[vet-mm] 2006 exam

[Susan Bell]

I don't know what others thought of the exam this year but the general
consensus of the Pixeled committee was that the exam was better than
2004 (that wouldn't be hard) but worse than 2005. 

The problem once again were the scripting questions. They are simply too
hard! We don't have the time to go in depth with scripting so kids only
get a superficial knowledge of conditionals, functions etc... I mean
I've been teaching this subject for 3 years now and I couldn't answer
some of those questions under exam conditions.
 
VCAA seem to forget that these students are 17 years old with 4 to 5
other subjects to contend with in year 12. As if they have the time to
become fully fledged programmers in half a term. It is really ridiculous
and puts too much pressure on teachers - I mean we're not programmers
either. I would have thought the exam panel would have learnt by now
that complex scripting questions should be left to IT exams, not
multimedia ones. And where were the visual design questions? It appears
a whole competency was missed so that the exam panel could shove in more
scripting questions.

It really is a shame that this subject has been hijacked by people who
think that year 12 students need to know scripting. Surely this stuff
can be left to TAFE or University. I'm not against some scripting, its
fine to get the kids to make interactive pieces but these can be done
with some simple button commands. I think the exam panel are doing the
subject and the students a disservice when they come up with all these
ridiculous scripting questions. Last year they got it right, how did
they manage to get it so wrong again?

Sue

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