2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Information and Digital Technology
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Information and Digital Technology course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 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 and Digital Technology Curriculum Framework Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Information and Digital 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 and Digital Technology in Stage 6.
Core
Section II
Question 21
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the meaning of ‘recommended requirements’ (Q21a)
- identifying a feature of power management (Q21b)
- understanding the main feature of real-time systems (Q21c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the difference between ‘hibernate’ and ‘suspend’ (Q21b)
- understanding the main feature of batch systems (Q21c).
Question 22
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the nature of viruses (Q22a)
- identifying two tasks associated with a routine maintenance schedule (Q22b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the meaning of the word ‘diagnostics’ (Q22a)
- outlining two tasks associated with a routine maintenance schedule (Q22b).
Question 23
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the benefits of effective teamwork.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- explaining the benefits of effective teamwork.
Web and software applications
Question 24
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the steps for including an image from the web in a word-processed document (24a)
- identifying an aspect of a code of ethics (Q24b)
- identifying a method for testing websites (Q24c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- addressing that only a portion of the image is to be included (Q24a)
- relating one aspect to the use of commercial software packages (Q24b)
- outlining procedures for testing the website (Q24c).
Question 25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the function of the ‘title’ tags.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the function of CSS.
Question 26
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding how conditional formatting may be applied in spreadsheets.
Digital animation
Question 24
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying appropriate software for creating pop-up advertisements (Q24a)
- identifying a basic reason for including text to help communicate the message (Q24b)
- identifying a feature or a use of key frames (Q24c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- justifying the choice of software (Q24a)
- showing a deeper understanding of how text can help communicate the message (Q24b)
- describing how key frames can be used in an animation and using an example (Q23c).
Question 25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- recognising that the first image had undergone a number of processes.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- identifying the specific techniques used to transform the image.
Question 26
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- outlining a role of the graphic artist and/or the project manager.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- contrasting the roles of the graphic artist and the project manager.
Networking and hardware
Question 24
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying a purpose of expansion slots using an example (Q24a)
- understanding the advantages of using a graphics adapter card over an inbuilt graphics chip (Q24c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding why there is a difference between the physical size of a hard drive and its usable storage space (Q24b).
Question 25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing a range of acceptable reasons for documenting user support requests.
Question 26
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- outlining the advantages of using surveys rather than interviews to obtain feedback.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- relating the advantages of using surveys to the given scenario.
Section III
Web and software applications
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- recognising that CSS facilitates consistency of style among webpages (Q27a)
- sketching some features of an online form (Q27b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding what a site map is and how to construct it (Q27a)
- understanding the benefits of CSS in relation to the scenario (Q27a)
- not confusing form elements; for example, textboxes, with form labels such as name and address (Q27b)
- justifying rather than just describing their choices (Q27b).
Digital animation
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- drawing a diagram with pivots and hinges (27a)
- describing movements (27a)
- converting the scenario into a storyboard (27b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- differentiating between hinges and pivots (27a)
- including clear and complete directions on each frame (27b).
Networking and hardware
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- drawing a labelled network diagram (Q27a)
- identifying a variety of security measures (Q27b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing justification for the chosen components (Q27a)
- recognising the role of a switch in a SOHO network (Q27a)
- describing rather than just identifying how a network can be protected (Q27b)
- relating responses to the scenario (Q27b).
Core
Question 28
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying a range of specific hazards
- providing examples of control methods for specific risks
- providing general WHS advice.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- distinguishing between hazards and risks
- providing and explaining strategies to assess risks
- understanding the monitoring and reviewing of risks
- developing a holistic understanding of risk management within the workplace.
NSW Government