Course Pre-requisites. There are no pre- or co-requisites
for this course. The course assumes no background in computing
beyond the ability to use a computer to send email, browse the web,
and write papers. The course is appropriate for students seeking an
understanding of computational principles that will complement their
major field of study. However, this is a technical class and there
will be a certain precision in thinking and problem solving you will
be expected to practice. There is some math, but if you can multiply
and understand place value in numbers, you should be fine.
This course satisfies the Applied Science (AS) Intellectual Explorations requirement.
This is not a computer literacy course.
Instead, some things you will do in this course are:
- Program a simple game using a friendly programming language
designed for elementary school students.
- Run a simulated computer processor, feeding it the numeric codes
that exist in all computer systems.
- Search a small database for information.
- Try out the security mechanisms that allow safe commerce online.
- Learn about the binary number system that allows computers to
represent all types of information, from images to songs to the words
on a page.
Here is the course syllabus, which includes information on getting to
the class website - Syllabus.