Level 3 Digital Technologies 91633 (3.40) Common Assessment Guide — page 1 of 4

Level 3 Digital Technologies 91632 (3.40)
Common Assessment Guide

TitleDemonstrate understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation

Credits4

Teacher introduction

Technology assessment guides have been produced to help teachers develop their own specific assessment guides. Examples of specific assessment guides, developed from the common assessment guide for each standard, have been produced as part of the external assessment resources for level 3 Technology.

The specific assessment guides also show a variety of ways (ie, case study, research,practice) to produce external assessment material. The material in the candidate exemplars for each standard reflects the content and context of the specific assessment guides.

Teachers can adapt a common assessment guide and / or a specific assessment guide to suit the specific context of their course of teaching.

Candidate introduction

You will produce a report that demonstrates understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation.

Candidate guidance for producing the report

This common assessment guide must be read along with the achievement standard and the assessment specifications.

The prompts provided below are guides to producing a report that demonstrates understanding of complex concepts in information systems. The prompts guide candidates to produce evidence for all grades of the standard – Achievement, Merit, and Excellence. It is not necessary to respond to all prompts to succeed at any level. The later prompts guide candidates to in-depth discussion.

Each report will be assessed overall as to the level of understanding the report demonstrates of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation.

Your report should:

  • explain the interaction between the main components of an information system
  • explain the nature of information and discuss differences between data, information, and knowledge
  • explain the characteristics of ‘good’ information
  • explain the importance of end-user considerations in information systems
  • explain security management for information systems.
  • discuss the nature and value of information
  • discuss the impact on and influence of end-user considerations on information systems
  • discuss the implications of security management for information systems
  • discuss how information systems add value
  • evaluate the trade-offs between the characteristics of good information (e.g. timeliness vs. accuracy)
  • evaluate the trade-offs between security management in an information system and end-user considerations.

Essential documents

The achievement standard governingthiscommon assessment guide can be found at

The assessment specifications for the Digital Technologies achievement standard can be found at

Definitions

The following definitions might be useful when you are writing your report.

The main components of an information system are hardware, software, data, procedures, and people.

Characteristics of good information may include, but are not limited to: accuracy, timeliness, relevance, appropriate quantity, and economical.

End-user considerations may include, but are not limited to: user consultation, ease-of-use, user interface design, work procedures, implementation issues, and training.

Security management includes discussion of security threats and measures used to address security threats. Threats may include, but are not limited to: hacking, viruses, denial of service attacks, phishing, natural disasters, hardware failure, and human error. Measures to address security threats may include, but are not limited to: security policies, encryption, firewalls, backup procedures, disaster recovery plans, and antivirus software.

An organisation may include, but is not limited to: a school, a business, a hospital, and a government department.

Further information

Appropriate reference information is available in:

  • Safety and Technology Education: A Guidance Manual for New Zealand Schools, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 1998
  • The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
  • Technology Curriculum Support, October 2007 (found at
  • Ministry of Education ICT in Schools
  • What is a Managed Learning Environment (MLE), Ministry of Education
  • National Education Network (NEN)
  • Albany High School – the First Open Source High School in New Zealand
  • Microsoft’s School of the Future
  • Other case studies are available on the Ministry of Economic Development website

Further information can be found at

Exemplars

Please read the exemplars. You can model your work on these exemplars but you may not copy the material from the exemplars. Your report must be the product of your own efforts.

Schedule
Assessment Schedule
AS Digital Technologies 91632 (3.40)
Demonstrate understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation
Final grades will be decided using professional judgement based on a holistic examination of the evidence provided against the criteria.
Issues from the Specifications
Authentic candidate submissions will be recognisable because of specific contexts associated with the work. This does not imply that submissions will arise only from the candidate’s practice. However, where the candidate’s practice does not provide the immediate source of a specific context, one would expect to see that several sources of information relating to materials had been applied within a specific context. In both cases, the marker will be able to detect the candidate’s voice. In situations where information does not have some aspect of student voice, it is difficult to establish whether the candidate has actually demonstrated understanding or simply identified information.
Candidates who have simply identified information by reproducing information from sources without making use of that information have not demonstrated understanding.
Where a candidate has provided a brief answer, the answer should not be penalised because of length.
Candidate work in excess of 14 pages should not be marked.
Where work is illegible, it cannot be marked.
Digital submissions that cannot be read cannot be marked.
Achievement / Achievement with Merit / Achievement with Excellence
Demonstrate understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisationinvolves: / Demonstrate in-depth understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisationinvolves: / Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisationinvolves:
  • explaining the interaction between the main components of an information system
  • explaining the nature of information and discussing differences between data, information, and knowledge
  • explaining the characteristics of ‘good’ information
  • explaining the importance of end-user considerations in information systems
  • explaining security management for information systems.
/
  • discussing the nature and value of information
  • discussing the impact on and influence of end-user considerations on information systems
  • discussing the implications of security management for information systems.
/
  • discussing how information systems add value
  • evaluating the trade-offs between the characteristics of good information (e.g.timeliness vs accuracy)
  • evaluating the trade-offs between security management in an information system and end-user considerations.