Computer Science

Computers are used in almost all aspects of our daily lives and throughout business.  To be able to solve new problems and create new things on computers we have to be able to program them, and this module is designed to introduce you to programming and problem solving with a computer.  It introduces you to formulating an algorithm to solve a problem and the skills to write, test and debug a program.  Software development in teams is common in industry and this module also gives you practice at team problem solving and programming.

This module is an introductory course in computer programming. It will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of computer algorithms and programming with a strong emphasis practical implementation and teach you to apply analytical and problem-solving skills to design and implementation of small applications.

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:
1 design an algorithm using sequence, iteration and selection;
2 write, compile, test, and debug a computer program;
3 explain how a program written in a procedural language is translated into a form that allows it to be executed on a computer;
4 systematically test programs developed;
5 document software to accepted standards;
6 interpret a design specification and write a program that conforms to it;
7 work in teams to develop software.
Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:
8 systematically break down a problem into its components;
9 understand and choose appropriate programming techniques.
Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and  Knowledge:
10 analyse a problem and synthesize a solution;
11 use technical manuals and books to interpret specifications and technical errors.
12 present a team design and implementation to a technical audience.

Problem solving and programming overview; Python as a language; statements, comments and simple arithmetic operations; variables, scope and data types; control flows, conditionals, loops and iterations; algorithms and pseudo-codes; functions and encapsulation; debugging and testing; strings, lists and mutability; tuples and dictionaries; input and output, files reading and writing; introduction to development of software in a business context; team project.

If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.
If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 40% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: