Information and Digital Technology 2020 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• use the first page of the answer booklet for an extended response to develop a plan to assist in the logical sequencing of information
• engage with what the question is asking rather than presenting a pre-prepared response
• relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
• ensure each extended response answer is completed in a separate writing booklet
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the examinable units of competency from the syllabus
• communicate ideas and information using relevant workplace examples and industry terms
• be prepared to address a range of industry issues
• demonstrate knowledge of employability skills relevant to various situations
• include relevant annotations when including a diagram
• present a logical and cohesive response that answers the question
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide reasons for a choice of operating system, such as hardware requirements, compatibility and cost.

Areas for students to improve include:

• giving examples for their choice of operating system.

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify a person in a supervisory or IT support role to notify about the virus and say why this person should be told (a)
• provide a variety of information related to the location, spread and type of infection and say why that information is valuable in dealing with a computer virus (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• justifying reasons for selecting an appropriate person (a)
• explaining why specific information is recorded (b).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• define consultation and participation and include examples of how they differ in terms of an employee’s engagement in work health a,nd safety in their workplace (a)
• link legal requirements and external authority into the consultation process (a)
• explain that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical registers are used to minimise risk and improve safety (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing concrete examples from the workplace to explain where SDS should be used, such as chemical handling and storage (b).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify 3D objects as having height, width and depth whilst 2D objects only have height and width (a)
• describe the process of inbetweening, communicating the concept of adding frames between keyframes to improve smoothness and/or illustrate motion (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the concepts of inbetweening and tweening.

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify specific audio, video and image media types and explain how and why they are compressed
• relate media types to difference in file structure and compression methods.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using media type terminology.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• compare the characteristics of hinges and pivots to show how they differ (a)
• use correct terminology and examples to describe what balance refers to in this context, and how it impacts on composition (b)
• discuss a range of relevant communication principles, with examples relating to the given scenario and audience (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using key terminology in animation movement (a)
• ensuring relevant examples are given to support answer (b)
• relating the answer to the scenario and target audience, for example, 14-18-year olds (c).

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide responses that focussed on the project team
• demonstrate their understanding of the use of lighting during 3D modelling (a)
• discuss the role of the project manager in developing a 3D animation and how their success in this role produces a better-quality project (b)
• address both graphics capabilities, storage devices and provide specific hardware specifications, as well as relating the hardware to the tasks of creation and display (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• relating the answer back to the scenario
• addressing all components of the question(c).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify two distinct types of clients, for example, an individual employee, either within the organisation or external to the organisation and clearly outline specific needs for support of each (a)
• clearly describe a strategy, for example, a training program, that the support officer could employ to support clients using the systems more effectively (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying clients of the organisation which have support needs.

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide examples like troubleshooting and planned upgrades to describe where aspects of network design documentation enable better decisions to be made.

Areas for students to improve include:

• their understanding of examples of network design documentation.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a clear understanding of how MAC addresses are used to secure network access through identifying addresses and rejecting or accepting them (b)
• describe a range of factors that clearly influence the selection of network hardware for a SOHO network (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying the numbers and types of client devices and/or budget constraints and describing the significance of these relevant factors when choosing network hardware.

In better responses, students were able to:

• use examples to show the difference in local and group users, such as all employees (local) and a department (group) (a)
• refer to a range of relevant emerging technologies in authentication such as biometrics (b)
• link requirements and procedures and provide examples of how the network supports the company processes.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating their understanding of group shared device rather than user groups (a)
• describing appropriate authentication technologies rather than just network security, for example, Anti-Virus is not an authentication technology
• showing workplace knowledge and using industry terminologies in explaining company procedures
• covering both procedures and requirements in their answers, weaker responses tend to focus on one point showing repetition in their response.

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide two distinct reasons on why documents are archived, such as to free up disk space (a)
• outline reasons for testing websites related to functionality (site map and navigation, consistent performance) and aesthetics (consistent presentation, accessibility) (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• knowing the difference between archiving (for storage and to create space) and backing up (for security and to minimise risk of lost data) (a).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• write a procedure to complete a mail merge using terminology, such as fields, data source and merge document.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the operation of the mail merge function.

Question 26

• In better responses, students were able to:
• clearly state the steps required to create an automated table of contents (a)
• provide an example of tracking changes with an emphasis on collaboration, not sharing (b)
• provide examples of document automation other than mail merge and table of contents and how workplace efficiency is improved, for example, by saving time (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the use of track changes features (b).

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate good knowledge about the features of web authoring software and its advantages over word processing software
• discuss the pros and cons of client involvement using relevant examples such as being able to respond to issues or problems as they arise
• describe and explain how the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) can be used to efficiently and consistently style multiple web pages in a website, and how sitemaps can reveal the progress of website development and assist when developing the navigation paths in a website.

Areas for students to improve include:

• clearly identifying the relevant features of web authoring software and distinguishing between word processing software
• identifying relevant roles of clients in web design process and the benefits of client involvement in the process
• describing how sitemaps can be used to demonstrate the links between web pages and as a checklist to assist in the development of websites.

In better responses, students were able to:

• justify a range of strategies, for example, feedback, training, policy and procedures that related to both components (work practices and industry currency) of the scenario
• demonstrate a clear understanding of the need for industry currency and how it should be maintained as an ongoing process by the staff
• show cause and effect of poor work practice, customer service and problem-solving skills
• use industry terminology to clearly link strategies for improved work practices such as training, policies and procedures, knowledge base, and improved customer service.

Areas for students to improve include:

• giving examples for each suggested strategy
• structuring and organising their responses to clearly address the question
• relating suggested strategies to the scenario
• distinguishing between maintaining industry currency and customer service.