Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

The qualification will provide learners with a range of transferable skills which will facilitate personal growth and foster cross curriculum links in areas such as maths, science and design and technology. Computer Science is a very creative subject and skills such as problem solving and analytical thinking will all be refined and explored as you progress through the learning and assessment programme. Computer Science uses mathematics (and knowledge from Science and Technology) to express its computational laws and processes. As such, Computer Science qualifications must contain a minimum of 10% mathematical skills. You will learn to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills of computational processes and problem solving in both theoretical and practical ways. In the AS course you will study two components: 01 Computing Principles: this unit covers the internal workings of the Central Processing Unit (CPU), Networking, the exchange of data (this includes web-page design and java script) and will also look at software development, data types (including Boolaean Algebra, number representation, and encryption methods); and legal and ethical issues and both procedural and object oriented programming methods. 02 Algorithms and Problem Solving: This unit draws upon knowledge from unit 1 and develops computational thinking and algorithms in order to describe solutions to problems. The content of the A Level in Computer Science is divided into three components: 01 Computer systems component: contains the majority of the content of the specification and is assessed in a written paper recalling knowledge and understanding. 02: Algorithms and programming component relates principally to problem solving skills needed to apply the knowledge and understanding encountered in Component 01 and to apply these to Component 03. 03 Programming project which is a practical portfolio based assessment with a task and is produced in an appropriate programming language and submitted as a report demonstrating your ability to analyse, design, develop, test, evaluate and document a program written in a suitable programming language and must also follow the agile development approach to the project development.