Structure and function of the processor
Students will develop knowledge in the intricacies of the CPU, registers will be analysed and in depth understanding will be developed to understand how data is moved around the CPU and discovering the CPU’s relationship with memory. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Types of processor
Students look into different processor types and why some are more suited to certain tasks than others, including looking at different CPU architectures. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Input, output and storage
Ensuring the basics of Computing is well understood is vital and this unit thoroughly explains real world scenarios of input and outputs, further being propped up by storage suitability and appropriate choice for different projects. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Operating systems – systems software
Different operating systems are looked at in detail, including how tasks are scheduled in a computer, the role of the bios and the significance of device drivers and virtual machines. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Application generation
The use of applications and their difference from utility software will be explored, getting into the depths of translators, compilation and linkers and loaders will also be covered in this unit. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Software development
This unit links directly to the following year and the programming project, there will be a focus on different types of software development looking into methodologies that have programming at the centre, all the way to methodologies that require lots of prototypes to function efficiently. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Types of programming language
Students will be taught high level languages throughout their course but there will also be a focus on low level languages, looking at machine code, assembly code, procedural and object orientated programming. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Compression, encryption and hashing
Different types of compression will be explored and the reason for using one type over another and its effect on the original file, this includes comparing text and image compression. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Databases
The storage of data is getting more and more important as Computing develops, students will take a look at how to build a database and ensure data is up to date, well organized and quick to search and sort. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Networks
How data is sent around a local are and a wide are alike the internet will be explored. Going further by looking at different protocols that allow communication over the internet and allow data to get from one place to another. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Web technologies
Having a firm grasp on how web pages are built and maintained is vital, this until will explain HTML, CSS and JavaScript, finishing with students creating their own website. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Data types
Ensuring appropriate data types are selected for the data you are dealing with is really important, this is covered in this unit, ensuring students understand what different data types are and delving into binary numbers, including floating point binary, addition and subtraction. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Data structures
Equally as important is ensuring the project data structure is selected for any given task, in this unit students will leave about arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, hash tables and graphs among others. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Boolean algebra
Logic gates, Karnaugh maps, simplification of logical equations, all have a bearing on the efficiency and cost of building physical circuits, students get chance to focus on real world logical problems in this unit. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Computer related legislation
Computer related laws are being adapted almost constantly, ensuring students have a good grasp on laws and how they relate to everyday life is the focus of this unit. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Ethical, moral and cultural issues
The primary focus of this unit is real world scenarios, students think about the ethical decisions when programming self-driving cars, the moral decisions around artificial intelligence or the cultural implications of automation in the workplace. Students will have direct teacher led lectures along with weekly challenges in the form of workbook theory challenges, this will be supported with weekly verbal feedback and regular multiple-choice quizzes.
Programming
The A Level programming lessons focus on ensuring students are robust problem solvers, with the experience of multiple programming languages, focusing on Python, Lua with Defold and C#. Students will have weekly challenges that embed knowledge from taught sessions in the form of workbook programming challenges or workshop style sessions and will have weekly verbal feedback and complete regular multiple-choice quizzes.