2006 HSC Paper - Section II

Section II of the 2006 HSC Paper consists of 4 short answer questions with sub-questions a, b and c (only a and b for question 23). This page provides dot-point answers to each question, the area of study each question falls under and a reference that can justify each answer. As such, this page is best used in conjunction with the paper open in a separate window or tab.

References follow the following format:
 * (Area of study) [source] page number/url


 * [1] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology HSC Course' by Peter Ware + Paul Cheleski + Bill Chivers
 * [2] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology HSC Course' (2007), by Sam Davis
 * [3] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology The Preliminary Course' (2004), by Sam Davis
 * [4] Refers to non-textbook resources such as websites.

Question 21a

 * SELECT CountryName


 * FROM Countries


 * WHERE Continent = "South America" AND Language = "Spanish"

(Project Work + Information Systems & Databases) [1] p72-73

Question 21b
 (Project Work + Information Systems & Databases)
 * Record size = 25 + 15 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 10
 * Records = 200
 * Records * Record size / 1024 ( 2^10 =1kb, bytes per kilobyte)

Question 21c

 * BirthRate and DeathRate fields would need to be changed into number types e.g. integers.
 * Create a calculated field in which DeathRate is subtracted from BirthRate and expressed as a signed integer (+ve/-ve).
 * A new field will need to be created for the female population of LifeExpectancy, expressed as a FPN.
 * LifeExpectancy field should be expressed as a FPN, to show proper percentages.

(Project Work + Information Systems & Databases) [1] p48, [2] p136-137

Question 22a
The participants in the system are those people who carry out the processes of collecting, organising, analysing, saving and retrieving, processing, transmitting and receiving or displaying. The veterinarian and any staff at the Vet practice who use IT to manage the images are participants currently, however there is scope to extend the system so that pet owners can log in from and then they too would become participants.

The purpose of the system is to change the work practices of the vet and allow the Vets to remotely access the images and work from home rather than have to stay at the Vet hospital.

Question 22c

 * The impact of the new system on the work of the Vet is to give the Vet flexibility in his working practice, allowing him to watch the animals from home, check the settings on the equipment over the web, saving the drive to and from the Vet practice during the night. The additional benefit is that he has extended family time.
 * The Vet does not have to staff his practice physically for 24 hours saving the Vet financially.
 * The Vet and his staff will need to be trained initially in the use of the new technology and be given ongoing training as the need occurs. The Vet is indicating to the public that he has up to date technology in his practice.
 * Once the privacy and security issues are overcome the owners will be able to check on their pets online reducing the number of enquiries to the staff.

Question 23a
Two suspicious things about this email are as follows:
 * Spelling Mistakes – A major organisation such as bank would not send out emails that have spelling mistakes in them e.g. Notifikation. Important communications such as this would be proof read by several professionals before it was sent.
 * Inconsistent Domains – The email is sent via the bankofaustralia.com domain, but the website that the customer is meant to log into is www.netbank.com. This is suspicious, as a large organisation such as a bank would use the same base domain for all of their online activities. This indicates that the sender has attempted to mask where the email really was sent from and that the link cannot be trusted, as it will most likely lead them to fake website.

Question 23b

 * If the user clicks on this email they may be lead to a fake site that is used to simulate what the real banks website looks like. This would be used to capture the users’ logon and password. These details could then be used so the senders of the email can steal money from the recipients’ online banking account. Clicking on links from emails also opens the user up to receiving viruses, Trojan horses or simply confirming to the senders that this email address is real, and thus they may receive more spam.
 * An alternative approach would be firstly to NOT click on the link. The user should contact the bank by phone to confirm that the email is not legitimate and that there is no need for the user to update their details. Once it has been confirmed that the email is a fake the email should be marked as junk mail so as to block future emails from this address and then deleted

Question 24a
To negotiate with the participants as project manager I would use active listening. This would require arranging a meeting with the builders and employees of Build Safe and listening to their concerns regarding the implementation of the new system. I would listen carefully during the discussion and try to clarify any misunderstanding that may have arisen. Conflict resolution would also be used which requires identifying and receiving feedback on any problems that have arisen and looking for possible solutions. I would ensure that I adopt a conciliatory role with any parties in dispute, making sure neither party intimidates the other. Other possible strategies that would be used to gauge acceptance of the new system and obtain suggestions include using the following:
 * surveys and/or questionnaires to gain feedback form the builders and employees
 * team building strategies to improve the communication between team members at Build Safe
 * interviews, forums and seminars

Question 24b

 * Information technology - ensue that information technology is in place at Build Safe such as computer hardware, database management system and email system
 * Collecting – ensure that all of the builders have an email address and collect these addresses to add to the existing information
 * Organising – store the builders’ details on the database management system
 * Develop the automated system that links the email and database to generate each reminder email on the required date
 * Develop the mail merge component to ensure that each builder has a personalised message
 * Test the system to ensure that emails are generated and are sent to the correct email account