What happens if no one does SW DEV in my school?

[out_of_the_loop091]

I got to a school where we have two Unit 1 and 2 I.T classes. I was wondering if no one does software development can I still do it? I really like it and was wondering whether that's possible?

[Lasercookie]

I got to a school where we have two Unit 1 and 2 I.T classes. I was wondering if no one does software development can I still do it? I really like it and was wondering whether that's possible?

There's always distance ed http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/ that offers it, so you can still do it through them.

In terms of your school offering it, you'd have to talk to them (the IT teachers, the VCE coordinator, whoever, talk to everyone pretty much) and see what they'll do about it. They might want x number of people in a class or various other criteria ticked before they run it. In which case, you'd have to convince your classmates to do SD.

[out_of_the_loop091]

Okay but software development doesn't seem like I can get a lot of people but could you explain distance education? Also would I sit the exam at school?

[Lasercookie]

Okay but software development doesn't seem like I can get a lot of people but could you explain distance education? Also would I sit the exam at school?

I did distance ed for specialist maths, so there might be a few differences in how the subject works, but the gist is the same. There's a few people on this site that went through distance ed for IT Apps (and I think there was someone that did it for SD too) in previous years, so someone else might be able to elaborate.

Distance Education Centre Victoria is basically like enrolling at another school for that one subject, except that you don't physically attend it. You get sent all the work that you have to do (they have some online website thingo, and also mail out CDs with all the stuff on it, for spesh they mailed out books but I'm not sure if they do the same for IT), you do the work and send it back (most likely via email). You'd also get given the phone number of your teacher at DECV.

While you're not left completely by yourself (the distance ed teachers are pretty helpful, and there's probably the teachers at your school too that would be able to help you too), it does mean that you have to be fairly independent with your study. There are a lot of positives to that though, you can somewhat dictate the pace you go at, and focus in on the concepts that you struggle with. For a subject like ITSD that wouldn't be too bad, since it is a subject that lends easily to self-study.

You'd sit the exam at your school. Your sacs would get sent to a teacher at your school, who would then supervise you for those sacs (and then send the sacs back to DECV for marking). 

[Will Sparks]

Hey lazyred, did that mean that your cohort were other kids who did spesh at DECV, or did you not get a cohort to be ranked against?

[Lasercookie]

Hey lazyred, did that mean that your cohort were other kids who did spesh at DECV, or did you not get a cohort to be ranked against?

Other kids that did spesh at DECV.