| Overview | The emphasis in this course is on computational thinking rather than about learning to use tools or just training in a programming language. Computational thinking is a kind of reasoning used by both humans and machines. Thinking computationally is an important life skill. Thinking computationally means using abstraction and decomposition. The study of computation is about what can be computed and how to compute it. Computer Science involves questions that have the potential to change how we view the world. For example, we may be computing with DNA at some stage in the future, with computer circuits made of genes. This leads to the question, does the natural world ‘compute’? Experimental Computer Science can be done with computers whereby we can learn more about the natural world by observing the emergent behaviour of a colony of interacting software agents in a simulation. Computing / Computer Science is about designing new algorithms to solve new problems. In this sense Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. Many great challenges lie in the future for Computer Scientists to solve. This course, with its emphasis on abstract thinking, general problem-solving, algorithmic and mathematical reasoning, scientific and engineering-based thinking, is a good foundation for understanding these future challenges. The course aims to encourage students to develop: - the capacity for thinking creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically
- an understanding of the organisation of computer systems including software, hardware, data, communications and people
- the ability to apply skills, knowledge and understanding of computing, including programming, in a range of contexts to solve problems
- project and time management skills
- the capacity to see relationships between different aspects of the subject and perceive their field of study in a broader perspective
- an understanding of the consequences of uses of computing, including social, legal, ethical and other issues
- an awareness of emerging technologies and an appreciation of their potential impact on society
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| Examination board | The Sixth Form Computing course at Queen Elizabeth’s follows the AQA specification. Full details of the specification and additional support materials can be accessed here. |
Unit 1 - Problem Solving, Programming, Data Representation & Practical Exercise Examination to be taken in January of Year 12 | You will learn about the stages of problem solving, draw and interpret and interpret simple state transition diagrams and transition tables, learn about algorithms, express a solution to a simple problem as an algorithm, program in a high level programming language and learn the fundamentals of structured programming, use the binary number system, number bases and information coding schemes and learn the stages of development of a hardware/ software system. |
Unit 2 - Computer Components, The Stored Program Concept & The Internet Examination to be taken in June of Year 12 | You will learn about logic gates and Boolean algebra, the internal components of a computer, hardware devices, the fundamentals of computer systems, the structure of the internet, networking protocols and the consequences of uses of computing. |
Unit 3 - Problem Solving, Programming, Operating Systems, Databases & Networking Examination to be taken in January of Year 13 | You will learn about problem solving and algorithmic complexity, algorithms and data structures for problem solving, programming paradigms and object oriented programming techniques, the role of an operating system, database design, communication and networking, security and integrity of data in a data, processing environment and errors. |
Unit 4 - The Practical Project Internal Assessment | You will evaluate the possible need for development of a computer-based solution to a real problem, document a design that meets the requirements of a real problem in terms of hardware and software, and document the analysis, design, construction, testing, training and maintenance of a programmed solution. |
| Course support & enrichment at QE | Extensive resources for each unit are available online on the school network in the Learning Resources area. |
| Progression from A-level Computing | This course has been designed for students who wish to go on to higher education courses or employment where knowledge of Computing would be beneficial. One can study Computing and go on to a career in medicine, law, business, politics or any type of science. |
Recommended wider reading This is particularly relevant for those considering further study beyond A-level | - A Kee Dewdney: The new Turing omnibus, Computer Science Press 1993, reprinted Henry Holt 2001, ISBN 0-805-07166-0
- Tom Körner: The pleasures of counting, Cambridge University Press 1996, ISBN 0-521-56823-4
- Fred Brooks: The mythical man-month (Anniversary edition), Addison-Wesley 1995, ISBN 0-201-83595-9
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