VCE STUDY ADVICE
Health and Human Development
Clarification about VicHealth
The following clarification has been provided in response to enquiries about VCE Health and Human Development, Unit 3 Area of Study 2 key knowledge:
- the role of VicHealth in promoting health including its values, priorities and how it reflects the social model of health.
Since the writing of the VCE Health and Human Development Study Design and the publication of text books, VicHealth has listed new values and priorities on its website.
The VicHealth priorities as identified in the VicHealth Strategy and Business Plan 2009–2013 are:
- reducing smoking
- improving nutrition
- reducing harm from alcohol
- increasing physical activity
- increasing social and economic participation
- reducing harm from UV exposure.
The VicHealth website identifies the new values as ‘brave, creative and just’. These values relate to the way VicHealth employees undertake their work.
The VicHealth mission statement more clearly communicates the role of the organisation and this is what teachers should be focusing on. That is:
‘VicHealth envisages a community where:
- health is a fundamental human right
- everyone shares in the responsibility for promoting health
- everyone benefits from improved health outcomes
‘Our mission is to build the capabilities of organisations, communities and individuals in ways that:
- change social, economic, cultural and physical environments to improve health for all Victorians
- strengthen the understanding and the skills of individuals in ways that support their efforts to achieve and maintain health.’
Because there has been some confusion about what to teach as VicHealth values in Unit 3 Area of Study 2, for 2010 (only) it will be acceptable for students to refer to either the VicHealth Mission statement or the values expected from VicHealth employees (brave, creative and just).
From 2011 the VCAA requires teachers to refer to the VicHealth Mission Statement and the priorities identified in the VicHealth Strategy and Business Plan 2009–2013 when teaching about the role of VicHealth.
Enquiries about this study can be directed to the Curriculum Manager, Health and Physical Education, Nerida Matthews on (03) 9651 4444.
Literature and English/ESL
Text lists 2011
Teachers are advised that the PDF version of Supplement 4 to the February 2010 VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET No. 78 ‘VCE English/ESL and VCE Literature Text lists 2011’ on the VCAA website has been amended.
Amendments in the VCE Literature list include the addition of the titles of short stories for study in The Lady With the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896–1904 by Anton Chekhov, and The Collected Stories by Katherine Mansfield.
Mathematical Methods (CAS)
Examination formula sheet for 2010
In 2010 the formula sheet for Mathematical Methods (CAS) Examination 1 and Examination 2 will be the same as for 2009 with the inclusion of the formula:
transition matrices:
Students are not required to memorise compound and double angle formulas for sine, cosine and tangent for Examination 1.
Software Development
Approved programming languages for the accredited study in 2011
Students will use one programming language from the accompanying list, to develop purpose-designed solutions. In the development of solutions, students should be able to:
- develop a graphical user interface (GUI), for use in mobile computing devices, such as laptops, personal digital assistants, gaming consoles, mobile phones
- construct and use data structures, for example multi-dimensional arrays, records, queues and stacks
- design, construct and use files (not databases) to store and retrieve data
- design and apply data validation techniques
- use program control structures: selection, iteration and sequencing.
The purpose-designed solutions will entail the use of objects, methods and their properties, and event-driven programming.
List of approved languages
Basic (object-oriented variations only, e.g. VB.NET)
C++
C#
Objective-C
Pascal (object-oriented variations only, e.g. Delphi)
Java
Perl
PHP
Python
Ruby
With all of the above languages, databases are not to be used to support the construction of solutions. Students should be able to demonstrate the highest level of achievement using only the selected programming language. Additional languages can be used to embellish a solution, for example JavaScript with web pages; however, these would be supplementary to the main language and not replace it.
Specific distributions, projects or variations of languages may be suitable as long as they are able to address the criteria listed above, including, but not limited to, an object-oriented programming capability with graphical user interface features and file handling. Since it is impractical to itemise each of these language variations, the VCAA recommends teachers firstly consider a language from the approved list.
Teachers of VCE Software Development should note that the list of approved programming languages is revised each year and is published annually in the VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET.