[Year 12 IT Apps] itapps Digest, Vol 120, Issue 26

[Ciotti, George W]

This is an interesting discussion. I must say I was taken aback when I
found out that students who complete ITA using the online or distance ed
course are given the SAC and can complete it at home. In other words they
have access to any resource they want with no supervision at all. I was
also surprised when I found out that some schools allowed students to
access quite a few resources. I'm not sure that it has ever been fully
clarified what you can or can't do and this seems to be reinforced by the
tenor of this discussion.
But it does make sense to allow students to access a variety of resources,
except in a test, although in most cases the percentage mark of the test
is relatively minor in comparison. A student who has not participated well
in activities prior to the SAC usually finds it difficult to know which
resources to utilise in the time constrained activity. I'm not sure I
would allow students to share information in the SAC though. I would draw
a line there. They would invariably discuss the SAC out of class in any
case. So there you go, it's an open book/internet environment it would
seem. I feel relieved going ahead with this knowledge.

George




On 26/02/15 3:17 PM, "Garth, Lucas A" <garth.lucas.a at edumail.vic.gov.au>
wrote:

>Hi Anthony (and other readers)
>
>I agree - SACs running over multi-periods is a different "test" than
>those that exist in the English or Maths faculties, but it's probably
>sharing some features with the Technology area in that projects are
>crucial to the demonstration of understanding.
>
>IT offers a major challenge in that it's very difficult to restrict
>network accounts, and most of our projects mandate the use of software
>development tools (and require work to be saved).
>
>In such an environment, offering students the opportunity to access all
>of their resources makes sense, so long as:
>
>- They don't take additional work or notes into class from home
>(including notes added to a textbook)
>- They don't collaborate or copy other students' work
>- They don't take the question sheet out of the classroom
>
>These are all measures to ensure that the work is all completed by the
>student
>
>Where I think the key to setting a good assessment is (and this being my
>first year doing it, I think I've got a lot to learn) is a good scenario
>to ensure that the analysis (and evaluation) component is sufficiently
>difficult that no textbook will provide the students with a satisfactory
>answer.  This then helps you to differentiate between the high and low
>students while still allowing lower graded students to showcase their
>skills in what can be a complex assessment.
>
>It's less about the process of using the products (Dreamweaver, etc) and
>more about their ability to apply their knowledge to the scenario.  Most
>people can build a prototype website.  Not everyone can create a website
>that meets the needs of a customer.   And this is what we are asking for
>as part of this SAC
>
>Lucas
>
>
>
>   1. Re: SACS and BYOD (Anthony Sullivan)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2015 01:44:00 +0000
>From: Anthony Sullivan <asullivan at tps.vic.edu.au>
>Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] SACS and BYOD
>To: "itapps at edulists.com.au" <itapps at edulists.com.au>
>Message-ID:
>	<48aeb053da794957aa57211baeca133e at RIO.peninsula.vic.edu.au>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>My two cents worth
>
>Having SAC's that run over multi periods is pretty unique to VCE IT
>
>The way you run and manage your VCE IT SAC's is really up to you
>
>Every school probably has a different approach
>
>Some schools allow notes, textbooks, network and internet access. Others
>run their SAC's a lot more like a test or an exam with no notes or
>assistance
>
>Remember the purpose of an assessment task is discriminate between your
>top student down to your bottom (for lack of a better word) student . In
>other words, rank your students in order of their understanding of the
>content for each outcome
>
>If you give a task that allows this discrimination or ranking to occur
>(with notes and network and internet access) then that is no problem
>
>But if you allow notes, etc. and every students gets 100% then it defeats
>the purpose of assessment task. You are not really identifying the order
>of ability in your class
>
>My approach and BYOD devices
>
>Students here use their own personal laptop for SAC's.
>
>I have network access turned off for these periods and collect the files
>from each student on USB at the end of the lesson
>
>I'm happy for them during a SAC (and I cannot really stop them) from
>accessing the files on their laptop of the practice tasks we completed
>leading up to the SAC
>
>I tell students this before the SAC to encourage them to complete all the
>practice tasks
>
>But as mentioned earlier this is my method that works for me and each
>school needs a method that works for them
>
>Anthony
>
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