[Year 12 SofDev] Scaling - renamed

[Gordon Poultney]

...and is it true that a subject that is taught better collectively would
be penalised with a larger scaling down?
I suggest that VITTA, this list and a few other factors have led to
InfoSystems /SofDev being taught better over the past few years.

gordon



> Hi Andrew
> At both this and my previous school - I have had *lots* of kids who
> both do Specialist and who are *really serious* about getting a great
> ENTER. So serious, in fact, that the knowledge that they are going to
> get scaled down for my subject stops them enroling in it.
> This is the reality and I have to ask - since the subject gets
> penalised - are smarter students being penalised for doing it? I really
> do want a genuine public debate about this because the students who do
> SD and Physics tell me that my/our subject is just as hard - some say
> harder.
> David
>
> David Dawson
> Head of Information Technology
> Head of Learning Technologies
> St.Kilda Rd Campus
> Wesley College, Melbourne
> Wk 8102 6340
>
>
>>>> a.shortell at braemar.vic.edu.au 13/09/2007 11:55:52 am >>>
> Hi David
>
> Scaling is an attempt to equate outcomes for the purposes of
> university
> entry. It is only important for students who are serious about getting
> a
> good ENTER.
>
>
>
> Info Sys was scaled down because of the students who took the subject.
>
>
> VCAA always assigns 30 as the mean study score with a standard
> deviation
> of 6. This is publicly available knowledge (not always easy to find
> though!!)
>
> It does not matter about the quality of the students - the mean is
> still
> 30.
>
>
>
> When you equate this to students who do Specialist and Latin who also
> get a mean of 30 you can probably see that there is perhaps not an
> equivalence of result. VTAC attempts to address this inequity by
> scaling. If you look at last year's scaling report then you will see
> that some subjects were scaled down by over 10 points (wow you might
> say
> - but look at the subjects. Would a student who could do Latin and
> Specialist do those subjects? Seriously,  ?)
>
>
>
> Now think about the students who take SD (and ITA )  . Are they really
> as good as the students doing Specialist and Latin ????? So they need
> to
> have their results processed or manipulated so that it can be seen to
> have some equivalence of outcome with those who do the harder
> subjects.
>
>
>
> You can always ask me more off list - if others are interested in more
> then reply on list otherwise  off list to andrew at braemar.vic.edu.au
>
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Andrew Shortell
>
> Braemar College
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>
>> From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-
>
>> bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Claudia Graham
>
>> Sent: Thursday, 13 September 2007 9:47 AM
>
>> To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
>
>> Subject: RE: [Year 12 SofDev] Gamemaker
>
>>
>
>> Hi David,
>
>>
>
>> The scaling process is not VCAA but VTAC and the scaling changes
> each
>
>> year based on cohort and their abilities and results. With a
> different
>
>> style of paper this year, who knows what might happen.
>
>>
>
>> Claudia
>
>>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>
>> From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
>
>> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of David Dawson
>
>> Sent: 13 September 2007 8:56 AM
>
>> To: sofdev at edulists.com.au
>
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Gamemaker
>
>>
>
>
>
> <snip>
>
>
>
>> I am also curious as to whether Software Devt will be marked "down"
>
>> like IS was. What is the actual justification for this? Can it be
>
>> changed? When can this be reconsidered?
>
>>
>
>> Is there anyone out there from the VCAA panel for this subject who
> can
>
>> respond?
>
>> David Dawson
>
>>
>
>> David Dawson
>
>> Head of Information Technology
>
>> Head of Learning Technologies
>
>> St.Kilda Rd Campus
>
>> Wesley College, Melbourne
>
>> Wk 8102 6340
>
>>
>
> <snip>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________
>
> Sapere Aude - Dare To Be Wise
>
> Wesley College Melbourne is a world class coeducational independent school
> developing the whole person through timeless principles of learning:
> - to know
> - to do
> - to live with
> - to be
> with innovation and wisdom
>
> ABN 38 994 068 473  CRICOS 00354G
> ____________________________________________________________________________
>
> This email is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named
> above and may contain information that is confidential and privileged. If
> you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
> dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is strictly
> prohibited.
> If you have received this email in error, please email a reply to Wesley
> College and destroy the original message.
> ____________________________________________________________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au
> IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
> and
> http://www.vitta.org.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html  -
> VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc
>


-- 
Gordon Poultney