Course content
The course has four areas of study:
Software design and development
Candidates develop knowledge and understanding of advanced concepts and practical problem-solving skills in software design and development. They do this by using appropriate modular software development environments. Candidates develop modular programming and computational-thinking skills by analysing, designing, implementing, testing, and evaluating practical solutions and explaining how these programs work. They use their knowledge of data types and constructs to create efficient programs to solve advanced problems.
Computer systems
Candidates develop their understanding of how data and instructions are stored in binary form and factors affecting system performance. They gain an awareness of the environmental impact of intelligent systems, as well as the security risks, precautions and laws that can protect computer systems.
Database design and development
Candidates develop knowledge, understanding and advanced practical problem-solving skills in database design and development. They do this through a range of practical tasks, using a minimum of three linked tables and implemented in SQL. Candidates apply computational thinking skills to analyse, design, implement, test, and evaluate practical solutions, using a range of development tools. Candidates apply interpretation skills to tasks involving some complex features in both familiar and new contexts.
Web design and development
Candidates develop knowledge, understanding and advanced practical problem-solving skills in web design and development. They do this through a range of practical and investigative tasks. Candidates apply computational-thinking skills to analyse, design, implement, test, and evaluate practical solutions to web-based problems, using a range of development tools including HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript. Candidates apply interpretation skills to tasks involving some complex features in both familiar and new contexts
Assessment
The course has been customarily assessed through a combination of practical assignment (carried out in class) and a final written exam.
Assignment: 50 marks
Exam: 110 marks
