[Year 12 IT Apps] An ITA Exam query

Mon Nov 14 10:57:21 EST 2011

Crikey. I though furniture design would be quite rigorous and difficult.

But then again, the other day I wondered why there isn't a VCE Journalism
course.

Then I realised that to get an A+ in Journalism, all you'd need to do is
staple a $100 note to the exam booklet, just like a real journalist.

On 14 November 2011 10:12, Andrew Shortell <shortell at get2me.net> wrote:

>  Hi All
> Just to add a long term perspective:
> That is why question and answer booklets were created so as to limit the
> amount of rubbish that could be put on a page.
>
> [In the old old old days when students wrote in script books it could be a
> nightmare if they were into rubbish — yes I have been marking for a while ,
> since 1990]
>
> The number of lines gives student a limited space to write and the use of
> boxes, numbering sub parts of questions so that students remember to answer
> each part of a multi part question and spreading the questions out a little
> really did help students to get more marks on the board – i.e. They
> actually attempted all parts of all questions.
>
> ALSO:  I believe it is the examiners’ job to create the spread with the
> quality of questions. It is the markers’ job to mark. So many students have
> so much problem giving good answers that they need every help that they can
> get.
>
> Also think about why these subjects are scaled so savagely (-- mind you,
> not as bad as vet furniture design)
>
> Andrew
> --
> --
> Andrew Shortell
>
> mailto:shortell at get2me.net <shortell at get2me.net>
> Heidelberg Teaching Unit
> Ph 9470 3403
> Fax  9470 3215
>
>
>
>
>
> On 14/11/11 9:05 AM, "Mark KELLY" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> wrote:
>
> Just to show how these are only guidelines, further information has
> arrived.
>
> *  In some questions in some years, markers will NOT search for valid
> points in a pile of rubbish in order to give away marks. It's possible that
> markers may be asked to find marks for the *top* kids and not to give
> away easy marks for the weak students in order to get a better spread
> across the range.
>
>
>
> On 14 November 2011 08:35, Mark KELLY <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> wrote:
> >
> > The feedback I've received about exam marking philosophy is extremely
> interesting, and it reinforces for me the PD value of marking VCAA papers.
> >
> > I've always assumed (because VCAA has never said otherwise) that if
> asked for 'n' points, markers would read the first 'n' answers given and
> ignore any more.  Apparently this is not the case.
> >
> > Several people have suggested that the following guidelines may be
> useful for those of us marking our kids' answers in outcomes and practice
> exams...
> >
> > Mind you, these are not official, permanent, carved-in-stone VCAA rules.
> They are only offered as guidelines gleaned from markers' experiences, and
> may change from year to year...
> >
> > ----
> >
> > * Marking 'toughness' can fluctuate from year to year depending on the
> difficulty of the paper.
> >
> > * If 'n' points are asked for and the student gives more points, markers
> will read all the points given and award marks if 'n' good points were
> given: in other words, the marker tries to find marks for kids. So if a kid
> is asked for 2 points, and the kid's first point was wrong, but then gives
> 2 good points, the kid gets two marks.
> >
> > * Markers are not asked to stop reading answers after the requested
> number of points has been given, so kids could write a load of rubbish and
> still get full marks if they somehow get to the correct stuff by the end.
> >
> > * If a 2-mark question asks for a "List and Describe", it will be marked
> 1+1=2 marks.
> >
> > * If asked for 2 points and you give 2...
> >      - 2 marks generally means 2 points need to be made, or a good point
> with a good reason for it.
> >      - 2 marks for a "discuss..." question can also indicate you have to
> give a point from each side of the discussion (and if you gave 2 points
> from the same side of the discussion, you only get 1 mark)
> >
> > * If asked for 2 points and you give 3...
> >      - if is blatantly wrong, or contradicts of of the two other good
> points, you cannot get full marks
> >      - if one is wrong, but does not contradict the other two, you can
> get full marks
> >      - if one is weak due to obvious cluelessness you cannot get full
> marks
> >
> > * Because the question is blind double-marked, if one marker gives 2 and
> the other gives 1, you get an effective average of 1.5.
> > * However if it goes to a third marker, you're less likely to get the 2
> marks because the third marking is more conservative.
> > * Sometimes, two marks is taken to mean 3 points are required if the
> points are really obvious.
> >
> > So, as I said, all of this is only for guidance. I know that in future
> I'll keep reading even after the student gives their 'n' points and I'll
> look to give marks if they eventually get to the nub of the questions! It
> certainly will affect the way I mark the Q&A parts of outcomes!
> >
> > If there are other little birds out there with more useful insights into
> the marking process, I'm happy to hear more.
> >
> > Regards
> > Mark
> >
> >
>
>
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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
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist <http://www.edulists.com.au/>

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