[Scott McBride]

31/01/2018 at 10:48 am

I notice it is up now, looks the same as Specimen. However, looks like they are drip feeding it to us….

 

Will we be getting a marking scheme like the specimen paper?

[Andrew Douglas]

31/01/2018 at 10:57 am

what do you mean by “drip feeding”?

[Andrew Bratton]

31/01/2018 at 10:59 am

Not expecting a marking scheme but are we being given the partially completed database or are we expected to create that ourselves?  Reducing teacher workload?

[Scott McBride]

31/01/2018 at 10:59 am

Well, only Task 1 A and B have been posted. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.

[Sean Stratton]

31/01/2018 at 11:00 am

Looks like its just the DDD section also both Part A & B are only worth 8 and 7 marks

[Scott McBride]

31/01/2018 at 11:02 am

The database file should be provided to make sure that ALL pupils use the same file!

[Enrico Vanni]

31/01/2018 at 11:08 am

Indeed.  Only 15 marks for the Database Design Section have been uploaded.

The lack of a data file means part B is currently unusable (making up your own is a risk I would strongly advise people against, especially considering the OCD and IMO unacceptable levels of mark-deduction applied to the pilot exemplars of the specimen – docking marks for ‘prim’ rather than primary key or the use of application specific data types is disgraceful – both still demonstrate that the candidate understands the task and docking them for not using the narrow gamut of synonyms in the course spec is dim-witted – the person dictating that approach needs to sort out their personal issues and see the bigger picture.)

[Andrew Douglas]

31/01/2018 at 11:10 am

There is a major problem – the SQA have had months to do this but cannot seem to get even the basics right

[Marc McWhirter]

31/01/2018 at 11:14 am

I have to assume that this is an admin error – someone uploaded the wrong document.

The alternative is unthinkable and ridiculous and you’d really have to wonder about the motivation behind it.

[Andrew Douglas]

31/01/2018 at 11:24 am

I have emailed Robbie Paterson (Qualifications Manager) about this issue.

He has replied saying
“Thanks Andrew,

We’re aware of this and just waiting on the rest of the files to be uploaded. They should be available within the next hour or so.

Many thanks
Robbie”

[Enrico Vanni]

31/01/2018 at 11:50 am

I hope you are correct Marc, but given the poor track record of the agency and division involved we are entitled to feel uneasy about this.

If this is an attempt to dictate by stealth how we classroom manage this assessment then this unequivocal fact should be made clear  – WE ARE NOT IN THE EMPLOY OF THE SQA.  If they want to place additional conditions on how this assessment is managed over-and-above the ones already published in their guidelines then they can send their own invigilators to handle it.

We work on the information given to us – it is not up to us to try and second-guess what is going on here.  At face value we have been given an incomplete assessment – it would be perfectly within the rights of schools to assume that is it and ignore any further publication.

If the full thing isn’t online by the end of today then the SQA have missed their deadline and we run with what we have.  Time to play the game the way they play it.

[Marc McWhirter]

31/01/2018 at 12:04 pm

Well, it’s all up now as one singular file before the end of the day. I guess I can put my pitch fork away.

[Andrew Gibson]

31/01/2018 at 12:24 pm

The Full Information is now up online in the Secure area for those that have not downloaded everything.

 

Better get it before something happens and some of it is removed, goes missing or the website cant handle the traffic and goes down (much like on the day of the Higher Arrangements being given out).

[Enrico Vanni]

31/01/2018 at 5:13 pm

Just having a good look at the HTML/CSS section and there is an obvious ambiguity.  Task 3b shows the wireframe for the webpage and no annotated style has been provided for the “about our company paragraph” in the Middle Section.

 

It appears from the task that “About Our Company” and “Our Best Sellers” will be styled together (as h2’s perhaps) as will the backgrounds for both sections and the three paragraphs in the Bottom Section, so is the candidate to assume that the paragraph in the middle section should be styled the same as all the others or leave it ‘unstyled’ and therefor have to create the necessary code to undo the paragraph styling and return it to default for this one element?

 

A candidate will be rightly confused by this as common styling across the two sections is used for the headings and backgrounds but not the paragraphs?

 

Is this a mistake or an intentional bear-trap for them?  If the former then an easy fix with some clarification.  If the latter then it is a hell of a lot of work for a handful of marks.

[Lee Murray]

31/01/2018 at 5:40 pm

Also, there’s no mention of of the company name being right aligned but that’s how it appears in the wire frame; it’s not mentioned in the style annotations.  Pupils will probably be confused as to whether it needs to be aligned or not.

The real problem for me is the images.  The wireframe states a 200 x 200 (assumingly pixels) jpeg, however the images provided are 400*400, 500*500 and 600*600 pixels.  Adjusting image size is not in the course specification and I have not taught this.

This is appalling.