Foundations of Computing: People Oriented
Local Key FOUNDP Hemis Key U13666 Base Key 6803
Credit Points 20 Lecturer Dr Janet Delve Coordinator Dr Janet Delve
Delivery Mode Campus - Semesterised Release Status A Materials  
Normal Level 1 Notional Study Hours 200 Standard Hours 48
Scheduled Activities Lectures = 24, Seminars = 24. Min Student Numbers 20 Max Student Numbers 100
Prereq Named None Postreq Named None Coreq Named None
Excluded Combinations None Dependancies None Prereq Statement None
Ass Weight Exam 100 Ass Weight Con   Ass Weight Other  

Abstract

The unit falls into two distinct strands; mathematics for computing; and the social and historical development of computing, each strand having their own separate teaching and assessment arrangements.

Aims

1  To provide the mathematical and statistical skills and techniques necessary for successful completion of a computing degree and to enable students to examine critically the foundations of computing in terms of their historical and social background and context. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able, at threshold level, to:

1  Apply and use basic mathematical notation appropriate for the computing subject area. 
2  Apply and use basic mathematical methods and rules. 
3  Identify the principal historical, social, economic and technical changes that have affected the development of computing. 
4  Show how computing and related technologies are rooted in, and reflect the values of the cultures which produced them. 

Learning and Teaching Strategy

The unit is delivered via traditional style lectures and interactive tutorials (online for the historical/social material and face to face for the mathematical) focussed on the syllabus. Students are actively encouraged to reflect upon and practise learning skills.

Overall Assessment Strategy

The mathematical section of each examination enables students to demonstrate their understanding of the basic mathematical concepts required in the computing discipline and covers learning outcomes 1 and 2. To ensure their understanding of the mathematics concepts, the use of calculators will not be permitted in the final assessment. A practice computer based examination will be made available for students to attempt as preparation fo the final assessment. The historical/social aspects section of each examination will test the students' knowledge of the impact of societal and historical change on the development of computing, and also their ability to analyse discursive papers in both these areas. This will cover learning outcomes 3 and 4.

Assessment Schedule and Strategy

1  Examination  50  Computer-marked mathematics and historical/social aspects examination. 
2  Examination  50  Computer-marked mathematics and history/social aspects examination. 

Named awards using this unit

Pathway Name Unit Level Semester Status Pathway Status
BSc (Honours) eCommerce and Internet Systems  1  S  C   
BSc (Honours) Computing and the Information Society  1  S  C   

Syllabus Outline

The topics covered in the unit will include:

1  The topics for mathematics/statistics will normally include: Mathematical notation - special symbols, combinations, set notation. 
2  Number bases - emphasis will be on binary, with an introduction to octal and hexadecimal. 
3  Fractions, percentages and ratios. 
4  Matrices - order, square, identity, addition, subtraction, multiplication, multiplication by a constant. 
5  The Straight Line - including co-ordinates. 
6  Solving Pairs of Simultaneous Equations. 
7  Sources of data - sampling. 
8  Diagrammatic Representation of Data - tables, histograms, scatter plots. 
9  Averages and Measures of Dispersion. 
10  Using Computer packages to aid data analysis. 
11  Correlation and Regression. 
12  Probability Distributions - the normal distribution , the Poisson distribution. 
13  The topics for the history/social aspects dovered in the unit will normally include: Computing Developments 
14  Introduction and background. 
15  Pre-history. 
16  Mechanical computation - The Difference Engine. 
17  The Turing Machine. 
18  The Stored Program Computer. 
19  High level languages. 
20  The development of the PC. 
21  The development of the Internet. 
22  The Information Society. 
23  Motivation at Work. 
24  Cyberculture. 
25  Mobile Futures. 

Work Plan

Nil

Indicative Reading

  Morris, C., Quantitative Approaches in Business Studies, Pitman, 1996, Y 
  Rowntree, D., Statistics without Tears: a primer for non-mathematicians, Penguin, 1991, 0140136320, Y 
  Huff, D., How to lie with Statistics, Penguin, 1954, Y 
  Aspray, W. and Campbell-Kelly, M., A History of the Information Machine, n/a, 2004, 0813342643, Y 
  Bell, D., An Introduction to Cybercultures, London: Routledge, 2001, 0415246598, Y 
  McGinn, R.E., Science, Technology and Society, Upper Saddle River NJ, Prentice Hall, 1991, 0137947364, Y 
  Robins, K. & Webster F., Times of the Technoculture, Routledge, 1999, 0415161169, Y 
  Curwin, J and Slater, R, Improve Your Maths, Thompson Publishing, 2000, 1861525516, Y 

Practicals

Nil

Resources

Nil

Level 3 Key Skills Opportunities

Key Skills CO 3.1, 3.3 Key Skills NO 3.3 Key Skills IT 3.1
Key Skills PS None Key Skills ILP 3.1 Key Skills WO 3.2, 3.3

Administrative details

Owning Department School of Computing Programme Area Computing and Multimedia Owning Institution University of Portsmouth
Assessment Board School of Computing Responsible FHQA Technology Subject Group Humanities
External Examiner *To Be Advised Programme Coord Mr Chris Pearson University Cost Centre  
Effective Session 2006/07 Withdrawn Date   Suspend Date  
Review Date   Major Release Date 2006-10-01 00:00:00 Minor Release Date  

Notes

None

History

History Version History Date Change Style History Detail
1.0  2006-01-24 00:00:00  N  New unit. (C Pearson/JA). 
1.1  2006-02-16 00:00:00  M  Removed CS, BIS, CMP & SE pathways. EIS & CIS pathways changed to Spanning. MS/JH)