[Year 12 IT Apps] DB SAC

Sun May 29 10:48:45 EST 2011

Hi Mike,

The following was sent to the list from Paula late last year regarding exam questions about spreadsheets and databases. It helped me so here tis for you.

Cheers
Liam

Liam O'Grady
Brunswick Secondary College.

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
Sent: Thursday, 11 November 2010 2:38 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Unit 4 2011: RDBMS Part 2 or Spreadsheets

Dear Paul and colleagues

In the examinations, two possible scenarios will exist regarding questions about spreadsheets and RDBMS. These are:

*         Questions focusing exclusively on RDBMS as stipulated in Unit 3, as all students will have studied this. The designated software functions for this tool are stated in the July 2010 VCE Bulletin. This means that multiple choice questions and short and extended-type questions can be asked on RDBMS at the unit 3 level.

*         Questions that allow students to answer from either a spreadsheet or RDBMS perspective. In this instance questions must relate to the KK and KS of Unit 4, area of study 1. Typically in this situation there could be a general question to which students indicate whether they are going to respond from a spreadsheet of a RDBMS perspective OR there will be a Part a. and a Part b. and students select one of them. The software functions for SS and the functions for Unit 4 of RDBMS are both listed in the July 2010 Bulletin. If a RDBMS is being studied in both Units 3 and 4, then teachers must be aware of the different software expectations in each unit.

No 'standalone' spreadsheet questions can be asked - as it is in accordance with the choice aspect of Area of Study 1, Unit 4.

In Term 1 next year, a series of sample questions will be posted on the VCAA website which will illustrate these different scenarios.

Regards

Paula

Paula Christophersen

ICT Curriculum Manager

VCAA

41 St Andrews Place

EAST MELBOURNE 3002

(03) 9651 4378

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Friday, 27 May 2011 7:54 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] DB SAC

Hi Mike

The examiners cannot assume students have done spreadsheets. They can ask direct questions about databases.  They will definitely have database-specific questions, and other questions that could apply to spreadsheets or databases.

<niggle>
They also cannot assume students have familiarity with a particular database make or model (such as MS Access) but their terminology has always tended to be Access-flavoured. If your kids don't swim in the mainstream, teach them how to translate Access terms and concepts to your preferred RDBMS.
</niggle>
On 27 May 2011 15:48, Jolly, Michael D <Jolly.Michael.D at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:Jolly.Michael.D at edumail.vic.gov.au>> wrote:
I wonder how the exam will be handled? Will there be alternative questions in the multiple choice section?

Mike Jolly
Year 9 Co-ordinator
Kyneton Secondary College
jolly.michael.d at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:jolly.michael.d at edumail.vic.gov.au>
03 5421 1100
0412 75 1984

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au>] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Friday, 27 May 2011 8:45 AM

To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] DB SAC

Hi again, The Other Mark.

The SS/dB choice will probably raise its head again once we've experienced our first year of U3O2/U4O1.  I doubt that I'll change from doing spreadsheets for U4O1.  My kids don't thrive on database tasks, and teaching spreadsheet skills is a doddle in comparison; and the kids like them.

Most kids already have spreadsheet experience, and the database skills in U3O2 can be easily transferred to spreadsheets (formulas, IPO, interface design, validation, lookups etc).

Even if they had all year to practise databases, I doubt they would reach the level they do with spreadsheets in a few short weeks. If nothing else, I find the spreadsheet in U4O1 is a morale-lifter for them as their last practical outcome.

Their marks on spreadsheet outcomes are certainly streets better than that from the database outcome, and that's good enough reason for me.

As for employability skills... I don't assume that anything I teach them will directly help them get a job. Anyway, nearly all of our cohort is heading straight for uni where - I believe - they start from scratch when teaching IT, so specific software skills are often not directly transferable: unless you're lucky.  But I might be mistaken about that.

Cheers
Mark
On 26 May 2011 15:49, Mark Scott <msc at luther.vic.edu.au<mailto:msc at luther.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
I am doing Spreadsheets for Unit 4 Outcome 1 this year.

Next year I am thinking about doing Databases instead.
It would seem logical to just extend the students skill set in one software type.

Any thoughts, anybody?

Mark Scott
Luther College
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be"

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au>] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:34 PM

To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] DB SAC

You wouldn't lose marks for adding formatting, forms, controls etc, but you wouldn't be getting marks for them.  And spending too much time on these things may distract students from spending time on things that do get marks.

Some primitive form of input/output is necessary to get the data into the tables and get printouts of answers produced (I get kids to print output rather than assessing onscreen).  It's just that I/O is not much important in U3O2.  Anyway, it's not as if it takes hours of work or masses of skill to produce basic output !

I wouldn't panic about adding features, just about leaving out necessary features.

Regards
Mark
On 26 May 2011 11:08, Mark KELLY <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
Hi, OtherMark

Formatting is not important to this outcome, but it is assessable if RDBMS is used for U4O1...

If students use a relational database management system in Unit 4, the following additional functions apply:
*         import/export of data
*         format data for display
*         create and edit a range of forms, including different data types and controls
*         create and edit a range of formatted reports.

On 26 May 2011 10:47, Mark Scott <msc at luther.vic.edu.au<mailto:msc at luther.vic.edu.au>> wrote:

HELP!!!!!!!!

>From VCAA
Relational database management system
The following functions apply to Unit 3:

*        create tables

*        create relationships between tables

*        use a range of data types

*        electronic validation

*        create, edit and use queries

*        use of calculated fields

*        sort records or index on different fields.

Can someone confirm that:

*        formatting (apart from sorting) is not a part of this SAC?

*        drop down lists are not appropriate for tables (only forms)

Mark Scott
Luther College

--
Mark Kelly

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Mark Kelly

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Mark Kelly

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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<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

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