Straight into 3/4 I.T. Apps

[IvanJames]

Is this subject difficult to jump straight into without doing units 1/2?
I've got Apps down as a subject for next year and am just wondering if it will be easy to pick up without doing the previous units, or if prior study will be required.

Thanks!

[MJRomeo81]

You'll be fine   SD (Software Development) is the subject that requires prior exposure since there's actual programming involved.

Apps is very straight forward. Everything is taught from scratch

[Scrono13]

Hi IvanJames,

I actually had a friend who did I.T Apps without 1/2 and managed a 49! So I'm sure with a decent amount of work you'll be fine

[lala1911]

I don't even remember what I did in IT 1/2, it's a bludge, you probably wouldnt learn anything anyway!

[Dentistry]

I don't know why people think that further and busman are the main 3/4's to do without 1/2. IT Apps is 85% common sense, it isn't anything to do with computing really.. If you have good articulation and skills in bullshitting, i'm pretty sure you can pull a 40+ quite easily...

[EspoirTron]

I don't know why people think that further and busman are the main 3/4's to do without 1/2. IT Apps is 85% common sense, it isn't anything to do with computing really.. If you have good articulation and skills in bullshitting, i'm pretty sure you can pull a 40+ quite easily...

I don't quite agree with this notion, I'm sorry.
Firstly, I'd like by saying I am speaking through pure experience and having done I.T Applications in year 11 myself as a Unit 3&4.
Okay, I would like to start off by saying that I.T Apps is not '85% common sense', sure you may be able to tell me functional requirements or tell me some possible design specifications but the crux of the question is how? How does this element apply, don't just sit there and tell me what it is, tell me why so. Secondly if I.T was so heavily focused on one's natural common sense then why in the 2011 exam was the state average for the eight mark question 2/8. Surely we cannot say that statistically 0% of the I.T cohort of 2011 (or close to it) didn't have the common sense to provide a succinct, coherent response to apply database and spreadsheet knowledge to an unfamiliar situation for eight marks.

I want to make this point very clear. I rebut the notion that any subject is easy to get a 40+, I dislike how I.T Apps is looked down upon in this manner, sure it wasn't my favourite subject but at the end of the day I treated it with respect. Respect the people who put this course together, respect your teachers for actually teaching you this. It is an honor to be able to learn what we can, and to the students who achieve a 40+ it would feel a bit demoralising if you're saying their efforts were purely based off their general knowledge. Unless you're insinuating that an individual such as myself lacks the general knowledge and aptitude to understand the I.T Apps course like apparently 'so many people do'.

And to the dearest original poster: I would recommend I.T Applications, but it is a subject in which you have to study hard. If there was anything I could recommend to you, I would say to go over the Problem-solving methodology in thorough detail, learn design requirements and specifications (functionality, accessibility, etc.). Furthermore, I would also suggest touching up on databases and spreadsheet, perhaps try a few exercises so you may sharpen your skillset.

[lala1911]

I don't quite agree with this notion, I'm sorry.
Firstly, I'd like by saying I am speaking through pure experience and having done I.T Applications in year 11 myself as a Unit 3&4.
Okay, I would like to start off by saying that I.T Apps is not '85% common sense', sure you may be able to tell me functional requirements or tell me some possible design specifications but the crux of the question is how? How does this element apply, don't just sit there and tell me what it is, tell me why so. Secondly if I.T was so heavily focused on one's natural common sense then why in the 2011 exam was the state average for the eight mark question 2/8. Surely we cannot say that statistically 0% of the I.T cohort of 2011 (or close to it) didn't have the common sense to provide a succinct, coherent response to apply database and spreadsheet knowledge to an unfamiliar situation for eight marks.

I want to make this point very clear. I rebut the notion that any subject is easy to get a 40+, I dislike how I.T Apps is looked down upon in this manner, sure it wasn't my favourite subject but at the end of the day I treated it with respect. Respect the people who put this course together, respect your teachers for actually teaching you this. It is an honor to be able to learn what we can, and to the students who achieve a 40+ it would feel a bit demoralising if you're saying their efforts were purely based off their general knowledge. Unless you're insinuating that an individual such as myself lacks the general knowledge and aptitude to understand the I.T Apps course like apparently 'so many people do'.

And to the dearest original poster: I would recommend I.T Applications, but it is a subject in which you have to study hard. If there was anything I could recommend to you, I would say to go over the Problem-solving methodology in thorough detail, learn design requirements and specifications (functionality, accessibility, etc.). Furthermore, I would also suggest touching up on databases and spreadsheet, perhaps try a few exercises so you may sharpen your skillset.

Wow such an elegant post Mr Kebab.

I can see where a lot of people are coming from though about I.T being easy. I wouldn't simply state that I.T apps is "85% common sense" but quite a bit of it is general knowledge. Before I even started I.T Apps 3/4, I was confident I would be able to score at least 40-50%.. that's because a lot of the questions are really easy.

How I see it from my experience going over past exams is: Most of the exam is really easy, but the get full marks its fairly difficult. Those 8 markers are challenging and I believe some of the questions aren't even intended to simply test your knowledge, but to purposely trick you (similar to other subjects such as Further).

[MJRomeo81]

The two posts above sum it up well. While the majority of the questions are relatively easy, there's plenty of content for the examiners to distinguish between an A grade student and B. e.g. the 8 marker every year is poorly answered.

There's no such thing as an easy 40 SS in vce. Conceptually some subjects are easier than others, but all subjects require extensive practice in answering questions according to vcaa standard.

[IvanJames]

You'll be fine   SD (Software Development) is the subject that requires prior exposure since there's actual programming involved.

Apps is very straight forward. Everything is taught from scratch

I've actually put SD down as a preference in my subject selections, although chances are the class won't run and I'll be doing my reserve subject (Apps). So would software development require much prior knowledge?

[Lasercookie]

I'd tend to think that if you practice a bit of the programming language over the summer holidays, that'd leave you more than fine for SD. Well, even if you do know a bit of programming, it's probably worth practicing over the summer holidays some more too. There were a few people in my class that hadn't done too much programming beforehand, but they seemed to cope pretty fine with getting their head around it.

You do get taught how to program throughout the year, but familiarising yourself with the language a bit really would make things easier. If it's the case that doing a bit of programming doesn't sound like something you'd do in your spare time, I'd probably question why you'd want to do the subject in the first place. Other than those practical programming skills, for all the theory work in SD you don't need any prior knowledge there.

Edit: Also if it's the number of interested students that's the issue with the class not running, then I'd probably work on trying to convince your classmates to pick SD over Apps