Keys to Computer Science

Module Identifier: IC02230
Module Title: Keys to Computer Science
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Semester: Semester 2
Co-ordinator: Ms Rachael Davey
Reading List: View on Aspire
Pre-Requisite: Completion of Semester 1 modules of the IFC or an IELTS score of at least 4.5 in each of the four subskills
Other Staff: Mr Peter Schofield; Ms Maggie Day; Miss Sania Fatima Sayed

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Written Exam: Written examination (2 hours)	40%
Semester Assessment	Practical work: Practical work	40%
Semester Assessment	Presentation: Presentation	20%
Supplementary Assessment	Written Exam: Written examination	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Practical work: Practical work	50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Use technical language in English connected to computer programming and the web, both written and verbal.
Create simple programs in the chosen high level programming language
Create simple websites using HTML5 and CSS3.

Brief description

The module will provide an overview of computer science and provide an introduction to programming concepts and the web. This module aims to provide an overview of computer science, including knowledge of the main components of a computer, programming environments and programming constructs. The practical work associated with the module will involve learning the basics of a high level programming language such as Java or Python and the basics of the web, such as building static web pages using HTML.

Aims

1) To familiarise students with the internal operation of a modern computer.
2) To introduce students to the basics of programming in a high level language.
3) To familiarise students with the concept of the web and the basics of building a website using HTML 5 and CSS 3.

Content

Unit = approx. 2 weeks

Unit-0 Introduction: Computers and how they work

Unit-1 Programming Paradigm: Programming languages, elements, concepts, and types.

Unit-2 Programming language overview and the basic language elements: Language structure, conventions, variables, constants, data types, operators, expressions, statements, blocks.

Unit-3 Conditionals and loops: if-else, switch, break, continue, for, while, do-while, arrays.

Unit-4 Introduction to web-technology: Internet vs web, outline of internet protocols and layering

Unit 5: Basics of web designing: Anatomy of a website, presentations and layouts, hosting and domains, and web development tools.

Unit-6 HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) 5: Basic and advanced tags.
Unit-7
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) 3: Typography, consistency, types of styles, specifying class within HTML document, text rollovers.

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Application of Number	Yes, will need to have / gain some numerical understanding for programming exercises
Communication	Developed by practical reports and presentation
Improving own Learning and Performance	Yes, need to do some independent work
Information Technology	Yes, programming and web development and use of word processing and presentation software.
Personal Development and Career planning	Aimed at preparing for CS (related) degree, leading to a career in that area.
Problem solving	Yes, programming requires solving problems
Research skills	Yes, need to read around subject
Subject Specific Skills	Programming and web development
Team work	Some work may be done as a small group or pairs

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 3