[Year 12 IPM] Exam Post Mortem now online

Fri Nov 11 12:21:48 EST 2005

Dear Paula

>From your post and posts earlier this year it is apparent the phenomenal
amount of time and effort that goes into creating the study design by a team
of very dedicated hardworking professionals. Also I'm sure I'm not alone in
appreciating the chance to provide constructive comments about the draft
study design earlier this year.

But...to quote a colleague "it seems to me that VCAA have presented a course
that relies a lot on definitions of terms which they fail to define and
which may have multiple definitions depending on your source."

Unless this changes we are in the same boat

In many areas of IT there are different approaches/ definitions/ models etc
but the VCAA should choose 1 for us to follow. If it changes the following
year so be it that is the nature of IT. In my earlier post I suggested a
process to allow for more frequent modification of approaches/ definitions/
models etc.

With respect to the exam if we as teachers can not agree on answers or what
questions means the exam setting process is flawed.

I believe the VCAA performs all its tasks with the highest level of
professionalism because of the quality of its staff. But unless we get clear
guidance from the top we end up with a subjective course.

Regards,
Oliver Murray
Web Developer
Westbourne Grammar School
www.westbournegrammar.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Scott [mailto:msc at staff.luther.vic.edu.au] 
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2005 10:58 AM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
Teachers'Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] Exam Post Mortem now online

Nice speech.

Where do I vote?

Mark Scott
Luther College

PS Paula, I'm only joking, I do love you dearly.

-----Original Message-----
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2005 10:46
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
Teachers'MailingList
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] Exam Post Mortem now online

Dear Oliver, and colleagues

I support the use of this list to freely discuss matters relating to
curriculum and assessment, and VCE IT is all the better because of this
healthy sharing of opinions and resources. I would, however, like to
respond to your statement that 'the current method of creating the study
design is lacking and the exam setting process is flawed'.

I wish to vigorously defend the process by which the study design is
developed. It is developed by a group of expert teachers, academics and
industry personnel, who have been meeting since February this year to
review the existing study design and develop the new study. Some of
these people are active contributors to this mailing list. Once the
draft study design was developed it was made available for consultation,
so every teacher in the state and other interested stakeholders had the
opportunity to provide constructive comments. Independent external
reviewers also critiqued the study design, and interstate curriculum
managers also provided comment. 

The study also undergoes critical examination by internal VCAA
committees. Considerable changes have been made to the study design, in
response all feedback. I'm certain that all of the review committee
members would attest to the rigour with which this study design is
developed. All study designs are developed in the same manner, in
accordance with the guidelines and standards stated in the VCE
Administration Handbook.

I do not wish to comment specifically on the examination process,
because I am not a member of the VCAA Examinations Branch, however, all
VCE examinations follow a strict and exhaustive setting process. To
date, this process has served all VCE students extremely well. 

Regards

Paula Christophersen
VCAA

-----Original Message-----
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Murray O.
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2005 9:58 AM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
Teachers'Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] Exam Post Mortem now online

Mark, thanks for putting up the annual whinge ... it's my turn now.
As I was comparing answers it struck me as odd that if any 2 IPM
teachers
sat the exam they would answer a few questions differently yet they
could
justify their answers (ie teach it).

This vagueness is a constant theme with IPM and it is not acceptable. 
The VCAA should be held accountable?  
The current method of creating the study design is lacking and the exam
setting process is flawed.

As teachers of IPM we need the VCAA to set clear guidelines. 

Let's use technology to make this subject better.
At the end of each year get a consultant (experienced IPM teacher,
industry
specialist etc) to define an area of the course and provide some
resources,
examples and teaching aids eg the analysis stage of the problem solving
methodology consists of the following steps. 

If there is disagreement it can be redefined the next year.

BTW I think IPM has the potential to be an extremely rewarding subject
to
teach or study and each year get a call from at least 1 past students
who
wants a copy of some of the notes or other assistance.

Regards,
Oliver Murray
Web Developer
Westbourne Grammar School
www.westbournegrammar.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
> Sent: Thursday, 10 November 2005 12:52
> To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'Mailing List
> Subject: [Year 12 IPM] Exam Post Mortem now online
> 
> My annual whinge is now online at
> 
>
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/exam/2005exam/index.htm
> 
> Feel free to carp, bicker and protest.
> 

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria Australia
Phone +613 95780844  Fax +613 95789253
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
IPM Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IPM Mailing List

Gosh you're cute. Wanna buy a monkey?
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IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
and
http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers
Association Inc