[Year 12 IT Apps] Answers...

Mon Sep 24 10:23:55 EST 2007

Hi Geoff,

I think you articulated nearly all of my concerns with this new course.

One addition I would make is -

The increased complexity of the Outcomes (SACs). 

For the first time this year both my ITA classes at Chisholm had seven International students and the remaining students were all 'adults returning to study'. Most of these students had a great deal of trouble handling SACs which contained multiple tasks/software. They tended to concentrate on the one task or software type. In the past students recieved low marks because the weak students  concentrated more on the 'computer' work and less on the written work. These students are now failing because  in addition they will only concentrate on one of the tasks.

It is my understanding that the tasks within one outcome must be related to the same problem and done at the same time. We need to have they flexiblity of breaking the outcomes into their individual tasks. I appreciate that the VCAA is trying to give students an appreciation of what it is like to work in the IT industry, etc. But, I think we are asking to much of our students (especially the less academic and disadvantaged). Most TAFE and University courses wouldn't try integrating theory and practice in projects until their final year! We need a course that caters for a wide range of abilities and IT backgrounds - flexible assessment is part of the solution!

The other problem with such large assessment tasks is the SAC resits. When a student fails a 6-8 hour assessment task how do you provide them with the opportunity to show a satisfactory understaning of the outcome? It's even worse for international students - the institute insists that they should have three attempts to pass each outcome with appropriate tutoring in between!!

The VCAA really needs to rethink their policy on prerequisites. If students are assumed to have skills and knowledge from earlier years then this should be stated as a prerequisite or 'strongly recommended' within the study design.

Roy Smalley
Access Department
Chisholm Institute of TAFE
PO Box 684
Dandenong  VIC  3175

Work:  9238 8496

>>> "Geoff Moss" <geoffmoss37 at optusnet.com.au> Friday, 21 September 2007 20:27:36 >>>
Hi Maree

This has been a real problem I have faced at RMIT this year.  Most of our 
students had not done IT lower in the education system (a large majority of 
our Year 12 students are not from RMIT Year 11 and many are mature 
students).

As a result of the new study design these students have been severely 
disadvantaged, having to learn each of the three applications before being 
able to do each SAC.

While the intent of the course designers has no doubt been honourable and 
directed at improving the study, little thought has been done for students 
who fall into our situation.

We cannot prevent students selecting the study as they quite correctly state 
that the study has no prerequisites (SD p.8).  But did they anticipate 
students would undertake the study without skills and knowledge in a 
database software aplication, webdesign software and in Excel.?  I strongly 
suggest they did not.

In previous years we have coped in teaching two aplications - web-design 
software and Excel - but the addition of a database has really added huge 
problems to the task for our students.

I wrote earlier this year on the list about this problem but received no 
response.

I would like to know what other teachers, the study writers and Paula could 
suggest we do in this situation, knowing that these students are also 
competing with others in the state who have good skills in all three of 
these software applications.

Where my students are so poorly done by is that the time we spend on 
teaching the software applications has to come from the time I would like to 
teach them theory.  This is what we will be doing during the vacation and in 
the few weeks of Term 3, when other students will have the luxury of 
revising the study.

I know there is no solution to this problem and that my students are really 
behind a very large eight-ball.

The reality is that there is no longer a level playing field in ITA any 
more.  Requiring students to learn three software applications, complete 4 
SACs (three of which are software based) and then have them to learn the 
theory of the study design is a tall ask for any student.

My winge is for the plight of my students and any other students who are in 
a similar plight.  No-one is going to fight for them at this stage.

Geoff Moss
RMIT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maree Duivenvoorden" <MareeD at toorakc.vic.edu.au>
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List" 
<itapps at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 3:43 PM
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] Answers...

> ITA is not running here at Toorak College either - which is very 
> disappointing for me, as we have also had good results.  The students 
> below Year 12 have not had any 'core' IT classes and when this is the 
> case, it is difficult for them to pick it up in Year 12 and learn the 
> entire study.  They are choosing subjects that have been given a 'pathway' 
> through the school, and that frankly makes it easier on them.
>
> Maree Duivenvoorden
> Toorak College
> Old Mornington Road
> Mount Eliza  Vic  3930
>
> 03 97887252
> mareed at toorakc.vic.edu.au 
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Diane Peat
> Sent: Fri 9/21/2007 3:14 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] Answers...
>
>
>
> ITA is not running here at Firbank next year, despite good results over 
> the
> years. Very sad (and a very sore point with me).
>
> By the way Brendyn ... I think you forgot to attach it.
>
>
> Diane Peat
> Firbank Grammar School
> BRIGHTON
> Telephone  9591 5188
> Email  dpeat at firbank.vic.edu.au 
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au 
> [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]On Behalf Of Brendyn Hancock
> Sent: Friday, 21 September 2007 1:41 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Answers...
>
> All
>
> Here is my suggested answers for the Superior Auto SAC.
>
> I have not completed the last few.
>
> I have written my answers in teacher form not full students ans form.
>
> Maybe it will help others.
>
> Have a happy hols everyone.
>
> We going through subject selection at the moment. I had 21 students
> this year. Next year I think I will be teaching SOSE. Struggling to get
> the kids for ITA 2008.
> What are others finding?
>
> Regards
>
> Brendyn
>
> Brendyn Hancock
> IT Manager
> bhancock at nagle.sale.catholic.edu.au 
> ---------------------------------------------
> Nagle College
> 5152 6122
> Bairnsdale VIC 3875
>
>
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