Computer Science

Introduction

“Allah, none deserves to be worshipped except Him; The Ever-Living, Ever-Sustaining. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him, except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Footstool extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, The Most Gracious.”

Ayat Al-Kursi | Surah Baqarah [2:255]

Taught By: Mrs Kalthoum Khalladi TTC (Quran), Madina; BSc (Hons), MA Education; PGCE; QTS, London

and Mr Anubhav Gautam BSc(Hons) Computer Science, PGCE;QTS, London

Being acquainted in Computer Science is vital for students in order to participate in a promptly changing world driven by the fast growing information and communication revolution together with the tremendous capabilities of new technologies. Thus our school is determined to provide appropriate, fully integrated, functional and supported resources in order to offer the highest level of education to all students together with the efficient support to teachers and staff members to enhance their performances in this subject.

In September 2014, we replaced ICT by Computer Science (CS) at KS 3 and KS 4, following the national curriculum. Computing is concerned with the teaching of computational thinking, how computers and computer systems are designed and programmed, how they work and how to make best use of them in all aspectes of life. Our new approacjh is to amalgemate Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology. Curriculum Summary: The Computing Science Department continues to undergo huge development. Computer Science is taught in a dedicated specialist room and has dedicated two lessons per week in a discrete form. The equipment is up to date and students have facilities to work creatively with a range of hardware and software programs including those to produce video, sound, animations, still images, games and to control events. Our philosophy is based on developing confident and independent users who will continue to use the capability gained at Islamia Girls School throughout their lives, regrdless their career paths. Aims :

To give students a broad education that encourages creativity;
To equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand computers and computer systems;
To understand how computation may be applied to the solution of problems and change the world for the better;
To understand how telecommunications equipment work and how they may be applied to the storage, retrieval, transmission and manipulation of data;
To build and develop the ability to effectively, responsibly, safely and critically navigate, evaluate and create digital artefacts using a range of digital technologies.

Objectives:

Students should be understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation;
Students should be able analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer
programs in order to solve such problems;
Students should be able to evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems;
Students should become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

KS3

At KS3 we cover the following:

- Design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems;
- Understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking [for example, algorithms for sorting and searching]; use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem;
- Use two or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems; make appropriate use of data structures [for example, lists, tables or arrays]; design and develop modular programs that use procedures or functions;
- Understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming;
- Understand how numbers can be represented in binary, and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers [for example, binary addition, and conversion between binary and decimal];
- Understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems;
- Understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system;
- understand how data of various types (including text, sounds and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits;
- Undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users;
- Create, re-use, revise and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability;
- Understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct and know how to report concerns.

Year 7 We follow the National Curriculum Programme of Study. Although the focus has shifted from an ICT based curriculum to Computer Science, in year 7 there is still some focus on the learning of ICT topics. Students build confidence in using the PC as a tool where they learn the basics of word processing, DTP, Spreadsheets, Graphic manipulation / editing, web authoring, HTML coding and advanced search techniques using the World Wide Web. In addition to this, students learn about the dangers of the internet including issues of e-safety, and learn skills in critically analysing internet content. Students also begin to learn some of the fundamental programming concepts through the use of visual programming editors, such as Blockly and Scratch. Year 8 In year 8 students have a greater focus on programming, starting with LOGO programming. They then further the work done in year 7 on visual programming editors through advanced scratch, and Construct2 game programming. Algorithms and flowchart documentation is introduced alongside the programming to give a holistic experience of designing computer based systems. Students then transition to textual programming using the Python programming language where they learn to code, starting from the most basic programming statements, to further work with numbers and conditional programming. Students also learn about strings and string manipulation. Additionally, students undertake some physical programming activities, using devices such as Edison Robotics. The year is completed with a computer systems unit. Here, students learn about the IPO model of computing including IPO hardware devices, software, and systems development methodologies used in industry. Year 9 This is a bridging year when students review and are thoroughly tested on their CS capabilities and skills. Students then begin learning KS4 topics in Computer Science, such as programming, database management systems, e-safety, and data representation. Students also undertake some physical programming using devices such as the BBC Micro:Bit, and Raspberry Pi. By the end of this year students will have successfully completed a written examination based upon the theory they have learnt, as well as completed many practical pieces similar to GCSE controlled assessment tasks.

Internet Safety:

Although Islamia girls School offers a safe online environment through filtered internet access we recognise the importance of teaching our students about online safety and their responsibilities when using communication technology, as well as setting out regulations that all users should comply to. This topic is also covered as part of our PSHE provision in key stage 3 during Tutorials and through CS lessons.

KS4

During year 10 and yeaR 11 we offer Edexcel Computing Science GCSE programme during which students carry on developing their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media and information technology. Students also develop and apply their analytic, problemsolving, design, and computational thinking skills as well as understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity, and how to identify and report a range of concerns.

The Qualification objectives are:

The aims of the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE in Computer Science are to enable learners to:

Develop knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science;
develop and apply computational thinking skills to analyse problems and design solutions across a range of contexts;
gain practical experience of designing, writing, and testing computer programs that
accomplish specific goals;
develop the ability to reason, explain and evaluate computing solutions;
develop awareness of current and emerging trends in computing technologies;
develop awareness of the impact of computing on individuals, society and the environment, including ethical, legal and ownership issues;
communicate computer science concepts and explain computational solutions clearly and concisely using appropriate terminology.

Assessment

At KS 3 continuous assessment through End of Units’ tests, written internal exams and practical projects are the main source of assessment data collection. At KS 4, uderstanding and applying the principles of logic, decomposition, algorithms, data representation and communication are assessed through : 1- The intellectually challenging written examination paper, ‘Principles of Computer Science’, with a weighting of 75% that requires a high level of computational thinking; 2- A controlled assessment, that tests Practical programming skills and has a weighting of 25%.

Recommended resources:

The following website has all the recommended resources and all necessary information for the course:

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/computer-science-2013.html

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/computer-science-2016.html

Homework

Homework at KS3 is regularly built into the project assignments and these are not normally computer based. At KS4, portfolio building and practical homework tasks are essential to achieving the qualification and computer access, either at home or after school is essential. All students are expected to have a USB memory stick which they are expected to bring to school everyday.

Trips

Annual trip for year 8s to Lego Land to attend different workshops about robotics and the use of IT in real scenarios.