Section outline

  • What a computer actually is, how it turns raw data into useful information, and where you already meet computers every day without noticing them.

    By the end of this module you will be able to:

    1. Define a computer. Explain in your own words what makes a device a computer, and give three examples that are not laptops.
    2. Describe the cycle. Describe the four stages of the information processing cycle and give an example of each.
    3. Separate data and information. Explain the difference between data and information using an example from your own school day.
    4. Identify the five parts. Name the five parts of a computer system and explain why people and procedures count as parts.

    These four objectives are what the end-of-module quiz measures. The full subject syllabus for this module is listed separately in Module 01 — full syllabus.