[Year 12 IT Apps] ITA software tools and functions

[Mark Kelly]

The VCAA Bulletin (it's chockers with goodies this time) page 10...

It reaffirms that the database created in U3O1 must be relational.

It reconfirms that software must be used for the U3O1 project management 
task.  It can't be done with pen and paper.  They explicitly mention 
projman software, spreadsheets and word processing as examples of tools.

For U3O2 they again give a link for further information about 
visualising thinking...

http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/interdisciplinary/ict/index.html

Unfortunately the link offers no concrete examples of what the examiners 
are expecting in the U3O2 task. It only tells us general things like 
graphic organiser tools "include concept maps, time-sequence patterns, 
cause-and-effect patterns, flow charts."

Another link...
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/domainsupport/ict/approaches.html
is a little more specific and links to documents preciously indicated by 
Paula.  It mentions and links to mindmaps, fishbone diagrams, spidermaps 
and Venn diagrams.

Of use to many people would be the link to a list of functions for 
software tools...
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/it-apps-software-sr.pdf

In brief, it says that kids should be able to use a DBMS to:

• create tables
• create relationships between tables
• import/export of data
• use a range of data types
• format fields
• electronic validation
• create forms
• create and edit queries
• use of calculated fields
• sort records or index on different fields
• macros
• create and edit a range of formatted reports.


The project management software must be able to show:

• milestones
• tasks
• duration of tasks
• dependent tasks
• resources
• tracking of progress
• critical path.


For web authoring, kids should be able to handle:

• Cascading Style Sheets
• edit and format text
• links (relative and absolute links, internal and external links)
• navigation
• screen formats such as tables/frames/shared borders
• tagging (metadata tags, alt tags)
• forms
• import images/sound.

For spreadsheets:

• lookup tables
• conditional formatting
• conditional statements (e.g. IF)
• cell protection
• graphs
• insert notes/comments
• macros
• relative and absolute cell references
• naming a range
• electronic validation
• sheet referencing
• formatting/layout

Visual representation software:

• decisions made
• actions taken
• relationships/connections
• images/objects
• comments/notes.

That should give an indication of what degree of difficulty an outcome 
should aim for...

Sorry if you knew all this already.

Cheers
Mark

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000
School Fax +613 95789253
kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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A conclusion is the place where you got sick of thinking.