National 5 Computing

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Entry National 4 Computing Science At the discretion of the department Content

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course includes four mandatory units in addition to the course assessment.

Software Design and Development Learners develop knowledge, understanding and practical problem-solving skills in software design and development, through a range of practical and investigative tasks using appropriate software development environments. This develops their programming and computational-thinking skills by implementing practical solutions and explaining how these programs work.

Computer Systems Learners develop an understanding of how data and instructions are stored in binary form and basic computer architecture. They gain an awareness of the environmental impact of the energy use of computing systems and security precautions that can be taken to protect computer systems.

Database Design and Development Learners develop knowledge, understanding and practical problem-solving skills in database design and development, through a range of practical and investigative tasks. This allows learners to apply computational thinking skills to analyse, design, implement, test, and evaluate practical solutions, using a range of development tools such as SQL.

Web Design and Development Learners develop knowledge, understanding and practical problem-solving skills in web design and development, through a range of practical and investigative tasks. This allows candidates to apply computational thinking skills to analyse, design, implement, test and evaluate practical solutions to web based problems, using a range of development tools such as HTML, CSS and Javascript.

Assessment

Coursework Assignment – 31% External Question Paper (2 hours) – 69%

WHAT WILL MY HOME COMMITMENT BE FOR THIS COURSE?

Regular homework will be set by the class teacher. Students can expect to be doing at least 1 hour of study per week which will include a selection of:  End of Topic formal homework ,  Consolidation of notes from previous week /Completion of exercises as home practice.  

IS COMPUTING FOR ME?

You will enjoy this subject if: 

Want to improve the world we live in, get a great job and earn an above average salary?  Recent government announcements state that Scotland will need an estimated 11,000 new digital/ICT workers each year to meet current and future demand. Similarly, a significant number of people do not have the skills to prosper in the digital era. Careers could include - IT Technician, web and software development and computer programming.