[Year 12 SofDev] Review of VCE IT - your thoughts

[Howard, David]

We are only having an SD subject next year, this year both. 3 students completed both subjects and found SD far more interesting. I taught both so nothing to do with the teacher. They did say though that they found the spreadsheets part interesting but not databases.

David

Sent from my iPad

On 12/09/2013, at 1:10 PM, "Christophersen, Paula P" <christophersen.paula.p at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:christophersen.paula.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>> wrote:

Hi Mark and colleagues

IT apps has experienced approximately a 7% decline in enrolments between 2012 and 2013, however, it has marginally increased its percentage of total VCE enrolments between the same years.
Unit 1 has experienced approximately a 5% decline in enrolments between 2012 and 2013, however, it has marginally increased its percentage of total VCE enrolments between the same years.

The following comment is in no way ignoring concerns with the current study, but, as a generalisation, nationally and internationally, student enrolments in IT-related subjects at both senior secondary and tertiary levels have declined. And as a result, this has seen the beginning of a trend towards developing curriculum that is focused more on computational thinking and less on ‘productivity tools’, as illustrated in the draft Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies curriculum (Prep to year 10).

The review panel welcomes all feedback on the current study.

Regards
Paula

Paula Christophersen
Curriculum Manager, Digital Technologies
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
Authority
2 Lonsdale Street
MELBOURNE 3000
(03) 9032 1724
0407 043 110

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark
Sent: Thursday, 12 September 2013 12:12 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Review of VCE IT - your thoughts

It would be interesting to hear the corresponding ITA enrolment stats. Are ITA enrolments dropping over the same period?

I would suspect that the rise in SD could be partly because students are unimpressed with ITA's deadly dull content, and are voting with their feet.

On 12 September 2013 08:45, Christophersen, Paula P <christophersen.paula.p at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:christophersen.paula.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>> wrote:

There is some good news regarding enrolments: there has been a 28% increase in enrolments in Software Development from 2012 to 2013. While it is impossible to directly confirm a cause-and-effect relationship, I am suggesting that maybe the mandating of programming in Unit 2, coupled with data visualisation, has inspired some students to further their interest in this area through studying Software Development. I would be particularly interested in hearing from any Software Development teachers who have had increased enrolments in 2013 – do you know why?


--
Mark Kelly
mark AT vceit DOT com
http://vceit.com

Day 19, I have successfully conditioned my master to smile and write in his book every time I drool.- Pavlov's Dog


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