Frequently Asked Questions

Information Technology

General questions

1. What is the status of the 'Glossary' in the study design?

For the purposes of assessment and the examinations the definitions provided in the 'Glossary' will apply. In the 2011–2014 study design, only terms that have a specific meaning/interpretation are included in the 'Glossary', hence many technical terms that are universally understood are not included. Typically the terms in the 'Glossary' are ones for which there is not a consistent definition, so for the purposes of fairness for all students, definitions are provided.

2. Is the problem-solving methodology consistently applied to all units?

A common methodology is used when solutions are developed to information problems, regardless of the unit. This problemsolving methodology (PSM) is either partially or fully applied. A full description of the PSM is on pages 16–18 of the study design; this content is mandated, not advisory. In each unit the names of the stages and activities of the PSM are the same.

What does differ between units, and hence areas of study, is the number of PSM stages and activities being studied. In relation to the requirements of each area of study, the content of the key knowledge needs to be read in conjunction with the global description on pages 16–18. Details of what stages are being addressed are always included in the introduction to relevant areas of study, for example in Unit 2 Area of Study 2 (page 26) students 'apply the design and development stages of the problem-solving methodology'.

Extent of coverage of each stage is stated in the key knowledge. In areas of study where partial application of the PSM is required, such as in the above example, there is always a key knowledge dot point that reads 'stages of the problemsolving methodology'. Students develop an overview of the PSM in order for them to understand the relationship between the stages they are studying in detail and the complete methodology.

3. What programming languages can be used?

Programming languages are mandated in Unit 2 and in Software development.

In Unit 2, students are required to use a programming or scripting language for Area of Study 2. There is no approved programming languages list for this unit, so any language can be used. Factors that might influence the choice of language include the list of approved programming languages for Software development, the selection of tools used to create data visualisations for Area of Study 1 (a programming language can be used), and the interests and expertise of the students and teachers.

In Software Development, students may use language only from the approved list, which was published in the June 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 80, page 8. This list is revised annually, with schools being given approximately nine months notice of any changes.

4. What is meant by 'types of websites' in IT applications, Unit 3?

Given the dynamic nature of information communications technology (ICT), an annual list of appropriate types of websites that support information exchange within an online community will be published. This is a mandated list so it is treated as an extension of the study design. The list for 2011 was published in the July 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 81, page 5.

This list is reviewed on an annual basis, hence subject to yearly changes. For each approved type of website, students are required to study purposes and functionality in order to select and create a prototype website that suits the particular needs of an online community. Accompanying this list of approved websites is the web authoring software functions that students are expected to acquire in Area of Study 1.

5. Has there been a correction to IT applications since the study design was published?

Yes. An erratum was published in the July 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 81, page 5. The erratum relates to Unit 3 Area of Study 2, Organisations and data management, and specifically affects two key knowledge points on data types and data formats. For details of this erratum read: www. vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/correspondence/bulletins/2010/July/ vce_study.html#H3N10010. In the February 2011 VCE, VCAL and VET VCAA Bulletin No. 86 a reprinted key knowledge and key skills for Area of Study 2 will be published.

[Editor's Note - this erratum resulted from my compaint to VCAA about the original U3O2 KK9 - "data formats, including limited length, unlimited length, incremental (text); integer, auto string number, long (number); date, 24-hour clock (date/time); dollar (currency); true and false (representation of Boolean logic)"

There was no such animal as an 'incremental' text format, nor an 'auto string number'. I don't know where they got those terms from, but I'm glad they've changed them to something we can understand.]

6. What is the appropriate depth of treatment for use case diagrams?

In Unit 3, Software development, Area of Study 1, students are required to use tools and techniques for depicting the interfaces between solutions, users and networks. One mandated technique is use cases created through tools such as Unified Modelling Language (UML). Use cases diagrams identify the interactions between distinct business functions and business users within information systems to achieve a goal.

Students are not required to have a detailed knowledge of use cases diagrams, but to gain any real meaning from the technique they need to have knowledge of each of the following elements and how they are symbolically represented.

The elements include:

• 'actors' – the role a business user plays, and the user may play many roles.
• 'use case' – a business function or scenario, and a use case diagram is made up of a collection of use cases.
• 'associations/communications' – lines showing the links between a use case and an actor/s. A use case can be carried out by many actors and an actor may carry out many use cases.
• 'includes' – dotted lines with arrowheads and text with angle brackets <<includes>> showing the links between use cases. Usually it indicates that the functionality of a use case is used in another use case. Generally it is used to avoid repetition of scenarios in multiple use cases.
• 'extends' – dotted lines, with arrowheads and text with angle brackets <<extends>> showing that the functionality of a use case contributes to (or enhances), the functionality of another use case. • 'system boundaries' – defines the limits of the system that the diagram is representing, which means it shows all of the use cases being represented in that system.

7. Do students have to study both spreadsheets and a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) in IT applications?

No. In Unit 3, all students study an RDBMS, and the required functions are listed in the July 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 81, page 5. In Unit 4 Area of Study 1, students create a solution using either spreadsheet software or they continue to use an RDBMS. The required software functions for spreadsheets are published on page 6 of the July 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 81, and the extended functions for an RDBMS for Unit 4 are published on page 5.

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.

9. What types of assessment tasks are appropriate for each outcome?

The range of assessment tasks for each outcome in IT applications and Software development are stated in the assessment table at the end of each unit (IT applications, pages 34 and 39; Software development, pages 44 and 49).