>
>> regards
>>
>> Janet Bane
>> Patterson River SC
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
>> Sent: Tue 17-Nov-09 10:45 AM
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/stricken.html...
>>
>> "Most of the time the past participle of "strike" is "struck." The
>> exceptions are that you can be stricken with guilt, a misfortune, a
>> wound or a disease; and a passage in a document can be stricken out. The
>> rest of the time, stick with "struck." "
>>
>> ;-)
>>
>> Bane, Janet A wrote:
>> > stricken or struck?
>> >
>> > Janet Bane
>> > Patterson River SC
>> >
>> > ________________________________
>> >
>> > From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
>> > Sent: Tue 17-Nov-09 8:58 AM
>> > To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> > Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Exam B12e challenge
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Hi all.
>> >
>> > OK. It's been a week since the ITA exam and not one wise and erudite
>> > ITA teacher across the entire state has managed to suggest a way that
>> > B12e could be answered.
>> >
>> > In my mind that makes it a fatally flawed question, and I will write to
>> > VCAA to have it stricken from the exam.
>> >
>> > Regards
>> > Mark
>> >
>> > --
>> > Mark Kelly
>> > Manager - Information Systems
>> > McKinnon Secondary College
>> > kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>> > McKinnon Rd, McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
>> > Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085 Fax +613 9578 9253
>> >
>> > Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
>> > IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
> <http://vceit.com/> <http://vceit.com/>
>> > Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>> >
>> > Why do people mis-spell 'grammar' and mispronounce 'pronuniciation'?
>> > _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>> --
>> 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 9578 9253
>> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>>
>> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
>> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/> <http://vceit.com/>
>> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>>
>> RealMenDon'tNeedSpacebars.
>> _______________________________________________
>> http://www.edulists.com.au <http://www.edulists.com.au/>
> <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 <http://www.vitta.org.au/>
> <http://www.vitta.org.au/> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
> Teachers Association Inc
>>
>>
>>
>> Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If
> received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before
> opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects.
> Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the
> negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from
> the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying
> any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are
> those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the
> Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
>> _______________________________________________
>> http://www.edulists.com.au <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 <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 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>
> RealMenDon'tNeedSpacebars.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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>
> End of itapps Digest, Vol 57, Issue 41
--
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 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
RealMenDon'tNeedSpacebars.
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