Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

This course is suitable for students aged 16+ who are interested in developing their skills, knowledge and understanding in the arena of Computer Science. Learners will study the Fundamentals of Computer Systems and also the fundamentals of Computational Thinking and Computer Programming. The units of work followed will provide learners with an insight to how computer systems operate, communicate and can be used to create. The course provides opportunities to develop skills needed in the rapidly expanding industry of computer science and related disciplines. Computer Science is a practical subject where students can apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems. It’s an intensely creative subject that combines invention and excitement, and can look at the natural world through a digital prism. Unit 1 – Computer Systems • The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices • Software and software development • Exchanging data • Data types, data structures and algorithms • Legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues Unit 2 – Algorithms and programming • Elements of computational thinking • Problem solving and programming • Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms