Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

Computer Science focuses on programming and emphasizes the importance of computational thinking as a discipline. This course will enable you to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms, and data representation. The most important aspect of computer science is problem-solving, an essential skill for life. Expertise in computing enables you to solve complex, challenging problems. Problems that didn’t even exist before the computer was born. In this course, you will improve your ability to analyze problems in computational terms through practical experience in solving such problems, including writing programs to do so, in a variety of modern languages. Unit 1: Computer Systems This component will be a traditionally marked and structured question paper with a mix of question types: short-answer, longer-answer, and levels of response mark scheme-type questions. It will cover the characteristics of contemporary systems architecture and other areas including the following: • Software and its development • Types of programming languages • Data types, representation, and structures • Exchanging data and web technologies • Following algorithms • Using Boolean algebra • Legal, moral, and ethical issues Unit 2: Algorithms and Programming This component will be a traditionally marked and structured question paper with two sections, both of which will include a mix of question types: short-answer, longer-answer, and levels of response mark-scheme-type questions. Section A • Traditional questions concerning computational thinking • Elements of Computational Thinking • Programming and problem-solving • Pattern recognition, abstraction, and decomposition • Algorithm design and efficiency • Standard algorithms Section B There’ll be a scenario/task contained in the paper, which could be an algorithm or a text page-based task, which will involve problem-solving. Unit 3: Programming Project • External postal moderation or repository. • Students and/or centers select their user-driven problem of an appropriate size and complexity to solve. • This will enable them to demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the Assessment Objectives you will need to analyze the problem, design a solution, implement the solution, and give a thorough evaluation.