| Topic 1—System fundamentals (20 hours) |
|---|
| Planning and system installation |
| System Context Identification |
| Navigating Compatibility Issues in Technology Mergers |
| Troubleshooting Data Migration Issues |
| Comparing Client Hardware Implementation with Remote Hosting Systems |
| Custom Installation Options |
| Types of Testing |
| Revamping Your Organizational Strategy: An Overview of Change Management |
| User focus |
| Creating Effective User Documentation |
| Effective Strategies for Documenting User Experiences |
| Innovative Approaches to Delivering User Training |
| System backup |
| Causes of Data Loss |
| Data Loss: Understanding the Causes |
| Lessons from Losing Data |
| Effective Methods for Preventing Data Loss |
| Mitigating the Effects of Data Loss |
| Creating Effective Data Backup Strategies |
| Improving Data Security and Privacy Measures |
| Choosing the Right RAID Configuration |
| Software deployment |
| Managing Releases and Updates Strategies |
| Components of a computer system |
| Exploring Computer Roles in a Networked World |
| Discussion of Social and Ethical Issues in a Networked World |
| Introduction to Computer Terminology |
| System design and analysis |
| Techniques for Collecting Information to Arrive at a Workable Solution |
| Illustrating System Requirements with Suitable Representations |
| Demonstrating Proposed System to Clients with Prototypes |
| Exploring the Importance of User Involvement in Design Process |
| Discussing Social and Ethical Issues Associated with the Introduction of New IT Systems |
| Obtaining Requirements from Stakeholders |
| The Significance of Iteration in Design |
| Identifying Relevant Stakeholders for System Planning |
| Human interaction with the system |
| Creating a User-Friendly Interface |
| Identifying Usability Issues with Digital Devices |
| Identifying Usability Problems in a System |
| Exploring the Implications of Human-Machine Interaction |
| Improving System Accessibility |
| Topic 2—Computer organization (6 hours) |
| Computer architecture |
| Exploring the Components of a CPU and Its Architecture |
| Explaining the machine instruction cycle |
| Explaining Cache Memory Use without Numbers |
| Understanding Primary Memory: Differentiating between RAM and ROM usage |
| Secondary memory |
| Identifying the Need for Persistent Storage |
| Operating systems and application systems |
| Describing Operating System Functions |
| Identifying Common Features of Applications |
| Using Various Application Software |
| Binary representation |
| Introduction to Digital Number Systems |
| Exploring Data Representation in Computers |
| Simple logic gates |
| Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR and XOR |
| Constructing Truth Tables with Operators |
| Logic Diagrams with Gates |
| Topic 3—Networks (9 hours) |
| Network fundamentals |
| Identifying Network Types |
| Breaking Down Communication Networks into Different Layers |
| Evaluate the use of a VPN |
| Data Transmission Lesson |
| Exploring Protocol and Data Packet Definitions |
| Explaining the Importance of Data Compression for Network Transmission |
| Exploring Transmission Media Characteristics |
| Explaining the Process of Transmitting Data through Packet Switching |
| Explaining Variations in Data Transmission Speed Across Networks |
| Wireless networking |
| Exploring Wireless Network Pros and Cons |
| Exploring the Components of a Wireless Network |
| Exploring the Features of Wireless Networks |
| Evaluating Pros and Cons of Network Security Methods |
| Different Methods of Network Security |
| Topic 4—Computational thinking, problem-solving and programming (45 hours) |
| Thinking procedurally |
| The Importance of Sub-Procedures in Problem Solving |
| Thinking logically |
| Identify the decisions required for the solution to a specified problem |
| Explaining the Relationship Between Decisions and Conditions in a System |
| Deducing Logical Rules for Real-World Situations |
| Identifying Decision Making in Specific Situations |
| Thinking ahead |
| Identifying Solution Inputs and Outputs |
| Explaining the Importance of Pre-Conditions in Algorithm Execution |
| Outlining pre- and post-conditions for a problem |
| Exception Identification in Problem Solutions |
| Thinking concurrently |
| Using Concurrent Processing to Solve Problems |
| Thinking abstractly |
| Understanding Abstraction Concepts |
| Understanding Standard Algorithms for Linear Arrays |
| Construct pseudocode to represent an algorithm |
| Efficiency of Algorithm in Context of Use |
| Determining Algorithm Step Execution Frequencies |
| Nature of programming languages |
| Distinguishing Fundamental and Compound Operations of a Computer |
| Explaining the essential features of a computer language |
| Exploring the Importance of High-Level Programming Languages |
| Translating Higher Level Languages to Machine Executable Code |
| Use of programming languages |
| Introduction to Programming Concepts |
| Introduction to Operators in Programming |
| Analyse the use of variables, constants and operators in algorithms |
| Characteristics and Applications of a Collection |
| Constructing Algorithms with Collection Access Methods |
| The Importance of Sub-Programmes and Collections in Programmed Solutions |
| Topic 5—Abstract data structures (23 hours) |
| Thinking recursively |
| Recursive thinking for situational identification |
| Recursive Thinking in Problem Solutions |
| Tracing Recursive Algorithms for Problem Solving |
| Abstract data structures |
| Exploring Stacks: Characteristics and Applications |
| Building Algorithms with Stack Access Methods |
| Understanding Queues: Applications and Characteristics |
| Constructing Algorithms with Queue Access Methods |
| Using Arrays as Static Stacks and Queues |
| Linked lists |
| How Linked Lists Operate Logically |
| Sketch linked lists (single, double and circular) |
| Trees |
| Introduction to Tree Structures: Understanding Parents, Children, Subtrees, Roots and Leaves |
| Tree Traversal Results |
| Creating Binary Trees using Sketching Techniques |
| Applications |
| Dynamic Data Structures |
| Comparing Static and Dynamic Data Structures |
| Topic 6—Resource management (8 hours) |
| System resources |
| Identifying limitations of resources in a computer system |
| Role of the operating system |
| Topic 7—Control (14 hours) |
| Centralized control systems |
| Automatic doors control systems |
| Heating systems control systems |
| Taxi meter control systems |
| Elevator control systems |
| Washing machine control systems |
| Process control systems |
| Device driver control systems |
| Domestic robot control systems |
| GPS systems control systems |
| Traffic light control systems |
| Topic – Options (SL 30 hours/HL 45 hours): D—Object-oriented programming |
| Objects as a programming concept |
| Features of OOP |
| Program development |
| Advanced program development |