Online learning course

ONLINE LEARNING COURSE EDU5644: Online Learning Scenarios

Josmar Borg

TABLE OF CONTENTS Facts: The CPU ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Concepts: The CPU ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Rules: Fetch And Execute Cycle (General Cycle) ....................................................................................... 7 Problem Solving: Fetch And Execute Cycle (Specific Scenarios) ................................................ 9 Attitude: Roles related to an I.T. Department ............................................................................................11

FACTS: THE CPU Title

The CPU

Description of learners Type of Learning

Form 4 Computing students (Track 3/2)

Learning Outcomes

The processor and main memory.

Facts

Students are expected to understand the terms used to describe a CPU:  The terms referring to the main components of the processor, Main Memory & Memory Addresses and System Bus. CU, ALU, Registers: Accumulator, P.C. and I.R., M.A.R, M.D.R The System Bus: Address Bus, Data Bus & Control Bus (read/write line only).

Pre-Requisites

Students should be acquainted about  Computer Fundamentals: Basic Computer diagram

 Concept of a Shift Register and its function inside the CPU Steps Pre-sessions

Activity Resources Students will watch a YouTube video named Online Video Clip: ‘Computer ‘Computer Tour’ Tour’ (http://computer.howstuffworks .com/microprocessor.htm)

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Introduction

Students will be given a complete diagram of the CPU and RAM including the system bus with all components involved?

 Diagram available in the class website (http://sites.google.com/sit e/borgportal)

Students have to classify the components according the hardware they reside in, i.e. classifying them to CPU Components, Main Memory Components and System, Bus Components.

Steps

Step 1 Students are given a glossary handout with the basic components residing in the CPU. They have to match the following registers with their appropriate purpose.

Shift Register Accumulator

Stores the address of the next instruction Contains a copy of the instruction running now

Program Counter

Used to carry out mathematical operations

Instruction Register

Stores the results of mathematical calculations

 Handout CPU Terms  Handout Main Memory Terms  Handout System bus Terms All handouts are available on the class website: (www.sites.google.com/site/bo rgportal)

Step 2 Another handout is given including the terms used with regards to the Main Memory. The students have to complete a True/False exercise.

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True

False

Main memory is a collection of RAM chips.

Main memory is a non-volatile type of memory.

The time to access data from the main memory is less than the time to access data from the hard disk.

Main memory is divided into fixedsize blocks, usually between 512 bytes and 16MB. Main memory locations are called registers

Step 3 Students are provided with a handout about the terms associated with the System Bus including descriptions of the address bus, data bus and control bus.

An exercise is given where the students have to distinguish the characteristics of the three different buses and for each determine which situation (listed in the worksheet) is appropriate.

Step 4 Students have to research and understand the full term and the purpose of the acronyms MAR and MDR. A list of links is provided to guide the students from where to find the information.

They have to post their answers (not copy and paste) on the class forum and the students have to check the posts and post their feedback as a comment to the respective post.

Practice

Students have to prepare a Power Point Presentation using any power point tool of their choice. This should include a jargon list with the components acronym, full term and the purpose of such components.

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Assessment

Upload their presentation on Google docs and share Google Docs Account it with the rest of class (60%) Part of the marks will be given for using the student’s own words rather than copy and paste (40%)

Post - Session

Students should check each others’ work and comment (give feedback) on the class forum.

TWIDUCATE Class Forum

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CONCEPTS: THE CPU Title

The CPU

Description of learners Type of Learning

Form 4 Computing students (Track 3/2)

Learning Outcomes

The processor and main memory.

Defined Concepts

Students are expected to understand the concepts underlying:  The concept underlying the processor as a component that fetches the data from main memory and executes it.  Processor speed, cycles per second expressed in: Hz, KHz (103 Hz), MHz (106 Hz), GHz (109 Hz)  Main memory and memory addresses.

The System Bus: Address Bus and how its width relates to the size of the Address Space. The Data Bus, the computer's word size (or word length). The Control Bus (read/write line only).

Pre-Requisites

Students should be acquainted about  The instruction set as a means of controlling the CPU's circuitry. Opcodes (function codes) & Operands. Concept of a machine code program as a set of instructions.  Concept of stored-program. Concept of language levels: machine code being at a lower level than assembly language (in briefly).

Steps Pre-sessions

Activity Resources Students will watch a YouTube video named ‘About http://www.youtube.com/w Computer Processors (CPU)’ atch?v=qiTt33_3boI&feature =related Students are given an empty diagram of a CPU and they should fill in the components residing inside the  Class Website CPU. Diagram is available on the class website. (www.sites.google.com/site /borgportal)

Introduction

Students are given a handout with information about the CPU, the CPU Speed and the CPU Clock

 Handout CPU Notes #1 found on the class website (www.sites.google.com/site /borgportal)

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Steps

Step 1: Students should follow the online worksheet about CPU and CPU Speed and Performance. They should complete Task 1, 2 & 3 of the worksheet Step 2: Students should follow and understand the online PowerPoint Presentation about RAM and ROM (Main Memory).

They should follow the online Quiz about RAM They should complete Task 4 & 5 of the worksheet provided in Step 1.

Step 3: A handout about the System Bus is provided explaining the role of the Data Bus (it’s width as Word Length), Address Bus (it’s width as Address Space) and the Control Bus.

 Worksheet- CPU and CPU Performance from http://www.teachict.com/ecdl/module_1/wor kbook6/workbook6_answer s.pdf  PowerPoint Presentation about RAM: http://www.authorstream.c om/Presentation/JOJO1990102834-random-accessmemory-storagepresentation4-educationppt-powerpoint/  Quiz about RAM: http://computer.howstuffw orks.com/ram-quiz.htm  Handout The System Bus found on the class website (www.sites.google.com/site /borgportal)

Practice

Students have to answer the worksheet given which will be available from the class website. The worksheet consists of questions about the CPU from the Matsec Past Papers

Assessment & Post - Session

Assessment: based on the work they present (80%)

 Worksheet CPU Assessment Worksheet found on the class website (http://sites.google.com/sit e/borgportal)

TWIDUCATE Class Forum

Post-session: Students should post their difficulties on the class forum. Students should check the forum and comment or give feedback / support to those who posted any query (20%)

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RULES: FETCH AND EXECUTE CYCLE (GENERAL CYCLE) Title

Fetch and Execute Cycle (specific scenarios)

Description of learners Type of Learning

Form 4 Computing students (Track 3/2)

Learning Outcomes

Students are able to understand and remember the rules and the steps involved for the CPU to Fetch instructions from the RAM, decode these instructions and Execute them to output the information desired.

Procedural Information – Rules

Students should appreciate that these steps are a continuous cycle performed by the CPU from the moment we ‘boot up’ the PC to shutting down the PC Pre-Requisites

Students should understand the facts/terminologies (ALU, CU, IR, PC, MAR, MDR, Data Bus, Address Bus, Control Bus, Opcode & Operand) and concepts underlying the CPU and Main Memory (RAM) ...these will be already covered!

Steps Pre-sessions

Activity Resources Students will be provided with an online worksheet  Worksheet Fetch and available from the class website consisting of a Execute Worksheet 3 matching exercise.  Class Website Students should complete the exercise by matching (www.sites.google.com/site the terms with their appropriate description. /borgportal)

Introduction

Students will follow a YouTube video and they have to discuss it with their peers by posting on the class forum and comment on other’s posts

 YouTube video ‘’  TWIDUCATE Class Forum

Steps

Step 1 Students are provided with an online flash animation showing the rules how a CPU Fetches the instructions from RAM and Executes them to give the output expected (as a general procedure).

 Flash Animation (.swf format) available from the class website (www.sites.google.com/site /borgportal)

Students should now provide feedback on the comments they posted during the Introduction phase in order to autonomously provide a better view of the whole Fetch and Execute Cycle

 Flash Player installed (can be downloaded and installed for free)

Step 2 Students should answer the questions (listed below) included in the worksheet provided which is available in the class website.

 Worksheet ‘Fetch & Execute Worksheet 2’ found in the class website (www.sites.google.com/site /borgportal)

1. What happens next when the instruction ‘Add R1 7|P a g e

#4’ residing in memory location ‘1001’ is copied in the I.R? 2. Which instruction is residing in the CPU at present? Give the address of the memory location from the instruction was fetched.

3. If there is an instruction with a branching Opcode, what happens to the Program Counter (PC) when the instruction is copied to the IR? 4. After that an instruction is sent to the ALU and it is then processed by the ALU registers. What happens when the processing finishes?

5. Once the instruction ‘STA R2’ is the copied to the IR and the PC is incremented by 1, what should the next step be?

6. Now that the result of a process is stored in the Accumulator what is the next step? Explain what happens if the MDR does not have enough space to accommodate the result from the Accumulator.

Practice

Students have to prepare a Glogster with the general protocol that a CPU follows to Fetch and Execute the instructions in the RAM Students should follow the assessment criteria handout so they will be aware of what they are expected to do.

Assessment

Post - Session

 Post their answers of the worksheet provided in Step 2 (40%)  Post & share the URL of the Glogster on the Forum (60%) ----

 Glogster Account  Glogster handout found on the class website (http://sites.google.com/sit e/borgportal)

 TWIDUCATE Class Forum

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PROBLEM SOLVING: FETCH AND EXECUTE CYCLE (SPECIFIC SCENARIOS) Title

Fetch and Execute Cycle (specific scenarios)

Description of learners Type of Learning

Form 4 Computing students (Track 3/2)

Learning Outcomes

Students are able to:  Assess the problem of a Fetch and Execute situation  Follow the Fetch & Execute rules as applicable to a specific situation  Apply such rules in a unique sequence and combination to solve a specific situation

Pre-Requisites

Steps Pre-sessions

Problem Solving

 Students should understand the concepts underlying the CPU and Main Memory (RAM)  Students should know the rules involved as a general account of the Fetch and Execute Cycle  Students should know the structure of a Low Level Language (Opcode & Operand) ...this would have already been covered!

Activity Resources Students will be provided with an online animation  Flash animation of the fetch and execute cycle (in a general form), available from the class website. This will serve them as a revision of the rules involved in such a procedure.

Students can also follow the Glogster, about the Fetch & Execute Cycle, created by the students themselves in the previous session!

Introduction

Students are given a worksheet with several brainstorming questions. These would include parts of specific scenarios so the students will try out (from their knowledge and what was previously covered) which part of the Fetch and Execute cycle should take place

 Worksheet available on the Class Website (www.sites.google.com/sits/b orgportal)  TWIDUCATE Class Forum

An agreement of the correct answers should be made through the use of the Class Forum. Students should post their answers and through a textual discussion on the forum they should come to a conclusive answer for every problem.

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Steps

Step 1 Students should follow an online animation to grasp the idea of what actually happens in a real situation (SPECIFIC). How the CPU and the RAM collaborate together through the System Bus to allocate the instructions in the CPU and executes them.

 Online Animation on http://scratch.mit.edu/projec ts/moffboffjoe/2145440  Worksheet named ‘Fetch and Execute Worksheet 4’

Students should identify the differences there might be in the general procedure as related to these specific situations.

Step 2 A worksheet is provided including different scenarios of instructions in the RAM and students should: Create a trace table showing clearly every step involved in the Fetch and Execute cycle to cater for the different scenarios.

Practice

Assessment & Post - Session

Students should consult with the last worksheet and produce a Prezi Presentation showing their solution (including all the steps and rules required to solve the problem)  Post the URL of the Prezi Presentation on the Forum (75%) - Assessment  Constructively comment on the work of their peers (25%) – Assessment & Post Session

 Worksheet named ‘Fetch & Execute Cycle Worksheet 5’  Prezi Account  TWIDUCATE Class Forum

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ATTITUDE: ROLES RELATED TO AN I.T. DEPARTMENT Title

Roles Involved to an I.T. Environment

Description of learners Type of Learning

Form 5 Computing students (Track 3/2)

Learning Outcomes

Thinking (reflection), Feelings & Behaviour  Students will be able to appreciate the fact that there is no hard-and-fast rule about how an IT department is organised, and that this depends very much on the size and complexity of the system to be managed. In smaller departments, some of the roles may be the responsibility of a single individual.

Attitudes

 Students will reflect and act upon their feelings to realise which role they find the most appropriate as their future IT Career. Roles discussed are the following: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Pre-Requisites

Systems Analyst/Designer Programmer I.T. Trainer Data Entry Clerk Web Master Computer technician Computer engineer

 Before starting this online course, the students should understand the role of an IT department in a company. Students should distinguish between an internal IT Department and a leasing IT department.  Students should know how to use a video camera and video editing software (this would have already been covered during the school hours).

Steps Pre-sessions

Activity Students have to make a list of local IT Companies

Resources  Concession Sheets signed by parents, head of school Leasing IT companies are chosen such as Philip and company proprietors Toledo, Conexo etc… and contact with such companies is made. Students are divided into groups and an appointment is set so each group will visit the companies they are set to.

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Introduction

A YouTube video ‘How to Become an IT Professional’ is provided. This gives students a basic idea about the different IT Roles involved in an IT Department A discussion (chatting) on the class Skype group is done and the objective is to ensure that students are well aware of such a department and have concrete knowledge of what it involves.

Steps

Step 1 Students will follow the PowerPoint Presentation provided about the different roles and their job description.

Students should make a list of questions (an interview like) about the role they feel it suits them in order to ask the personnel of the companies they will be visiting.

 Skype  YouTube URL: (http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=yT26Vpptl8&feature=relmfu)

 PREZI Presentation URL  TWIDUCATE Class Forum  Video Camera & Voice Recorder (A mobile can be used to capture videos and record voice)

Their work should be posted on the class forum and students should comment and help each other to develop the questions for this interview.

Step 2 Visit to such companies is done and students have to post their opinions, reflections about the roles involved, objectives and services/products offered by such companies on the class forum.

Students should observe and gather data according to the role they feel is appropriate as their future IT career. Gathering of data includes taking pictures of the working environment, video shots showing different aspects of the company and the personnel during their work and interview recordings

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Practice

Students have to create a video (documentary) of not more than 5min about the role they have chosen stating the job description and why they have chosen such a job. The work should be original and reflects their attitudes and personality with regards to future career.

A handout sheet is provided with guidelines of what to include in the video so as to help the students critically reflect in more depth. Thus, the work produced will have a more of a personal opinion and knowledge rather than common information that can be found on the net.

 Windows Movie Maker or any other Video Editing Suite  Online handout available in the class website (http://sites.google.com/si te/borgportal)

Assessment

Students are assessed through the video/documentary they create. An assessment criteria is provided so that the students will know what the teacher is expecting from them

Online Handout available in the class Website (www.sites.google.com/site/b orgportal) including assessment criteria

Post-Session

All student should upload the video on YouTube (setting it to private) and post their URL on the class forum

 TWIDUCATE Class Forum

Students should evaluate each other’s work and post comment on the class forum creating a textual discussion about their own work

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