Computer Studies Scheme of Work for SS3 Second Term

 

 SCHEME OF WORK

WEEK 1& 2 HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGE

WEEK 3 OVERVIEW OF NUMBER BASES

WEEK 4 DATA REPRESENTATION

WEEK 5-8 SECURITY AND ETHICS

Below are the 2022 complete SS3 Second Term Computer Science Lesson Note 

 

SECOND Term SS3 Computer Science Lesson

Week 1 & 2

Topic: High-Level Language

Programming Language

This is a process that results in the development of a set of detailed instructions following a pattern of a particular programming language necessary to solve a problem. A programming language is a formal constructed language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs to control the behaviour of a machine or to express algorithms. A vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks. High-level programming languages, while simple compared to human languages, are more complex than the languages the computer actually understands, called machine languages. Each different type of CPU has its own unique machine language. To learn more, Click here. 

Week 3

Topic: Overview of Number Bases

Human nature dictates that we try to quantify everything we come in contact with, e.g. the number of students in a class, the number of eggs in a basket, etc. If we think about the type of things humans try to quantify, we can see that they are not all quantified in the same units of measure, e.g. time is measured in hours, minutes and seconds but the distance from Glasgow to Edinburgh is measured in miles. Therefore, a number system defines a set of values used to represent a quantity. Number Systems can be traced back to the early civilisations of Egypt and Babylon. These cultures could perform arithmetic operations on whole numbers, i.e. numbers without a decimal point. Number bases are different ways of writing and using the same number. We use a system called base 10, or denary, for our arithmetic, but there are almost as many number bases as there are numbers. Many people think that we use base 10 because we have 10 fingers on which we can count. Computers, and other electronic devices, can only reliably use an electrical current, or the absence of a current, to count (like having two fingers), and so they tend to use base 2 (binary) internally. To learn more, Click here.

Week 4

Topic: Data Representation

Data and instructions cannot be entered and processed directly into computers using human language. Any type of data be it numbers, letters, special symbols, sounds or pictures must first be converted into machine-readable form i.e. binary form. Due to this reason, it is important to understand how a computer together with its peripheral devices handles data in its electronic circuits, on magnetic media and in optical devices.

• The terms bits, bytes, nibble and word are used widely in reference to computer memory and data size.
• Bits: can be defined as either a binary, which can be 0, or 1.It is the basic unit of data or information in digital computers.

• Byte: a group of bits (8 bits) used to represent a character. A byte is considered as the basic unit of measuring memory size in a computer.
• A nibble: is half a byte, which is usually a grouping of 4 bytes. To learn more, Click here.

Week 5 – 8

Topic: Security and Ethics

Computer Ethics 

Computer Ethics can be defined as a set of moral principle that requires the use of a computer. It deals with how computer professionals should make decisions regarding professionals and social conduct.

Computer ethics are rules that govern the use of a computer system. Ethics deals with placing a “value” on acts according to whether they are “good” or “bad”. Every society has its rules about whether certain acts are ethical or not. These rules have been established as a result of consensus in society and are often written into laws. Computer ethics are increasingly becoming important because of the rising number of cyber crime issues, including software piracy, unauthorized access, pornography, spamming, target marketing, and hacking. The widespread popularity and use of the Internet have given rise to a number of cybercrime issues and concerns about user privacy. Various computing applications are tampered with to invade into other’s privacy. Malware, spyware, freeware, and browser cookie exploits are some of the notorious computing applications that have spurred the debate of importance of ethical behavior in technology. To learn more, Click here.