2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Information Processes and Technology
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Information Processes and Technology course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 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 Processes and Technology Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate Information Processes and Technology examination
- the marking guidelines
- 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 Processes and Technology in Stage 6.
Section II
Question 21
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying hardware and software technologies for a given system
- describing a feature of testing for a system
- understanding what data accuracy is
- providing a reason why accuracy of data is important to a given scenario.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the difference between an implementation plan and a testing method
- describing a logical sequence of steps taken to test a system
- using examples and relevant terminology to support an answer.
Question 22
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying multiple system participants
- identifying a component of context diagrams
- identifying issues within the scenario
- understanding the difference between a distributed database and a centralised database.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- drawing a complete context diagram, including all elements of external entities, system and data flow
- applying an understanding of social and ethical issues to a given scenario
- giving reasons for the use of certain systems and applying these to a given scenario.
Question 23
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying advantages of online databases
- describing the types of data that can be extracted from an online database
- using technical language to describe strategies to prevent loss and corruption of data
- differentiating between strategies for loss and corruption of data.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- describing information in a concise way
- consistently linking the scenario to each and every part of the question
- providing technical explanations when required – in this question, SQL syntax.
Question 24
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- differentiating between a bridge and a gateway
- referring to the scenario, noting the situations under which bridges or gateways would be appropriate
- identifying television and radio as possible alternative communication methods, as well as accessibility as an issue for reluctant users of technology
- understanding wired and wireless communication devices.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- noting the protocol differences between a bridge and a gateway when connecting networks
- justifying suitable wired and wireless transmission media by discussing their features and appropriateness for communication between different parts of the network
- demonstrating an understanding of communication media.
Section III
Question 25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying at least ONE relevant example of a bias problem
- identifying features of data integrity and relating data integrity to a transaction processing system
- identifying features of batch and real-time processing and giving a relevant example of either
- describing mirroring procedures
- identifying that mirroring provides a duplicate system in case of data loss
- describing rollback procedures and particularly noting that if an error had occurred, the system could be rolled back to the point of error for transaction correction
- identifying that finding trends and patterns is an essential part of data mining.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- demonstrating knowledge and understanding of bias in data collection
- explaining the importance of data integrity and relating it to a transaction processing system
- distinguishing between batch and real-time processing using an example
- having a thorough understanding of both mirroring and rollback procedures
- describing how data mining can be used in context
- discussing an alternative use of the type of system presented in the scenario.
Question 26
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying advantages of linking multiple sheets in a spreadsheet
- describing advantages and disadvantages of macros
- classifying decision support systems as either structured, semistructured or unstructured with justification.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding group decision support systems
- creating spreadsheet formulas using the correct syntax
- applying theory learned to the situation in the scenario
- including issues for and/or against when the question asks to discuss.
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the advantages of automation in mail sorting
- describing how a sensor works in collecting analog data and the process of converting analog to digital data
- describing CAD and CAM and showing the relationship of XYZ coordinates from CAM
- providing the instructions for the CNC part of CAM.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding that noise is the interference in a signal and the way to correct noise is through the use of shielding and filters
- using examples in describing how discrete and continuous processing are different
- exploring alternative areas where automated manufacturing systems could be used and the issues for and/or against their use.
Question 28
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying advantages and disadvantages of compression
- recognising the role of online games in education and training
- recognising the impact of colour on basic hardware
- describing alternative multimedia systems and their use in all or most of the following: speech recognition, internet connection, and visual and audio messaging.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the fundamental differences between authoring software and HTML editors
- understanding what bit depth is, how it represents colour and its subsequent impact on displaying, processing and storage
- relating the response to the stimulus and/or providing examples to support a point.
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