COMPUTER SCIENCE - STANDARD LEVEL

COMPUTER SCIENCE - STANDARD LEVEL New Syllabus for 2023/24 Cohort

Aims: The key aims of the Computer Science IB curriculum are:

• Design, model and implement solutions to local and global problems • Acquire and apply a body of knowledge, methods, tools, and techniques that characterise computer science • Develop a willingness and resilience to approach unfamiliar situations and real-world problems • Develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise information and claims relating to technological systems • Understand computer science as an iterative and creative process

Computational thinking lies at the heart of the course, and it is this ability to breakdown problems, and tackle projects logically, that will benefit students across their IB qualification.

Course Description:

Students with an interest in pursuing any kind of career with computers or in developing their analytical problem-solving skills should consider Computer Science. It is a practical, yet academically rigorous subject offering students a detailed view of how computers work and how systems can be developed (programmed) to work on them. Successful computer systems result from a systematic approach to problem solving along with a sound technical understanding of how computers operate. The aim of the course is to develop both of these aspects of understanding. While learning to programme is a significant element of the course, the primary purpose of this course is not to be a vocational programming course, but to allow complex theoretical concepts to be explored practically and experimentally.  The course is broken into two written papers (70%) and an internal assessment (30%).

Standard level students will study the following:

• Systems in theory • Systems in context • Systems in practice   • Internal Assessment

Requirements:

Past experience shows that students will be able to study computer science at SL successfully with no background in, or previous knowledge of, computer science. Their approach to study, characterized by specific IB learner profile attributes, inquirers, thinkers and communicators, will be significant here. However a solid grounding in Maths would be advantageous.

Career Path:

There is no career path that does not involve computing or problem solving to some degree. Software is increasingly used and developed in all walks of life and a solid knowledge of computational theory gives students the chance to be a part of this. For students interested in further study at university, Computer Science also complements many engineering,

science, mathematical, business and management courses. According to experts, some 62% of the growth in jobs in science-related fields will be in computer science.

Comparison between this course and A-Level:

The standard level IB course is designed to be an introduction to computer science and is therefore not as challenging as the A-Level or Higher Level. The syllabus focuses on the building blocks of computer theory allowing students to develop a strong sense of computational thinking, without the complexity of language specific study or large coursework tasks.

Contact for further information:

David Fourie: david.fourie@tts.edu.sg