[Year 12 IT Apps] VCAA website - location of information
Robert Hind
robert at yinnar.com
Sat Apr 2 16:37:42 EST 2011
Hi all, and particularly to Paula.
Mark K has pointed out to me that "the NF1-3 were specified in the FAQ (VCAA Bulletin, No. 85 November 2010)"
Great! I had missed that, not being in a school at present. Would not have helped new teachers of the subject either.
Notice that on the VCAA site for IT Apps 3&4 (http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html#H2N100D9) this comes under "Support Material" at the top of the page. And this link does not go to ITA specific FAQs but just the relevant Bulletin.
Would it perhaps be sensible and more helpful to also have another link to important FAQs for each study design?
Eg at present the IT Apps site has a heading "Curriculum"
Curriculum
a.. Study Design (PDF - 583KB)
Details on areas of study, outcomes and assessment for Information Technology Units 1-4: 2011-2014.
a.. Study Design Erratum
As published in the VCAA Bulletin, July 2010, p.5.
Study Design has under it a link to "Study Design Erratum"
Why not also another link to important additional information such as FAQs? And direct to FAQs for ITA. It would help us all.
Robert Hind (Semi-retired) OOF, GOM
Ashwood and Traralgon
robert at yinnar.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Hind
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questionsandentity-relationshipdiagrams
Thanks for that clarification Mark. I missed that. As perhaps did others.
Robert Hind (Semi-retired) OOF, GOM
Ashwood and Traralgon
robert at yinnar.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark KELLY
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 3:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questionsandentity-relationshipdiagrams
NF1-3 were specified in the FAQ (VCAA Bulletin, No. 85 November 2010)
8. How many levels of normalisation are required in Unit 3, IT applications, Area of Study 2?
Students are expected to know the first three data normalisation rules, which are typically referred to as:
first normal form (1NF),
second normal form (2NF) and
third normal form (3NF).
The application of these rules should assist in reducing, and even eliminating data redundancy.
On 2 April 2011 13:13, Robert Hind <robert at yinnar.com> wrote:
>
> Good point Andrew.
>
> But let me go back a bit:
>
> The study design at no stage mentions 1NF, 2NF and 3NF, under key knowledge it says only:
>
> "• a methodology for creating an RDBMS structure: identifying tables and fields; normalising tables,defining data types and field sizes, identifying primary key and foreign key fields
>
> • ways in which normalisation can ensure the integrity of data in an RDBMS"
>
> So "normalisation" in general - yes, specific details of NF1-3 - no ?
>
> So what is a "wasted" exam question?
>
> Firstly it is one that does not examine the key knowledges and skills specified in the study design.
>
> Secondly it is one that does not allow for differentiation between students with different knowledge and skill levels - so not too hard and not too easy - helps us reliably rank the students in order on the exam as a whole.
>
> It would seem to me that the sample question originally quoted by Laura goes beyond the key knowledge and skills specified in the study design.
>
> This does need to be clarified from the VCAA end.
>
> Robert Hind (Semi-retired) OOF, GOM
> Ashwood and Traralgon
> robert at yinnar.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Andrew Shortell
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 12:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationshipdiagrams
> Your analysis of past papers (and for me the insights gained from being an exam marker for years and vce teacher for 17 years and exam writer etc) would lead you to consider the purpose of the exam and what it means to have a "wasted" question --to set an exam with a "wasted" question is not worthwhile .... (think about it!!)
> part of teaching unit 3 & 4 is all about understanding the exam and how the exam panel thinks and then acting on that knowledge.
> Andrew
> Andrew Shortell
> Heidelberg Teaching Unit in 2011
> On 02/04/2011, at 6:31 AM, Mark Scott wrote:
>
> Which could all be solved if VCAA shared there understanding of the three Normal Forms.
>
> yours in frustration
> Mark Scott
> Luther College
>
> ________________________________
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY [kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au]
> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 6:40 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationship diagrams
>
> By the looks of the sample exam questions my ITA kids are going to be seriously troubled. I'm guessing a question like 3c is going to score about 0.01 marks out of 2 on average across the state. I wonder what the success rate would be amongst ITA teachers for that question... To get my kids to answer it well, I'd need to spend at least two periods (more like a week) just on normalisation theory - and frankly, it's not worth it.
>
> Sorry for being grumpy about this, but this level of complexity really does not suit ITA. I don't mind normalisation being a bit of key knowledge, but how it might be examined seems excessive.
>
> Woof!
> Grumpy Mark K
>
> On 1 April 2011 17:08, Timmer-Arends <timmer at melbpc.org.au> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Mark
>>
>> I'm curious to know what these conflicting sources are.
>>
>> I've followed Robert H's link and the page one gets to doesn't actually define them but does describe a (simplified) process to get to each NF - and what one gets from the process does conform with NF defs. The links from this page do go to definitions and they are in agreement with other sources I have looked at.
>>
>> Mark K's quote is a definition of 2NF that conforms to other definitions.
>>
>> The only difference I can see between various versions I have read is the degree of mathematical/academic gobbledy-gook involved.
>>
>> 1NF, 2NF and 3NF were defined way back in the seventies and because they were formed from a theoretical basis I don't think they are going to have changed all that much.
>>
>> About the only thing that seems to have changed greatly is the addition of another three NFs.
>>
>> I think the issue is a problem with the question, not with the consistency of the definitions. Decoding the definitions for consumption by students is of course another matter...
>>
>> Regards
>> Robert T-A
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>
>> From: Mark Scott
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 2:45 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions andentity-relationship diagrams
>> Paula
>>
>>
>>
>> This is good stuff but we are still struggling with Question 3c
>>
>>
>>
>> Any chance of a VCAA definition of what actually goes in 1NF, 2NF and 3NF.
>>
>>
>>
>> The definitions are different depending on which “source” you use.
>> thanks
>> Mark Scott
>> Luther College
>> PS I suppose we could all wait for the guru (Mark Kelly) to provide an answer. J
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
>> Sent: Friday, 1 April 2011 1:32 PM
>> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sample exam questions and entity-relationship diagrams
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear colleagues
>>
>>
>>
>> The examination specifications and some sample questions focusing on new content in the study design are now on the VCAA website:
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/infotech/it-applications/publications/IT-Apps-samp.pdf
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Structurally the examination remains the same – two sections: Section A multiple choice; Section B short and extended responses.
>>
>>
>>
>> I draw your attention to a couple of matters in the sample questions:
>> · Question 4 focuses on an entity relationship diagram – this hopefully clarifies recent concerns that have been raised.
>> · Question 7 illustrates one way in which the examination can deal with the choice of different software in Unit 4, Area of Study 1. Here a common question is presented, and students select the software tool to explain their answer.
>> · Question 9 is an example of an extended response (worth 8 marks) with prompts to guide answers
>> · Question 12 is an example of the scope of a question on RDBMS – the focus can only extent to what is covered in Unit 3. Again it illustrates an extended response with prompts
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>> Paula
>>
>>
>>
>> Paula Christophersen
>> ICT Curriculum Manager
>> VCAA
>> 41 St Andrews Place
>> EAST MELBOURNE 3002
>> (03) 9651 4378
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> Mark Kelly
> Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
> VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
> Moderator: IT Applications Edulist
>
> All generalisations are false, except this one.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
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>
> ________________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
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>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc
--
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist
All generalisations are false, except this one.
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