BTEC Level 3 Computing for Creative

Industries

Unit 01

Fundamentals of Computer Science

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Table of Contents
Key terms ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Topics .................................................................................................................................................... 10
Computational thinking .................................................................................................................... 10
Standard methods and techniques used to develop algorithms ...................................................... 10
Programming paradigms................................................................................................................... 10
Types of programming ...................................................................................................................... 10
Exam-style questions ............................................................................................................................ 11
How to approach written questions ..................................................................................................... 12
Revision resources ................................................................................................................................ 13
Object oriented programming concepts........................................................................................... 13
Event driven programming ............................................................................................................... 13
Procedural programming .................................................................................................................. 13
Standard algorithms.......................................................................................................................... 13
Web development ............................................................................................................................ 13
Flowcharts and pseudocode ............................................................................................................. 13

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Key terms

Complete this list as you study for Unit 01; you are expected to understand, be able to use, and
correctly spell all of the key terms in this list.

Term Meaning

Abstraction

Algorithm

Alphanumeric

Arithmetic functions (round, truncate)

Arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /, %)

Array (single-, multi- dimensional)

Binary search

Boolean

Branch

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Bubble sort

Callback function

Character

Class

Concatenation

Condition

Constants

Constraints (validation)

Control structure

Count occurrence algorithm

Data hiding

Data type

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Decision

Definite iteration

Encapsulation

Event

Event driven programming

Event loop

Event handler

FIFO

Flowchart

Floating point

FOR

Function

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Global variable

Indefinite iteration

Indentation

Inheritance

Input validation

Insertion sort

Instance

Integer

Iterative control

LIFO

Linear search

List

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Local variable

Main loop

Object

Object oriented programming

Output

Overloading

Paradigm

Platform

Protocol

Postcheck action

Polymorphism

Procedure

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Procedural programming

Pseudocode

Quick sort

Repetition

Records

Relational operator

Reusability

Scope

Service oriented processing

Sub routine

Sequence

Statement

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Structure

Serial search

Sets

Strings

Time driven

Translation

Trigger function

Variable

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Topics

Computational thinking
 Decomposition
 Pattern recognition
 Pattern generalisation and abstraction
 Algorithm design

Standard methods and techniques used to develop algorithms

 Structured English
 Flowcharts

Programming paradigms
 Handling data within a program
 Arithmetic operations
 Built-in functions
 Validating data
 Control structures
 Data structures
 Common/standard algorithms

Types of programming
 Procedural programming
 Object-oriented programming
 Event driven programming
 Coding for the web
 Translation

For further information about the contents of each section, please see the specification.

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Exam-style questions
1. Tom would like to set up a website. He is planning on offering items made by local craftsmen
for sale. He would like to have users sign up on his website so that he can keep them up to
date when new items are made available.
Tom has heard people talking about server-side and client-side code, and isn’t sure what he
will need to make his website work. Explain whether Tom will need either server-side or
client-side code, or a combination, and why you believe this to be the case. [12]

2. Danni has been asked to design a feedback system for use in a shopping centre. It should
allow users to quickly press a button to indicate how their shopping trip was. For example,
whether they found everything they needed or not. What features of event driven
programming would be ideally suited for such a project? [10]

3. Stuart wants to write a program which models a population of insects and predators within a
small ecosystem. Each type of insect has different properties and attributes. What paradigm
would be most appropriate for Stuart to use when writing his code, and how/why? [12]

4. Jasmine has been writing an application for her employer using assembly code. Her
employer has suggested that it would be a good idea to migrate the existing code-base to a
higher-level language such as C#. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of doing this.
[12]

5. John is concerned that the programming language he is using is not being actively developed
any more. He feels that it would be a good idea to translate the code over to a newer
language. Why might John feel this way? [10]

6. What security precautions would you recommend to a client who wishes to set up a website
that allows visitors to record short memos, and why would these recommendations be
worthwhile? [12]

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How to approach written questions

ALWAYS remember the following points:

 Answer questions as if you are explaining to a non-specialist. For example, even on a short
question such as “What is a statement? [3]”, you must make three points. If you were talking
to a non-specialist, you might say:
o A statement is a single line of code
o That achieves something
o Such as setting the value of a variable

 You are not going to have to write significant amounts of code. Therefore long answers will
ask “how well do you know this topic?” A question phrased as “Why would object oriented
programming be appropriate to use in game design?” should be treated as the following
two questions (and similarly for all other variants):
o What is object oriented design? **
o Given some examples of how those features could be used when designing a game
Alternatively, “Why would event driven programming be suitable for the proposed system?”
means:
o What is event driven programming? **
o Given example of how those features apply to the proposed system

** In all cases, before you start writing the answer, having worked out what the question is
actually asking you, write a list of keywords for that topic, and when explaining them,
remember to always include:

o The word
o A definition
o An example

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Revision resources

Object oriented programming concepts

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/concepts/object-oriented-
programming

https://realpython.com/python3-object-oriented-programming/

Event driven programming

http://www.technologyuk.net/computing/software-development/software-design/event-driven-
programming.shtml

https://dzone.com/articles/introduction-event-driven

Procedural programming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_programming

Standard algorithms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_search_algorithm

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/data_structures_algorithms/linear_search_algorithm.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_sort

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksort

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/data_structures_algorithms/merge_sort_algorithm.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insertion_sort

Web development
https://dotnet.microsoft.com/apps/aspnet

https://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_injection.asp

https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

Flowcharts and pseudocode

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowchart

https://pseudocodeexamples.com/how-to-write-pseudocode/

https://www.code4example.com/pseudocode/pseudocode-examples/

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Specification

Find the specification online: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-

nationals/computing-2016.html

The course that we are following is “Computing for Creative Industries” – this simply defines which
units are sat. The content of units is identical regardless of which overall qualification you are
working towards.

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