[Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationship diagrams

Sat Apr 2 15:40:01 EST 2011

Obviously there are not supposed to be wasted questions on exams.

But if they have a detailed question on NF1-3 on an ITA exam, such as 3c in
the sample questions, most of the state would get zero for it.

It would be a great discriminator question to find the 50 study scorers, but
not much good for anything else.

2c worth, rapidly devaluating.

On 2 April 2011 12:45, Andrew Shortell <shortell at get2me.net> wrote:

> 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
>
> ------------------------------
> *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<http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/infotech/it-applications/publications/IT-Apps-samp.pdf>
>  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 <msc at luther.vic.edu.au>
>> *To:* Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List<itapps at edulists.com.au>
>> *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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> Association Inc
>

-- 
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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