[Year 12 SofDev] Devil's advocate == me?

[Matheson, Heath A]

Good Afternoon,

My Zimbabwean dollars worth,
I tend to use the assessment handbook in creating the SACs and assessment criteria. For this outcome the handbook is a little contradictory / inconsistent / unclear / all of the above? (Eg the mobile phone oversight Paula cleared up for us). The “designing the assessment task” section pretty much restates the key skills from the study design so I agree with Adrian that we are assessing key skills. In order to be able to address the key skills you need the key knowledge and make sure you choose the most effective and efficient processes to create the solution. In U3 O2 each of my five students used a different method to solve the problem and they all worked. There is nothing to state that queues, stacks, 2D arrays all must be used. However, the performance descriptors do emphasise and require validation.
Apart from the use of “mobile phone” instead of “device”, the description states to create a “solution in response to a design brief” suggesting an SRS is not essential but the performance descriptors state “An accurate interpretation of the provided software requirements specifications is evident in the design of a feasible solution” suggesting an SRS is essential. My gut says that the VCAA intends us to provide an SRS again.

I wonder whether it is worth weighting each statement in the performance descriptors equally. The coding will take the most time but does that mean it is more important in creating a solution than say an comprehensive testing table? This is where I would like some opinions.

So my interpretation of what we are assessing (equally?):

1.        interpret the SRS and create a feasible design including all specifications.

2.       Create a design that takes into account mobile devise constraints and is clear and accurate.

3.       Clear and logical algorithm .

4.       The coding and internal documentation is awesome.

5.       Data validation and “techniques and procedures” (I take this as data structures, sequence, selection and iteration procedures) are effectively applied.

6.        Testing Table

7.       The solution covering all the SRS.

By now my Zimbabwean dollars worth is nearly zero so I’ll sign off!

Cheers,

Heath


From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Margaret King Iaquinto
Sent: Thursday, 28 July 2011 2:25 PM
To: 'Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Devil's advocate == me?

Adrian, what kinds of responses are you looking for (depth, breadth, list?) in your first assessment criterion? Samples you would expect...?

Because I will couch my task in an SRS, the factors are pretty much listed there in functional and non-functional requirements.

I need help here.

Maggie
VK3CFI

On Thu Jul 28 11:47 , 'Adrian Janson' sent:
Hi everyone,

OK.  I have been reading a lot of the posts about U4O1 – and have written my own which I will post to the lists very shortly.  There has been a lot of talk about the SAC and what needs to be included – but I have some issues / questions for the community.

The follow is my opinion only!!!! (disclaimer!)

Now my understanding of Key Knowledge vs Key Skills is this: the key knowledge describes the content of the Area of Study and is full examinable (as is everything in the study design proper).  The Key Skills describe what needs to be addressed via the assessment of the area of study (the SAC).  Not all points within the Key Knowledge need to be assessed via the SAC.


1.        A lot of people are writing SACs in which the student needs to work from / interpret an SRS.  This is not a requirement of the SAC.  The Key Skill states: ‘interpret solution requirements in order to ....’.  Now the ‘solution requirements’ could be framed in an SRS (and for consistency I have done it this way), but it doesn’t need to be.  The Key Skill in U3O2 stated: ‘interpret software requirements specifications by ...’.  The Key Skills are different.

2.       There has been a lot of discussion about needing to include either 2D arrays, stacks, queues, sorting and searching (or combinations). There is nothing in the Key Skills that states this.  I have chosen to write a task that lends itself to a queue – and have included requirements that are need sorting / searching routines – but this is not necessary.  I feel that it is in students best interest to include some of these things so that U4O1 is set apart from U3O2 and there is a progression in skills.  Also as these things are going to appear on the exam it is in the best interest of students.  However, a task need not have these things – the Key Skills says ‘write solutions and internal documentation’ and ‘interpret solution requirements in order to design and develop solutions’ (only).  Yes – the Key Knowledge states ‘forms and uses of data structures to organise and manipulate data, including two-dimensional arrays, stacks and queues’ and it would be hard to write a solution without using a data structure at all – but all the task asks is that students ‘write solutions’.

3.       User interface and validation.  I am putting a fair emphasis on the design of the user interface and the validation as I feel that there needs to be as this is ‘a solution’.  The Key Skills do not mention user interface or validation at all (they are mentioned in detail in the Key Knowledge).  We want students to produce a complete solution – therefore there needs to be an emphasis on these things.  They will also have a significant effect on the testing table.

Again – all my opinion – and not intended to cause confusion – just to promote an understanding of the task amongst all of us.
(so flame away!!!)

Cheers,
Adrian

Adrian Janson B.Sc, Dip.Ed, M.Ed
Director of ICT
Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria 3141 Australia.
Phone: 03 9826 0711 International: +61 3 9826 0711
Fax: 03 9826 8767 International: +61 3 9826 8767
E-mail: janson.adrian.a at edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au<http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au/>
Blog: http://jansona.edublogs.org<http://jansona.edublogs.org/>




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