A Level

In Cambridge

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    A Level

  • Location

    Cambridge

  • Duration

    2 Years

AS/A2 Computers play a vital role in life today. Equipment to monitor premature babies, satellite navigation devices in cars, computer-aided design for tools, civil engineering projects, spacecraft, computer games and of course the Internet: no part of modern medicine, transport, industry, education or leisure would function without them. If you would like to explore not only current.

Important information

Government funding available

Facilities

Location

Start date

Cambridge (Cambridgeshire )
See map
Long Road, CB2 8PX

Start date

On request

About this course

:
Five Grade Cs at GCSE in appropriate subjects including Maths. You do not need any prior knowledge of Computing or ICT.

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Course programme


AS/A2 Computing
AS/A2 Computers play a vital role in life today. Equipment to monitor premature babies, satellite navigation devices in cars, computer-aided design for tools, civil engineering projects, spacecraft, computer games and of course the Internet: no part of modern medicine, transport, industry, education or leisure would function without them. If you would like to explore not only current computational power, but also play a part in the future of computing and computer programming, are a logical thinker and confident with numbers, then this is the course for you.

AS Course Content
The AS course comprises two units:
1. Problem Solving, Programming, Data Representation and Practical Exercise
The emphasis of this course is on problem solving and computational thinking. This is the foundation on which you can build your programming solutions. You will spend some of your lesson time learning to program using Python. Python is a very high level program language (VHLL) which is ideal for beginner programmers. In this unti you will learn to write algorithms to solve a range of problems and then to code them using Python.
Assessment: 2 hour on-screen exam (60%)
2. Computer Components, The Stored Program Concept and The Internet.
This unit focuses on the hardware and software aspects of Computing and the social and economic consequences of Computing. This unit will run alongside unit 1. Some lessons will be spent learning the fundamentals of computer systems. This includes an overview of different types of software, what hardware a computer consists of, how computers communicate and basic networking principles, including the difference between the Internet and the Web.
Assessment: 1 hour written exam (40%)

A2 Course Content
The A2 course comprises a further two units:
3. Problem Solving, Programming, Operating Systems, Databases and Networking.
This unit focuses on computational thinking, what can be computed, programming and problem solving. You will learn object-oriented programming in preparation for the practical project. Other important topics cover database design, modern operating systems and networking.
Assessment: two and a half hour written exam (60%)%
4. The Computing Practical Project
You will produce a major piece of coursework as a solution to a real-life problem for a real user, analysed, designed and programmed by you. Ideally you will find your own user for whom you can solve a problem and who you can involve in the analysis, design and testing stages of your project. You will produce a printed report detailing all the stages of system development for your solution.
Assessment: coursework (40%)

Is Computing for me?
You will enjoy and benefit from Computing if you:
  • are keen to develop your problem solving and programming skills;
  • want to understand the internal structure of computers and how they operate;
  • are considering following a career in software development / support.

Please note that Computing and ICT are two very different AS/A level subjects. Both are offered at Long Road. Make sure you look at the ICT course description as well.

Computing and your future
Computing, Software Engineering or any other science at university. If you are interested in studying Computing or Software Engineering at university, and want the widest choice of course and university, then you should take A-Level Maths with Computing. Computing combines well with Physics, Maths and Electronics.

Visits & Visitors
Some AS Computing students are invited to the annual Microsoft Christmas Lecture. Last year this was run in combination with Cambridge University Computer Lab under the title â€OEThe Future of Computer Science†, and 20 students came back to college full of enthusiasm for the subject.

Students in both year groups are encouraged to enter the British Informatics Olympiad. This requires students to program solutions to set problems under timed conditions.

AS/A2 Computing

Price on request