[Year 12 IT Apps] The Big Question

Tue Oct 29 18:08:18 EST 2013

Dear colleagues

I would like to clarify a point made about the nature of ITA examinations, namely extended response questions ('big questions'). The VCAA produces Examination Specifications to coincide with a reaccredited study design. The specifications include details about the format/style/conditions of the forthcoming exams.  See http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/infotech/IT-Apps-samp.pdf

Page 39 of the study design (ITA) specifically states that examination specifications will be published on the VCAA website.

Depending on the extent of changes to a study design there will either sample questions or a full sample examination to illustrate how new content or a new questioning style could be treated. This is what occurred with this current study design.

Under 'Format' in these specifications, the following information was provided:

Format

All questions in the examination will be compulsory.

The examination will consist of two sections.

Section A – 20 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each.

Section B – short and extended response questions.

Questions 7 and 9 (section B) of the Sample examination questions illustrate extended-response questions.

The inclusion of extended-response questions is an examination specification, not a 'whim of the exam-setters'.

Regards

Paula

________________________________
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Mark [mark at vceit.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 29 October 2013 2:50 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] The Big Question

Hi Damien.

By "the big question" are you referring to the 8-10 mark question that has appeared in the past couple of ITA papers?

- Such big, high-mark questions are purely at the whim of the exam-setters... there is nothing in the study design saying that such a question is required, so there is no guarantee that such a question will appear in future.

- Having said that, recent history suggests that the examiners will continue to do it in spite of horrible results: last year's average result was 2 marks out of 8, from memory. ITA kids are just not built for long, complex answers.  To be frank, that's why they do ITA rather than SD or physics.

- Even if such a question appears again this year, there is no guarantee that it would have to be about databases, or a database/spreadsheet option. It could just as easily be about data security or any other meaty key knowledge.  (Dog help me, it had better not be about the physical layer of the OSI model !)

- What students will need to provide in their answers will completely depend on what the question asks them to provide, so it's impossible to answer your question. If asked for a formula, they will need to provide a formula; if asked for a design for an input form, they would need to give that.

- SQL definitely won't be there, if that's any consolation, since it is not mentioned or even alluded to in the study design.

- Neither can the examiners even ask for a precise formula or query, since different databases/spreadsheets have different syntaxes. They would either have to give students the rules for the syntax of a hypothetical dB/SS and expect students to answer using the provided syntax, or they would have to use universally-accepted IT/VCAA conventions (i.e. pseudocode with standard IF , AND/OR, >= , etc.)

So, having not answered your question at all, I hope I have answered your question.

Regards

Mark
Whose beach-walking has been greatly incommoded by rain and hurricane-force wind. Grrr.

On 29 October 2013 14:10, ATKINSON-BUCK, Damien <Damien.ATKINSON-BUCK at ivanhoe.com.au<mailto:Damien.ATKINSON-BUCK at ivanhoe.com.au>> wrote:
Hi folks,
            With the big question, I’ve been going through some of the past exam papers and the examiners comments. Am I right to assume that if a student chooses the SpreadSheet option, they will need to provide the formula. Whereas if they choose the database option, they have to describe the query, not write SQL or draw a query design box (we used Access, not sure what Filemaker etc. display is like).
I’m thinking it’s a safer bet to describe a query than to remember the exact formula for something in the pressure of an exam. Just wondering what others thought of this and how they are recommending students handle the big question.
Cheers
Damien

Damien Atkinson-Buck
Head of Learning Area: Technology/Arts
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