COMP00900: Foundation in Computer Science (2013-2014)
This is an archived syllabus from 2013-2014
Pre-requisites: No Pre-requisites
Co-requisites: No Co-requisites
Duration: 1 afternoon each week, for the last 6 weeks of semester 1 and 11 weeks in semester 2
Course Leader: John Latham
Course leader: John Latham
Additional staff: view all staff
| Semester | Event | Location | Day | Time | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sem 1 w1-5 | Lab | Toot 0 | Fri | 14:00 - 17:00 | - |
| Sem 1 w7-12 | Lab | Toot 0 | Fri | 13:00 - 16:00 | - |
| Sem 1 w7 | Lab | Toot 0 | Fri | 12:00 - 13:00 | - |
| Sem 2 | Lab | Toot 0 | Mon | 14:00 - 17:00 | - |
| Sem 2 w27,32-33 | Lab | Collab 1 | Mon | 14:00 - 16:00 | - |
| Sem 2 w32-33 | Lab | Collab 1 | Tue | 15:00 - 17:00 | - |
Coursework: 0%
Lab: 0%
Introduction
This is the version of the "FOUNFS002" course-unit for Foundation students, as run in Computer Science for students who have selected this specialisation.
Aims
The main aim of this project is to introduce you to the discipline of Computer Science.
The generic objectives and deliverables (ICT skills, finding information, writing reports, making presentations, etc.) are important, but much more important is to show you how Computer Science differs from other disciplines, and also from some of your previous computing experiences (e.g. using Microsoft Windows and Office, or playing computer games).
In particular, Computer Science is about creating applications, rather than just using them, so it involves a lot of practical work. You have to be able to analyse and research a problem, and then design, implement and validate a solution. Usually, this means using computer languages to create or modify programs, but it can also involve building hardware, and being aware of the limitations of the hardware and software platforms that you are using. It also usually involves using much more specialised and powerful tools than ordinary users.
We also want you to develop your intellectual skills (e.g. to be able to compare alternatives to select the best in a given context) and professionalism (e.g. to be aware of the range of possible alternatives, or at least be able to find out about them).