[Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationshipdiagrams

Sat Apr 2 13:13:34 EST 2011

Good point Andrew.

But let me go back a bit:

The study design at no stage mentions 1NF, 2NF and 3NF, under key knowledge it says only:
  "• a methodology for creating an RDBMS structure: identifying tables and fields; normalising tables,defining data types and field sizes, identifying primary key and foreign key fields

  • ways in which normalisation can ensure the integrity of data in an RDBMS"

So "normalisation" in general - yes, specific details of NF1-3 - no ?

So what is a "wasted" exam question?

Firstly it is one that does not examine the key knowledges and skills specified in the study design.

Secondly it is one that does not allow for differentiation between students with different knowledge and skill levels - so not too hard and not too easy - helps us reliably rank the students in order on the exam as a whole.

It would seem to me that the sample question originally quoted by Laura goes beyond the key knowledge and skills specified in the study design.

This does need to be clarified from the VCAA end.

Robert Hind (Semi-retired) OOF, GOM
Ashwood and Traralgon
robert at yinnar.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andrew Shortell 
  To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List 
  Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 12:45 PM
  Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationshipdiagrams

  Your analysis of past papers (and for me the insights gained from being an exam marker for years and vce teacher for 17 years and exam writer etc) would lead you to consider the purpose of the exam and what it means to have a "wasted" question --to set an exam with a "wasted" question is not worthwhile .... (think about it!!)

  part of teaching unit 3 & 4 is all about understanding the exam and how the exam panel thinks and then acting on that knowledge. 

  Andrew

  Andrew Shortell
  Heidelberg Teaching Unit in 2011

  On 02/04/2011, at 6:31 AM, Mark Scott wrote:

    Which could all be solved if VCAA shared there understanding of the three Normal Forms.

    yours in frustration
    Mark Scott
    Luther College

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    From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY [kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au]
    Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 6:40 PM
    To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
    Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationship diagrams

    By the looks of the sample exam questions my ITA kids are going to be seriously troubled. I'm guessing a question like 3c is going to score about 0.01 marks out of 2 on average across the state. I wonder what the success rate would be amongst ITA teachers for that question... To get my kids to answer it well, I'd need to spend at least two periods (more like a week) just on normalisation theory - and frankly, it's not worth it.

    Sorry for being grumpy about this, but this level of complexity really does not suit ITA.  I don't mind normalisation being a bit of key knowledge, but how it might be examined seems excessive.

    Woof!
    Grumpy Mark K

    On 1 April 2011 17:08, Timmer-Arends <timmer at melbpc.org.au> wrote:

      Hello Mark

      I'm curious to know what these conflicting sources are.

      I've followed Robert H's link and the page one gets to doesn't actually define them but does describe a (simplified) process to get to each NF - and what one gets from the process does conform with NF defs. The links from this page do go to definitions and they are in agreement with other sources I have looked at.

      Mark K's quote is a definition of 2NF that conforms to other definitions.

      The only difference I can see between various versions I have read is the degree of mathematical/academic gobbledy-gook involved.

      1NF, 2NF and 3NF were defined way back in the seventies and because they were formed from a theoretical basis I don't think they are going to have changed all that much.

      About the only thing that seems to have changed greatly is the addition of another three NFs.

      I think the issue is a problem with the question, not with the consistency of the definitions. Decoding the definitions for consumption by students is of course another matter...

      Regards
      Robert T-A

      ----- Original Message -----
        From: Mark Scott
        To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
        Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 2:45 PM
        Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationship diagrams

        Paula

        This is good stuff but we are still struggling with Question 3c

        Any chance of a VCAA definition of what actually goes in 1NF, 2NF and 3NF.

        The definitions are different depending on which “source” you use.
        thanks
        Mark Scott
        Luther College
        PS I suppose we could all wait for the guru (Mark Kelly) to provide an answer. J

        From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
        Sent: Friday, 1 April 2011 1:32 PM
        To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
        Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions and entity-relationship diagrams

        Dear colleagues

        The examination specifications and some sample questions focusing on new content in the study design are now on the VCAA website:

        http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/infotech/it-applications/publications/IT-Apps-samp.pdf

        Structurally the examination remains the same – two sections: Section A multiple choice; Section B short and extended responses.

        I draw your attention to a couple of matters in the sample questions:
        ·         Question 4 focuses on an entity relationship diagram – this hopefully clarifies recent concerns that have been raised.
        ·         Question 7 illustrates one way in which the examination can deal with the choice of different software in Unit 4, Area of Study 1. Here a common question is presented, and students select the software tool to explain their answer.
        ·         Question 9 is an example of an extended response (worth 8 marks) with prompts to guide answers
        ·         Question 12 is an example of the scope of a question on RDBMS – the focus can only extent to what is covered in Unit 3. Again it illustrates an extended response with prompts

        Regards
        Paula

        Paula Christophersen
        ICT Curriculum Manager
        VCAA
        41 St Andrews Place
        EAST MELBOURNE 3002
        (03) 9651 4378

    -- 
    Mark Kelly
    Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
    McKinnon Secondary College
    McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
    Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
    kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
    VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
    Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

    All generalisations are false, except this one.

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