2013 Notes from the Marking Centre – Information Technology
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Information Technology course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2013 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Information Technology Curriculum Framework Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2013 Higher School Certificate Information Technology examination
- the marking guidelines
- advice for candidates attempting VET examinations
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Information Technology in Stage 6.
Teachers and candidates are reminded that the new Information and Digital Technology examination will be examined for the first time in 2014. Syllabus documents and specimen examination materials are available on the board’s website at <www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/information-digital-technology.html>.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- recognising the significance of printer error codes and how they assist in solving printer problems (Q.16)
- knowledge of database fields, including the relevant naming and justification of the data in those fields (Q.16)
- describing a variety of relevant and appropriate actions that the organisation could take (Q.16)
- recognising that it is the unique code that is significant in identifying a virus (Q.17)
- identifying two different types of viruses (Q.17)
- identifying hazards (Q.18)
- describing measures taken to deal with a hazard (Q.18)
- methods of operating system customisation to suit user preferences (Q.19)
- identifying why device drivers should be updated (Q.19)
- describing backup procedures (Q.19).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the term ‘field’ and the appropriate data to include in these named fields in relation to the scenario (Q.16)
- recognising the difference between the ‘organisation’ who had ‘a number of printers with the same error code problem’ and the manufacturer of the printers (Q.16)
- explaining how each type of virus code affects a computer system (Q.17)
- describing various relevant and appropriate strategies that could maximise a computer’s virus protection (Q.17)
- interpreting a risk assessment matrix (Q.18)
- distinguishing between control measures which would eliminate, minimise or otherwise control a risk (Q.18)
- elaborating on a range of positive and negative issues of surge protected power boards (Q.18)
- optimisation of operating system to improve performance
- explaining what is backed up and why backup procedures are performed before and after installing a new operating system (Q.19).
Section III Question 20
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- recognising the importance of staff training when implementing a new system
- identifying the components of user documentation and their importance in the successful implementation of a new system
- identifying a phased or parallel approach with evaluation of either method.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to all areas of the question: staff training, software and user documentation
- identifying the advantages and disadvantages of identified issues and the implications to be considered
- explaining the implementation of the software rather than explaining the software itself.
Section IV Question 21
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- describing requirements for connecting a series of computers to a network, including the function of a modem in connecting to the external internet
- recognising the role of a router in distributing the internet signal to the network of computers
- identifying the need to install specific drivers for a printer to allow successful installation
- recognising the importance of having an acceptable usage guide for the internet in an organisation.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- recognising the need to test a printer installation and the importance of setting the printer as a default to ensure automatic connection when printing
- outlining a logical sequence when installing a printer on a network
- describing the characteristics of a ‘Quick Reference Guide’, as opposed to a normal set of instructions
- providing depth and a range of content for an acceptable usage quick reference guide rather than three or four points.
NSW Government