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Memorandum to Schools 57/2008

14 July 2008

2008 VCE VET MULTIMEDIA – Computer-based Examination Friday 7 November 2008

The VCE VET Multimedia examination is a computer-based examination. VCE Providers with students enrolled in Units 3–4 of the VCE VET Multimedia program for 2008 are required to nominate a suitable centre.

The enclosed form must be completed by the *‘home’ school and returned to the VCAA no later than Friday 25 July 2008.      

The form has three parts. Sections A and B relate to the provision of a suitably equipped examination centre and Section C relates to technical support staff to be available at each centre and the requirements for examination supervisor/s.

Section A must be completed by all schools (even if you are unable to act as a centre). However, if you are able to conduct this examination, with the appropriate technical requirements, please also complete Sections B and C of the enclosed form.

If you are arranging for your students to undertake this examination at another school or an external provider (RTO), you must also complete and return the ‘Approval to combine/transfer for external examinations’ form. Both forms must be completed and returned, as instructed, by no later than Friday 25 July 2008.

Student Identification

All students attending their examinations must be identified as they enter the examination room. This includes students from another school attending your centre. This can be done by students presenting clear photographic ID or by a staff member from the school identifying their students as they enter the examination room.

Timetables

In the week beginning Monday 8 September, the 2008 Student Assessment Timetables will be available to schools for printing through VASS (Student Program→VCE Reports→Student Assessment Timetables). 
It is the responsibility of the principal to produce a timetable for each *’home’ school student. These timetables will inform students of the centre for their VCE VET Multimedia examination.

Section A – Examination Centre/s

The most suitable Examination Centres will be sites where students are currently undertaking training for VCE VET Multimedia. This may be either a school or an external provider (RTO). However, it is possible that not all external providers (RTOs) will be able to function as an examination centre. Therefore, prior to nominating and consigning another school/provider (RTO) as an examination centre for your students, you are required to contact them and to ensure they are able to provide access to a centre on the date specified and meet the technical requirements. You should have the other school/provider confirm their commitment by completing the ‘Approval to combine/transfer for VCE VET Multimedia’ form (printed on the last page of this memorandum).

*‘HOME’ SCHOOL = Student’s major school
*‘HOST’ SCHOOL  = The school/provider where the examination centre is located or the school/provider  coordinating the arrangements for a centre which is external  to the school

Section B – Technical Requirements

In determining the suitability of a centre, the following requirements should be noted:

Examination Centre requirements:

• The room in which this examination is conducted must be available from 1:00pm until at least 6:00 pm on the day of the examination, due to specific preparatory and packing procedures for the examination.
• The examination must be conducted on computers that can be isolated from a network for the duration of the examination. Centres will be responsible for checking that all computers will operate suitably without a network connection.
• Each computer must have specific hardware and software, as prescribed below in ‘Computer Requirements’.
• There must be one computer per student for the duration of the examination.
• The examination room must also have an appropriate number of spare computers in the event of technical problems on an individual computer.
• The computers may be either PC or Macintosh as the examination can be undertaken using either platform. However, a combination of PC and Macintosh computers should not be used without prior approval of the VCAA.

Computer Requirements: 

• The examination will be provided in two formats only – Windows (2000, XP) and MacOSX.
• Exam Centres must confirm that they can meet these requirements by completing Section B of
  the attached form.
• One set of audio headphones per computer (Note: this requirement to be confirmed with delivery of final examination instructions)
• Web browser and other software applications (depending on the specific multimedia program completed by students):
  • Graphic interface: Photoshop 6.0 or Corel Photo-Paint 10 or Fireworks 4
  • 2D Animation: Director 8.0 or Flash MX
  • Scripting:  Notepad/Simple text (Javascript/ECMA-262) or Director (Lingo) OR Flash (ActionScript)
  • Creating webpages: Front Page 2000 or Dreamweaver 4.0AND a web browser
  • Creating Content/Copy: Notepad, simple text editor

Later versions of these software programs can also be used.

Procedures for 2008

The requirements for conducting the 2008 VCE VET Multimedia examination will be generally the same as in 2007. The VCAA requires that student responses be saved to the computer hard drive and burnt to CD-ROM at the conclusion of the examination for their return to the VCAA.

The following general procedures apply:

• Examination Materials to be installed from a CD–ROM and loaded onto individual computers. This can be done from either the CD-ROM drive or the server. 
• Computers must be isolated from the network for the duration of the examination.
• Student responses will be saved to their individual computer hard drive.
• Shortcuts will be generated on the desktop during the examination
• At the conclusion of the examination, all student files will be transferred from individual computers via the network and burnt to CD-ROM.

More detailed information for Technical Support Personnel and Supervisors will be provided following confirmation of this year’s examination centres.

The 2007 VCE VET Multimedia Examination including general technician procedures, have been circulated on the ‘VCE Examination Papers and GAT 2007’ CD-ROM

Section C – Appointment of Technical Support Staff and Examination Supervisor(s)

A Technical Support Person must be appointed for each Examination Centre. Details for those being nominated must be completed on the enclosed form.

The Examination Supervisor/s should be person/s already appointed and approved by the VCAA.

Where a non-VCE provider is being proposed as an Examination Centre, it is a requirement that a partnership be formed with a local VCE provider (‘Host’ School), in order to facilitate access to suitable supervisory staff, and organise delivery and collection of examination materials.

• Examination Supervisor: The Examination Supervisor will be required to accompany the Technical Support Person as they prepare each computer for use in the examination. Supervisor allocation rules apply for this examination. Any additional payment required for the supervision of this examination above the three hours allocated can be claimed as outlined on page 80 of the 2008 VCE Examination Manual.
• Technical Support Person: The Technical Support Person will be nominated and approved by the Principal of the *Host School. The Technical Support Person will be required to sign a Statutory Declaration and must not be either a teacher of or closely related to any student undertaking the examination at that centre.

This person will be responsible for:

• setting up each computer as required by the VCAA, based on the specific instructions which will be provided
• installing the examination materials from CD-ROM onto individual computers
• assisting with technical problems which arise during the examination
• isolating and reconnecting the network as required
• burning student responses to CD-ROM.

In addition to preparing a computer for each student, the Technical Support Person is required to set up one or more spare computers as back-ups.

The installation of the examination materials onto the computers may not commence before 1:00pm on Friday 7 November 2008. Other set up procedures may be completed prior to this time.

Final instructions for setting up will be included in the secure examination package delivered to the ‘host school’.

The Technical Support Person must remain in the examination room for the first half hour of the examination and then remain “on-call” until each student has completed the examination. They must be available at the end of the examination to burn all examination files to CD-ROM for return to the VCAA.

The VCAA will only pay for the Technical Support Person, if this person is not an employee of the centre. Details about payment can be found on page 81 of the 2008 VCE Examination Manual.

The Supervisor must pack the examination materials for return to the VCAA.

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Enquiries regarding examination centres, technical support personnel, supervisors or examination materials should be directed to Heidi Reiter on 9225 2253 or Maria Fragale 9225 2255.

Enquiries about the technical requirements, procedures and support materials should be made to Examinations Unit on 9225 2360.

 

Attachment:

• VET Multimedia Centres (PDF - 112KB)
• Combine/Transfer (Multimedia) (PDF - 85KB)

 

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