Category Archives: Computing Higher

2. Software Development, Computing Higher

One Dimensional Arrays

A 1D array is a data structure that can be thought of like a list. For example if you were asked to create a program that stores five names you might think that you could use 5 variables, what about a program that stores 20 or even 1000?

To create an array we use the DIM command but we add in a new piece of information.

DIM Number(5) as Integer

Continue reading One Dimensional Arrays →

Computing Higher, Not in the exam

Computing and Universities.

From CompEdNet

The  24 Russell Group universities, which include University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow, have released their “Informed Choices” guidance for Post-16 Education and Computing (and in the future Computing Science) has a new position in the guide as being recognised as essential or useful for a wide variety of courses. This is a significant development for Computing Science and the position of the subject in the curriculum moving forward.  It also is recognition of the work carried out by the HE, FE and Schools sectors in developing the new Curriculum for Excellence courses to more closely relate to the needs of further study of Computing Science in HE.

You can download the document at http://russellgroup.org/InformedChoices-latest.pdf

This version now includes Higher or Advanced Higher Computing (and, in future, Computing Science) as “Essential” for:

  • Some Computing/Computer Science degrees
  • Teacher Education degrees

and as “Useful” for :

  • Aeronautical Engineering
  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • All Computing/Computer Science degrees
  • Economics
  • Electrical/Electronic Engineering
  • Engineering (General)
  • Geology
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Medicine
  • Optometry (Opthalmic Optics)
  • Orthoptics
  • Pharmacy
  • Psychology
  • Physics
  • Sociology

at all 24 Russell Group universities.

Computing Higher, Revision

Prep for the prelims

Well you have put in the work and you have managed to get your coursework completed and handed in. Well if not we will be having a conversation in the new year. The next big thing is the prelim, so how do you go about preparing for it? Well first of all make sure you have all the notes I have given you in some kind of order and that you have not lost any of them.

Past paper based revision

Using the two documents above,

  1. Answer the next 5 marks from section 1 (Remember to mark them off)
  2. Answer the next full question from section 2 (Remember to mark them off)
  3. Use the SQA site to check the answers, make a note of what you got wrong for future study.
  4. Create flash cards with the question on one side and the answer on the other.

The whole thing should take you about 40-50 minutes, you should be doing this 4-5 times a week. Don’t worry if you think that at the start it’s all computer systems, it will randomise quite quickly.

Computing Higher, Revision

Things you should be doing!

  • Looking over all course material covered so far.
  • Looking forward and reading ahead in the notes.
  • VB coursework tasks from previous years.
  • Reading the old posts on the blog.
  • Using past papers.
  • USING SCHOLAR!

You need to be proactive in Higher, you need to be challenging  yourself and testing your limits. Take a past paper and attempt to complete it. When you struggled with parts was that because we have not covered it yet or you haven’t looked at it in the last 2 months?

Computing Higher, Homework

Homework Session – Procedures and functions

  • Presenter:      Ian King, SCHOLAR Online Tutor for Computing.
  • When:              Wednesday  11 December  7.30 – 8.15pm.
  • Theme:            Higher Computing – Procedures and functions
Adobe Link (sign in as a guest):   http://heriot-watt.adobeconnect.com/scholarhomework
There will be an opportunity for students to participate in a Q&A session at the end of the presentation.