Computer Science (0478)

Data Representation 

Data Transmission 

Hardware

Software

The Internet and its uses

Automated and Emerging Technologies

Algorithm design and problem-solving

Programming 

Databases

Boolean Logic

Number systems

Text, sounds and images

Data Storage and Compression

Understand that data is broken down into packets for transmitted; describe the structure of a packet; describe the process of packet switching.

Describe how data is transmitted from one device to another using different methods of data transmission. Explain the suitability of the method of data transmission for a given scenario.

Understand the universal serial bus (USB) interface and how it is used to transmit data.

Understand the need to check for errors after data transmission and how these errors can occur.

Describe the processes involved in error detection methods. 

Describe how a check digit is used to detect errors in data entry including ISBN numbers and bar codes.

Describe how an automatic repeat request (ARQ) can be used to establish that data is received without error.

Understand the need for and purpose of encryption when transmitting data.

Understand how data is encrypted using symmetric and asymmetric encryption.

 Understand the role of the central processing unit (CPU) in a computer. Understand what is meant by a microprocessor.

Understand the purpose of the components in a CPU, in a computer that has a Von Neumann architecture. Describe the role of each component in the process of the fetch–decode–execute cycle.

Understand what is meant by CPU core, cache and clock how they can affect the performance of a CPU.

Understand the purpose and use of a CPU instruction set.

Describe the purpose and characteristics of an embedded system and identify devices in which they are commonly used.

Understand what is meant by an input device and why it is required.

Understand what is meant by an output device and why it is required.

Understand what is meant by a sensor and the purpose of sensors. Identify the type of data captured by each sensor, and when each sensor would be used, including selecting the most suitable sensor for a given context.

Understand what is meant by primary storage.

Understand what is meant by secondary storage.

Describe the operation of magnetic, optical and solid-state storage and give examples of each.

Describe what is meant by virtual memory, how it is created, used and why it is necessary

Understand what is meant by cloud storage.

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of storing data on the cloud in comparison to storing it locally.

 Understand that a computer needs a network interface card (NIC) to access a network.

Understand what is meant by the purpose and structure of a media access control (MAC) address, including its structure.

Understand what is meant by the purpose of an internet protocol (IP) address. Understand that there are different types IP address.

Describe the role of a router in a network.

Describe the difference between system software and application software and provide examples of each.

Describe the role and basic functions of an operating system.

Understand how hardware, firmware and an operating system are required to run applications software.

Describe the role and operation of interrupts.

Explain what is meant by a high-level language, and low-level language, including the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Understand that assembly language is a form of low-level language that uses mnemonics, and that an assembler is needed to translate an assembly language program into machine code.

Describe the operation of a compiler and an interpreter, including how a high-level language is translated by each and how errors are reported.

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a compiler and an interpreter.

Explain the role of an IDE and the common functions it provides.

Understand the difference between the internet and the world wide web.

Understand what is meant by a uniform resource locator (URL).

Describe the purpose and operation of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS).

Explain the purpose and functions of a web browser.

Describe how web pages are located, retrieved and displayed of on a device when a user enters a URL.

Explain what is meant by cookies and how they are used, including session cookies and persistent cookies.

Understand the concept and use of digital currency.

Understand the process of blockchain and how it is used to track digital currency.

Describe the processes involved in, and the aim of carrying out a range of cyber security threats.

 Explain how a range of solutions are used to help keep data safe from security threats.

Describe how sensors, microprocessors and actuators can be used to create automated systems.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of automated systems used for a given scenario.

Understand what is meant by robotics.

Describe the characteristics of a robot.

Understand the roles that robots can perform and the advantages and disadvantages of their use 

Understand what is meant by artificial intelligence (AI).

Describe the main characteristics of AI.

Explain the basic operation and components of AI systems to simulate intelligent behaviour.

Understand the program development life cycle: analysis, design, coding and testing.

Understand that every computer system is made up of sub-systems, which are made up of further sub-systems. Understand how a problem can be decomposed into its component parts. Use different methods to design and construct a solution to a problem

Explain the purpose of a given algorithm.

Understand standard methods of solution.

Understand the need for validation checks to be made on input data and the different types of validation check. Understand the need for verification checks to be made on input data and the different types of verification check.

Suggest and apply suitable test data.

Complete a trace table to document a dry-run of an algorithms.

Identify and suggest ways of correcting of errors in algorithms.

Write and amend algorithms for given problems or scenarios using, pseudocode, program code and flowcharts.

Declare and use variables and constants.

Understand and use basic data types.

Understand and use input and output.

Understand and use the concepts of sequence; selection; iteration, totalling; counting; string handling; and arithmetic, logical and Boolean operators.

 Understand and use nested statements. 

Understand what is meant by procedures, functions and parameters; Define and use procedures and functions, with or without parameters; Understand and use local and global variables.

Understand and use library routines.  

Understand how to create a maintainable program.

Declare and use one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) arrays.

Understand the use of arrays.

Write values into and read values from an array using iteration.

Understand the purpose of storing data in files.

Open, close and use a file for reading and writing.

Define a single-table database from given data storage requirements.

Suggest suitable basic data types.

Understand the purpose of a primary key and identify a suitable primary key for a given database table.

Read, understand and complete structured query language (SQL) scripts to query data stored in a single database table.

Identify and use the standard symbols for logic gates.

Define and understand the functions of the logic gates.

 (a) Use logic gates to create given logic circuits from a: (i) problem statement (ii) logicexpression (iii) truth table (b) Complete a truth table from a: (i) problem statement (ii) logicexpression (iii) logic circuit (c) Write a logic expression from a: (i) problem statement (ii) logiccircuit (iii) truth table.

Understand how and why computers use binary to represent all forms of data

(a) Understand the denary, binary and hexadecimal number systems. (b) Convert between (i) positive denary and positive binary (ii) positive denary and positive hexadecimal (iii) positive hexadecimal and positive binary

Understand how and why hexadecimal is used as a beneficial method of data representation

(a) Add two positive 8-bit binary integers (b) Understand the concept of overflow and why it occurs in binary addition

Perform a logical binary shift on a positive 8-bit binary integer and understand the effect this has on the positive binary integer

Use two’s complement to represent positive and negative 8-bit binary integers

Understand how and why a computer represents text and the use of character sets, including ASCII and Unicode.

Understand how and why a computer represents sound, including the effects of the sample rate and sample resolution.  

3 Understand how and why a computer represents an image, including the effects of the resolution and colour depth

Understand how data storage is measured.

Calculate file sizes for image and sound files

Understand the purpose of and need for data compression.

4 Understand how files are compressed using lossy and lossless file compression methods.