Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

Unit 1: This unit focuses on programming using standard programming concepts such as definite and indefinite iteration with conditions, use of arithmetic, relational and Boolean operations. Students will also program using an object-oriented method. Students will also develop their knowledge of the theoretical side of computer science ranging from fundamentals of programming to the theory of computation (abstraction, decomposition, composition and automation). This unit will also include the fundamentals of algorithms and the skills learnt whilst studying the systematic approach to problem solving. Unit 2: This unit focuses on fundamentals of data representation such as natural, rational, irrational, real and ordinal numbers plus different number systems used by computers to represent data. Networking and the Internet. Fundamentals of computer systems includes hardware, software and programming languages as well as computer organization and architecture and consequences of functional programming. This unit also includes fundamentals of databases, big data and the fundamentals of functional programming. Unit 3: Non-Exam Assessment – The computing practical project The non-exam assessment assesses a student’s ability to use the knowledge and skills gained through the course to solve or investigate a practical problem. Students will be expected to follow a systematic approach to problem solving. When creating the project, a student will analyse, design, create and test a program to solve a problem, this could be a website with dynamic content and a database back-end, a mobile app, an application for artificial intelligence, a computer game or something completely different.