Memorandum to Schools 73/2009
13 July 2009
2009 VCE VET MULTIMEDIA – Computer-based Examination Friday 6 November 2009
BACKGROUND
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 2009 are required to nominate a suitable centre.
The enclosed form/s must be completed by the home school and returned to the VCAA no later than Friday 24 July 2009.
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.
ALL schools/providers are required to complete Section A of the attached form (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 e.g. a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), you must also complete and return the Approval to Combine/Transfer for VCE VET Multimedia form (printed on the last page of this memorandum). Both forms must be completed and returned together by Friday 24 July 2009.
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.
ACTION REQUIRED
- All schools/providers with Multimedia enrolments are required to complete the attached pink form: 2009 VCE VET Multimedia Examination.
- Schools/providers hosting Multimedia examinations are required to complete Sections B and C of the attached pink form: 2009 VCE VET Multimedia Examination.
- Home schools/providers combining with a host school/provider are required to complete the attached form: Approval to Combine/Transfer for VCE VET Multimedia.
- The completed form/s must be returned to Maria Fragale at the VCAA by Friday 24 July 2009.
CONTACTS
- Enquiries regarding examination centres, supervisors, technical support personnel 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 directed to Examinations Unit on 9225 2356.
COMPLETING THE ATTACHED FORM
Section A – Examination Centre/s
To be completed by all schools/providers.
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 e.g. a Registered training Organisation (RTO). However, it is possible that not all external providers will be able to function as an examination centre. Therefore, prior to nominating and consigning another school/provider 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).
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 or its upgraded version TextEdit (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 or its upgraded version TextEdit
Later versions of these software programs can also be used.
Procedures for 2009
The requirements for conducting the 2009 VCE VET Multimedia examination will be generally the same as in 2008. 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 2008 VCE VET Multimedia Examination including general technician procedures, have been circulated on the ‘VCE Examination Papers and GAT 2008’ CD-ROM
Section C – Appointment of Technical Support Staff
A Technical Support Person must be appointed for each Examination Centre.
Details for those being nominated must be completed on the enclosed form.
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 6 November 2009. 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 82, section 9.9 of the 2009 VCE Examination Manual.
Supervisor(s)
The Examination Supervisor/s should be person/s already appointed and approved by the VCAA.
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 82, section 9.9 of the 2009 VCE Examination Manual.
The Supervisor must pack the examination materials for return to the VCAA.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Timetables
In the week beginning Monday 7 September, the 2009 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 CCAFL written examination.
You are also able to obtain two other written examinations summary reports from VASS:
- A report listing external examination centres your home school students are attending.
[Student Program→VCE Reports→Examination Venues Not At Home] - Report listing students from other schools for whom you are the host school for their CCAFL examinations.
[Student Program→VCE Reports→Host Examination Centre Summary (Written)]
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.
ATTACHED
- Approval to combine/transfer for VCE VET Multimedia (PDF - 461KB)
- 2009 VCE VET Multimedia Examination (PDF - 498KB)
