VCE STUDY ADVICE

VCE Information Technology

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Erratum

Teachers should note that there has been an amendment to page 32 of the VCE Information Technology Study Design (2011–2014), IT Applications, Unit 3 Area of Study 2: Organisations and data management.

The following points of key knowledge are to be deleted:

  • data types, including text (string), number, date, currency, logic (Boolean)
  • 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)

and replaced with:

Key knowledge

  • data types, including text (string), number, date/time, Boolean (true/false)
  • data formats used for display, including fixed decimal places, various date formats, 12 hour/24 hour time, true/false, yes/no

The VCAA requires that these changes are incorporated into the teaching program for VCE Information Technology: IT Applications.

Enquiries about the VCE Information Technology Study Design can be directed to Paula Christophersen, Curriculum Manager, Information Technology, on (03) 9651 4378.

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IT Applications

Approved types of websites

In the VCE Information Technology Study Design (2011–2014), students studying IT Applications Unit 3 must use web authoring software to create a prototype website that supports information exchange within an online community. Approved types of websites for the prototype include:

  • blogs
  • chat rooms
  • forums
  • social networking
  • wikis.

Software tools and functions

In the VCE Information Technology Study Design (2011–2014), students studying IT Applications Units 3 and 4 are required to use the following software tools:

Unit 3
Web authoring software
Relational database management system (RDBMS)

Unit 4
Relational database management system (RDBMS) or spreadsheet software
and
Web authoring or multimedia authoring software.

In Unit 3 Area of Study 1, students use web authoring software to create a prototype website to support the needs of an online community. The students should be able to demonstrate the outcome using only web authoring software; however, additional software, such as image and/or sound editing may be used to support the development of the prototype.

In Unit 3 Area of Study 2, students use a relational database management system to create database tables, relationships among them and to construct queries to retrieve required information.

In Unit 4 Area of Study 1, students use a relational database management system or spreadsheet software to solve an ongoing information problem. In addition, they use web authoring or multimedia authoring software to create onscreen user documentation.

Software functions

Listed below for each software tool are the software functions that students are expected to acquire. Note that this list is not exhaustive; learning does not have to be confined to the functions listed.

For School-assessed Coursework, the assessment tasks set by teachers should be realistic and allow discrimination between student performances. When designing assessment tasks for those outcomes that require the use of software tools, not all of the listed functions need to be demonstrated when solving problems.

For examination purposes, students must be familiar with all of the listed functions for the selected software tools.

Relational database management system
The following functions apply to Unit 3:

  • create tables
  • create relationships between tables
  • use a range of data types
  • electronic validation
  • create, edit and use queries
  • use of calculated fields
  • sort records or index on different fields.

If students use a relational database management system in Unit 4, the following additional functions apply:

  • import/export of data
  • format data for display
  • create and edit a range of forms, including different data types and controls
  • create and edit a range of formatted reports.

Web authoring software

  • cascading style sheet
  • edit and format content
  • links (relative and absolute links, internal and external links)
  • navigation
  • buttons
  • screen layout
  • tagging (metadata tags, alt tags)
  • forms
  • incorporate images/sound

Multimedia authoring software

  • edit and format content
  • links
  • navigation
  • buttons
  • screen layout
  • incorporate images/sound

Spreadsheets

  • conditional formatting
  • formulae including simple functions (SUM, average, maximum, minimum, count), conditional statements and lookup tables
  • cell protection
  • graphs
  • insert notes/comments
  • macros
  • relative and absolute cell references
  • naming a range
  • electronic validation
  • sheet referencing
  • formatting/layout

Mathematics

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Credit towards satisfactory completion of the VCE

There are no restrictions on the number of Mathematics units for which students may obtain credit towards satisfactory completion of the VCE.

Following the Board’s decision, published in the June 2006 VCAA Bulletin, VCE, VCAL and VET No. 39, to remove restrictions on the number of Mathematics units that can be counted as credit towards satisfactory completion of the VCE (other than those related to Mathematical Methods and Mathematical Methods (CAS), students may obtain credit for up to twelve units of Mathematics. Mathematical Methods (CAS) Units 1 and 2 replaced Mathematical Methods Units 1 and 2 in 2009 and Mathematical Methods (CAS) Units 3 and 4 replaced Mathematical Methods Units 3 and 4 in 2010.

The revised VCE Mathematics study design published online in 2010 <www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/mathematics/mathsstd.pdf> has been amended to incorporate this advice. Information on the relationship between VCE Mathematics studies and calculation of the ATAR (formerly ENTER), and prerequisites for tertiary courses, can be obtained from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC): www.vtac.edu.au

Psychology

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VCE Psychology Study Design 2010–2014

Erratum

Teachers are advised of the following correction to the VCE Psychology Study Design Units 3 and 4 (2011–2014) for implementation in 2011:

On page 25 in Unit 3 Area of Study 2: Memory, listed in the Key Knowledge, the reference to ‘temporary lobe’ should read ‘temporal lobe’.

Texts and Traditions

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Set texts and passages for Special Study for 2011

The following are prescribed texts for 2011.

Students may choose to study from one of these four texts:

The Gospel According to John
The Books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah
The Gospel According to Luke
The Qur’an

It is expected that students have a working knowledge of the set text/s.

For examination purposes exegetical questions and themes for essays will be taken from the passages for Special Study.

The Qur’an
Using the English translation of the meaning of Al-Qur’an by Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik.
Set text
Students should study aspects of the Qur’an that support the passages for special study and also allow for broader study of themes and religious ideas, beliefs or social themes stemming from the passages for special study. In particular students should study Az-Zumar (39): 1–75

Passages for Special Study
Al-Maidah (5): 1-69
At-Tahreem (66): 1–12

The Gospel According to John
Using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation of the Bible.
Set text
The Gospel According to John
Passages for Special Study
4, 5, 11, 12, 17

The Books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah
Using the RSV translation of the Bible.
Set text
Jeremiah 1–7
Ezekiel 2–5, 12, 16, 17–18, 33–37
Passages for Special Study
Jeremiah 1, 3–4, 7
Ezekiel 2–3, 16: 1–34, 18, 34

The Gospel According to Luke
Using the NRSV translation of the Bible.
Set text
The Gospel According to Luke
Passages for Special Study
1, 4: 14–30, 6, 9: 18–36, 14, 19, 23, 24: 44–53

Last Update: January 12, 2012