Full syllabus

Topic 01 — Introduction to Computers

What this topic covers, what it does not, and how it is assessed.

Scope. What a computer is and what makes it different from any other electronic device; how computers are classified and compared; and the interface conventions shared by nearly all application software. This topic establishes the vocabulary the rest of the course assumes.

Prior knowledge assumed. None. Learners who have never used a computer outside a phone can start here.

Duration. 3 lessons plus a checkpoint · Weeks 1–3

Content

Lesson 1 — What is a computer?

• Definition of a computer: an electronic device that accepts data, follows stored instructions to process it, produces output, and stores the result

• The characteristics that distinguish a computer: programmability, speed, accuracy, reliability, storage capability, versatility

• Why a device that cannot store and change a program is not a computer

• Data versus information: raw facts against processed facts placed in context

• The stages of the information processing cycle, named only — taught in full in Topic 03, Lesson 1

• The five components of a computer system: hardware, software, data, people, procedures

• Why people and procedures are components and not merely users of the system
• Computers in everyday life: at school, at home, in the wider community

Lesson 2 — Types of computers and features

• Classification by capability and purpose: embedded, mobile, personal, server, mainframe, supercomputer

• Sub-types within each: smartphone, tablet, wearable; desktop, laptop, all-in-one

• Features used to compare types: processing power, memory and storage, number of simultaneous users, portability, power consumption, cost, typical application

• Choosing an appropriate device for a stated user and purpose

• Convergence: single devices absorbing the functions of several
• Devices that belong to more than one category

Lesson 3 — Standard features of applications

• The application window: title bar, ribbon or menu bar, tabs and groups, quick access toolbar, toolbars, scroll bars, status bar, view buttons, zoom control

• The File menu or backstage view, and what belongs there rather than on the ribbon

• Commands that behave identically across applications: New, Open, Save, Save As, Print, Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All, Find, Replace

• The difference between Save and Save As, and when each is correct

• Dialog box elements: tabs, text boxes, drop-down lists, check boxes, radio buttons, spin boxes, sliders; the difference between OK, Apply and Cancel

• Keyboard shortcuts that transfer between applications: Ctrl+N, O, S, P, Z, Y, X, C, V, A, F; Alt+Tab; F1

• Using Help and the ribbon search box instead of guessing

• Transferring these conventions to an application never used before

Key terminology

Learners are expected to define and use these terms.

computer · data · information · hardware · software · procedure · computer system · programmable · embedded computer · server · mainframe · supercomputer · convergence · graphical user interface (GUI) · ribbon · tab · dialog box · status bar · scroll bar · toolbar · shortcut key · file name · file extension · Save As

Not examinable in this topic

• The four stages of the information processing cycle in detail — assessed in Topic 03
• Any specific hardware component — Topic 03
• Operating system functions — Topic 02
• Internal processor architecture, binary and number systems

Assessment

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Checkpoint weighting across the course