[vet-it] VET Exam final analysis

claire claire at warrandytehigh.vic.edu.au
Wed Nov 9 11:45:44 EST 2005 

Hi Lesley,
We had the same problem last year in VET MM. Most teachers were outraged by the exam, and teachers experienced kids leaving the exam in tears and parents threatening to sue because content wasn't covered.
I think the biggest problem is trying to base a state-wide exam on a Training Package. The training package is not written as curriculum and is meant to be very flexible, so trainers can meet the needs of their students. This is fine and as it should be, but when someone tries to write an exam to cover everyone, it becomes problematic.
The MM teachers Association took a lot of action this time last year - letters to VCAA etc, and they did listen. There was consultation with industry and teacher reps and eventually quite specific advice from VCAA as to what the exam will cover. Teachers felt much more confident, and happily most people seemed satisfied with the exam this time.
I think teachers/schools/Prins need to make feelings known in writing to VCAA. It does help.
Claire Bloom
Warrandyte High




> Lesley Humphries <humples at santamaria.vic.edu.au> wrote:
> 
> Thank-you Kevork for your comments on the exam questions. I often wonder 
> if it is just me, or if the VET IT exam questions really are either too 
> hard or too confusing. Do teachers of other subjects sit around after 
> the year 12 exam and discuss what the right answer is for a large 
> proportion of the questions? I think not. How can this be a fair exam 
> for students if one of the best teacher of VET IT in the state (Kevork) 
> can't make up his mind on the right answer for so many questions?
> 
> I feel almost guilty encouraging the better students here to do VET IT 
> because no matter how hard I try, I can't help them get really good 
> marks in the exam.
> 
> 
> Lesley
> 
> 
> > Hi Folks,
> > 
> > Having had a look at the exam again I would like to comment on the 
> following questions:
> > 
> > Section A
> > 
> > Q 3 Online documentation is a tricky one. According to the texts used 
> at TAFEs for this area ( eg. Essentials of IT and Network Admin or 
> equivalent texts) online documentation is help screens, and messages to 
> the user, and on-line tutorials and manuals. Then they go into hypertext 
> as a common online documentation technique. Wizards are also another 
> form on online documentation as is multimedia documentation. 
> > So, to answer the question, which tool is the most appropriate for 
> producing online documentation ?
> > A tool that generates help files would seem OK. One that produces on 
> line tutorials would be OK and one that produces web-based authoring 
> would be OK. The least suitable would be a tool that produces 
> word-processing documents. So which of the first three is the MOST 
> suitable ? I would be inclined to go for web-based authoring as this 
> could produce help files as well as tuturials as well as multimedia. 
> > 
> > Q 4 Seems to be a choice between project and organisational standards 
> , but which one ? . A template standard is too vague -- which template ? 
> for what purpose ? Industry standard is too broad. I would lean towards 
> a project, but why not an organisational standard ?? 
> > 
> > Q 5 Not a fair question. Are the page proofs in Call 1 and 2 the same 
> page proofs or different ones ????? If they are the same page proofs, 
> the correct answer is B. 2, 3, 1 . If they are different page proofs the 
> correct answer is D 1, 2, 3 . Having 2 answers close ( C and D ) 
> suggests they are the same. But is this what students are expected to 
> work out ?
> > 
> > Q8 None of the options guarantee protection from accidental deletion. 
> But, if a choice had to be selected I would imagine Irene taking 
> responsibiliy on her own hard drive would be the best option. 
> > 
> > Q13 When a file is accessed on a network drive or from another 
> computer, the original computer makes a copy of that file as it works 
> with it. Therefore, it does not need to maintain a connection with the 
> remote machine to keep working on the file. This is only necessary when 
> writing back to the remote computer. Therefore, she just has to keep 
> working as normal, then save a copy locally and then transfer this to 
> the remote machine when it is up again. Of the choices, B is closest but 
> confusing.
> > 
> > Q16 Another tricky question. Reliability as a selection criterion for 
> new technology is not mentioned in the books on the Unit of Competence 
> "Migrate to New Technology" upon which this question is based. The 
> criteria described do cover functionality, net benefits, security, 
> growth, delivery time, software and hardware, support, risk. Since 
> Operational performance and Stability of performance are similar and 
> interrelated I would think only the gains a business may expect is 
> relevant to selecting new technology. Then again, reliable = stable so 
> perhaps answer B is the expected one.
> > 
> > Q 18 How can any of the devices provide up to date availability of 
> stock levels if the data is not live. That is, the PDA has to have 
> wireless or wired capability to get up to date data. Granted, the others 
> are just storage devices and not more so they are not good choices. Then 
> again, a PDA is the best of the options.
> > 
> > 
> > Section B
> > 
> > Q1. LCD screen monitors do not give off radiation unlike CRT monitors. 
> What about the second reason ???? Does she have to move her heavy CRT 
> around for which the LCD would be better suited ?
> > When it comes to refreshing rates, LCDs do not perform as well as 
> CRTs. That is why they are not popular for games -- yet. 
> > 
> > Q2. Shutting down properly would allow correct closing of software ( 
> data files ), and hardware ( parking hard drives without them spinning 
> as power is cut etc. )
> > 
> > Q8. What sort of problems ??? Cables not fitting ? Physically fitting 
> in properly ? Connection not showing power reaching the device ????? Not 
> sure until the type of problems are described.
> > 
> > Q10. The auto text shortcuts are stored in the normal.dot template 
> which means this has to be copied across from the old machine to the 
> new.
> > 
> > Q11 Two differences between a CLI and a GUI would be A) no need to 
> know CLI syntax and switches B) GUI can use icons that can represent the 
> operation eg. Rubbish bin for disposal ?
> > 
> > Q17 Another unfair question. What level of virus behaviour do students 
> have to drill down to ???? Quoting from 
> http://hardware.earthweb.com/chips/article.php/3358421
> > 
> > "Basically, NX uses processor hardware to discourage the kind of 
> virus, worm, and Trojan Horse attacks seen in scourges such as Blaster, 
> Sasser, and Code Red, which have cost companies billions of dollars in 
> downtime and disinfectant chores. Working with memory protection 
> technology built into Windows XP SP2, it toughens the distinction 
> between program and data areas in system memory -- in other words, stops 
> any attempt to insert and execute code from memory locations set aside 
> for data. " 
> > In addition it is a feature built into AMD's Opteron and Athlon 64 
> processors and coming to Intel's, Transmeta's, and other desktop and 
> notebook chips. AMD refers to NX as Enhanced Virus Protection. Intel's 
> Itanium server CPUs already have it under a different pair of initials, 
> XD for "execute disable." So , Intel called it XD and other chip 
> manufacturers called it NX . And the students are meant to know this are 
> they???
> > 
> > 
> > Q 19 Reducing an internet connection speed is called "Shaping to 60 
> kbps" if you are using providers such as Ozemail but others such as 
> Optus call it " limiting to 28.8kbps or 64kbps " with cable modems for 
> example. So , students are being marked on knowledge of specific 
> language which I concede is used in programming network devices such as 
> Cisco routers but how many students would be expected to know this ?
> > Then again, if a student looked at the speed they could see it was a 
> reduction and maybe wriggle themselves out of it.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Section C -- Network Administration
> > 
> > Reasonable overal though not fantastic. Problems with Q2 , Q3 and Q7
> > Q2 Not a mainstream question to identify EMI ( Electromagnetic 
> Interference ) as a source of problems on data cables but the better 
> students would get this.
> > Q3 Permissions. Not clear what would happen if membership of groups 
> was changed .Eg. Mike has to be removed from the Traders group possibly 
> or all members need Read access to the directory. What are the 
> implications of this ?? Not clear.
> > Q7 If a client cannot Read, load or save files on a network drive how 
> many ways are there of giving permissions ( Read, Write, Create, Modify, 
> Erase ) to the person apart from one method ?? The question asks for 2 
> methods.
> > 
> > 
> > Section C -- Software
> > 
> > Sorry to say, this was disappointing.
> > Q1 . A local macro on a web site ??????? Does anyone understand this 
> because I don't. Is it a macro local to the database file behind the web 
> server ??? Is it a macro on a file that is downloaded from the web site 
> ???? Is it a button on a web page that calculates totals for the order 
> on the web page and therefore can be called an ASP or javascript piece 
> of code ? Any language can be used to execute a set of commands 
> otherwise known as a macro. However its use on a web page is not seen by 
> VET students as far as I am aware. What is a shopping list macro ???? Is 
> it a downloadable Excel file that calculates totals when you enter 
> quantities ordered ?? If so, where is the benefit of online shopping if 
> all they are doing is downloading a word or excel file to fax back and 
> process like any other off-line ordering system ?
> > 
> > Q4 . This is a beauty. The answer requires the creation of a digital 
> certificate, application of the certificate to the project in the 
> document ( or template ) in which the macro(s) are created. Then , under 
> Macros , security raise the level to high, then Trust the source when 
> the file is first opened and thereafter the message will not appear. 
> Easy isn't it ???
> > 
> > Section C -- General
> > 
> > As I did not have any students doing General, I don't have a copy of 
> the General Exam.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > By going over the exam I am just trying to highlight the problems my 
> students had and would love to hear from others. I do not wish to 
> criticise the examiners but hope that they can see where the problems 
> were for students and teachers in the hope these can be minimised in the 
> future. I know these problems can never be eliminated but we do need 
> more sensitivity or guidelines on what to expect and the scope of 
> knowledge especially in Training Packages that are so open ended in 
> their descriptions. 
> > 
> > 
> > Best Wishes
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Kevork Krozian
> > IT Manager , Forest Hill College
> > k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
> > http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au
> > Mobile: 0419 356 034
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
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> Authority and
> > http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology 
> Teachers Association Inc
> 
> 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Ms Lesley Humphries
> Learning Technologies Co-ordinator
> Santa Maria College
> 50 Separation Street
> Northcote 3070
> Ph: 9489 7644
> ___________________________________________________________

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