Subject: Computer Science
Syllabus Number: OCR J277
Teacher who leads the subject: Mrs H Williams
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Why study Computer Science?
In the same way the students benefit from a knowledge of physical and natural sciences in order to understand the world in which they live, students increasingly need to know something about the Computer Science that underlies the digital world. Research shows that although many young people are confident using a range of digital devices, few are able to program them and design their own applications.
OCR’s GCSE Computer Science course will give you an in-depth understanding of how computer technology works and a look at what goes on ‘behind the scenes’. Through the study of computational thinking and programming, the course will help you to develop critical thinking, analysis and problem solving skills. For many, it is a fun and interesting way to develop these skills, which can be transferred to other subjects and applied in day-to-day life.
Computer Science continues to have a growing importance. This means there will be an increasing demand for professionals who are qualified in this area.
Outline of syllabus content:
Component 01: Computer systems
Introduces students to the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, data representation, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. It also looks at ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with Computer Science.
Component 02: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming
Students develop skills and understanding in computational thinking: algorithms, programming techniques, producing robust programs, computational logic, translators and data representation.
Practical Programming
Students are given the opportunity to undertake a programming task(s) during their course of study which allows them to develop their skills to design, write, test and refine programs using a high-level programming language. Students will be assessed on these skills during the written examinations, in particular component 02 (section B).
Assessment
The course is assessed by a combination of two written papers:
- Component 1 – Computer systems (worth 50%) 1 hour 30 minutes
- Component 2 – Computational thinking, algorithms and programming (worth 50%) 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional information is available on the Curriculum Overview section of the website - click here