ICT
VCE COMPUTING (PART 1)
VCE Computing has a new Study Design, starting in 2020. Here are the important changes to the courses we offer at VCE.
VCE Units 1 & 2 are now called Applied Computing. The course contents have been updated and there are now two Areas of Study in each Unit, previously there were three.
The Areas of Study are:
Unit 1, AOS1 - Data Analysis - an increasingly important skill, highly valued by employers, students gather data, manipulating it to produce data visualisations to identify patterns in the data. Spreadsheet and database skills are taught in this topic.
Unit 1, AOS2 - Programming - another key skill for future employment, students are taught concepts in Visual Basic, which will be transferable to other programming languages.
Unit 2, AOS1 - Innovative Solutions - students work collaboratively in small groups, on a project of their choosing. Project topics include Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Robotics, Augmented Reality, Blockchain and Autonomous Vehicles. Groups will gather primary and secondary data before producing a report on their innovative technology.
Unit 2, AOS2 - Network Security - Australian companies are predicting a huge skills shortage in this area in the next 10 years. Our students will learn about wired and wireless networks, security issues, malware, and strategies for reducing these risks.
Each of these four Outcomes are assessed by coursework, with students sitting exams at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2. All outcomes and exams must be passed for successful completion of the course.
Pathways - High Achieving students in Year 9 may select VCE Computing Units 1 & 2 for study in Year 10. Year 10 students may select Units 1 & 2 for study in Year 11.
For more information, contact Mr Munro.
Mrs Munro
ICT Teacher
NCSS CHALLENGE IS HERE AGAIN
The National Computer Science School (NCSS) Challenge starts on Monday 29 July and will run for five weeks. The challenge will use the Grok platform which some students will be familiar with already. The programming language being used is Python and the challenge will run at five different levels - Newbies, Beginners Blockly, Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced.
Any student interested in taking part in the challenge needs to send an email to Mrs Munro who will be holding a meeting to let potential participants know more about what is involved. The Grok challenges are enormously rewarding but they also demand a lot of effort and resilience. The school has been extremely successful in recent years with many students gaining perfect scores. McKinnon is recognised as one of Grok’s Champion Schools as has been for the past few years.
Mrs Munro
ICT Teacher