[Year 12 SofDev] Preparing to assess Criteria 5 and 6 on the SAT

[Philip Feain]

Dear All

I am at the point where my Criteria 5 and 6 will be submitted tomorrow
morning and thinking about how I will assess it. I am currently working on
the criteria checklists which should be ready by Thursday.

I was thinking about how to ensure students submit their work to me and
make each component obvious to me and how to mark students when they don't
get everything working. I have a few students that will have some issues.

The obvious question that some teachers are asking is can they mark the
code first without running the software solution? It would be a good idea
to run the program and then look at the code to mark. That way if something
doesn't work then you can look at the source of the problem. This will help
you when looking at efficiency and effectiveness.

I am asking my students to print off their code and to annotate their
printouts showing where each section meets the relevant descriptors. This
will assist in marking and gives them an opportunity to be clear in their
understanding of where and how they meet the criteria.

I am also asking them to write a set of basic instructions explaining how
to use their solution to aid me in using it when marking it. It isn't user
documentation as such, but just a set of simple steps for me to follow so I
don't miss anything. This is because in the previous Study Design we gave
them the problem and we pretty much knew how it should work. They also
completed user doc in the old SAC tasks as well. This is not a formal
thing, but just a practicality thing for me.


Criterion 5

Descriptor 1 - Even if there are issues with the program running you can
still mark data structures. Even for one or two marks students need to have
a few data structures. I would say at least 2 here.
Descriptor 2 - This one has to work to even meet 1 or 2 marks - "Organises
and manipulates files in a way to allow quick access to data". So if
students can't get files working then this will be an issue for them.
Descriptor 3 - Procedures and techniques here will involve code and a
report. You are focusing on KK1 and KK3. With KK3 you need to look at
security, archiving, backing up and disposing of files.


Criterion 6

Descriptor 1 - Applying processing features as in the KK. Can mark without
solution totally working.
Descriptor 2 - Internal documentation. Even if the software solution is not
fully completed or working students can still get full marks if the
internal documentation is comprehensive and well formatted.
Descriptor 3 - Data validation. Can mark even if not everything is working.
Even some of my struggling students have been able to start off by
validating the login screen and then continuing on.
Descriptor 4 - Documents a sorting algorithm. Limited evidence of a sorting
algorithm would include the addition of a simple sorting algorithm. It
needs to have level of complexity.


Marking the criteria

Last term I found that one way I satisfied myself that I was marking
accurately was to do the following:
- I initially marked Criterion 4 to start off with
- Then I marked Criterion 1 when that came in. After I had done this I went
back to look at my Criterion 4 again and then made some adjustments.
- The same thing when Criterion 2 came in. I marked it and than went back
to look at Criterion 4 and 1 again and make some adjustments.
- Finally when Criterion 3 came in I went through the same process. Marked
Criterion 3 and then went and looked back at Criteria 4, 1 and 2.

I found this to be a very worthwhile process, particularly reflecting on
each of the other criteria after marking the current one. It meant that by
the time I had to hand in my marks for the SAT Part 1 I was happy that my
marking was consistent. It is also not very time consuming. Just a couple
of minutes to look at each rubric and thinking about it.

I hope this helps you in the process of getting through Criteria 5 and 6
over the next week or so.

Regards

Phil.

-- 
Phil Feain

*Head of eLearning*
*Head of Information Technology*
*St. Kevin's College*

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