Scheme of work

Weeks Topics
1 Overview of the computer system (hardware, software and people – ware)
2 Historical development of the computer system (pre – computing devices)
3 20th /21st century computers (ENIAC, EDSAC, Microcomputers etc.)
4 Input devices
5 Output devices
6 Operating system
7 Midterm break
8 The future of computing (Robotics and Artificial intelligence)
9 Programming language
10 Introduction to BASIC programming
 WEEK ONE

OVERVIEW OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.
CONTENT

A computer performs four basic functions, which are:

 Accepts data
 Store data
 Processes data
 Gives out information (Info)

The above stated can be combined to give a concise definition of the Computer system.

The computer system can be defined as an electronic machine that accepts, stores, and
processes data into meaningful information. Information is already processed data.

The computer system can also be defined as an electronic, programmable, multipurpose

device that converts data into meaningful information based on the logic supplied by the user.
The computer is made up of Hardware and Software.

Computer Hardware

The computer hardware is the physical parts of the computer system that can be seen and
touched.
Some of the hardware component in the computer are;

1. Input device
2. output device
3. Central Processing Unit
4. Storage device
5. Multimedia devices

Input Devices: These are devices that will enable a computer user to enter data, commands
and program into the system. E.g. keyboard, mouse, scanner etc.
Output Devices

These devices are responsible for providing output display to the user. e.g. printer, plotter,
monitor.

Central Processing unit

This is the part of the computer that executes programs or instructions. The Central
Processing Unit is made up of the following parts.

 Control unit
 Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU)

Control Unit

It is the nerve center of the computer that directs the operation of the processor and performs
the following functions;

1. It controls all the hardware operations (i.e. input, output devices, storage devices)
2. It controls and coordinates data movements within the CPU and other components of the
computer system.

Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU)

This is the unit where arithmetic and logical operations are performed by the computer. The
arithmetic operations include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.

Storage Device

Storage device is any hardware capable of holding information/programs either temporarily

or permanently in the computer. The two main types of storage devices in the Computer are;

 Primary Storage
 Secondary Storage
Primary Storage

The main function of this memory unit is to store data and programs for immediate
processing, and the data in this memory is almost instantly accessible to the processor.

 RAM (Random Access Memory): The ram is essentially a short memory where
data/instruction is stored as the processor needs it. RAM is often called a volatile
(dynamic) memory.
 ROM (Read Only memory) is a permanent storage and does not rely on a constant supply
of electricity to keep its information which does not change. It is called a non-volatile
(static) memory. Its content can only be accessed and read by the CPU. Below are
Examples of ROM;
 PROM: PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY
 EPROM: ERASABLE PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY
 EEPROM: ELECTRICALLY ERASABLE PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY
MEMORY.

Secondary Storage

A secondary storage device refers to any non – volatile storage device that is internal or
external to the computer. It can be any storage device beyond the primary storage that enables
permanent data storage.

It is also called auxiliary memory. It includes the external or removable memory of the
computer such as Hard Disk, Flash Drive, Diskette, Compact Disk, Magnetic Tape etc.

The Computer Software

The computer software is a collection of the programs that tells the computer what to do and
how to perform a particular task. Software includes many applications and the operating
system.

Types of Computer Software

The Computer software can be classified into the

 system software
 Application software.

System Software

The System software is a collection of programs that is designed to manage the resources of
the computer. It is a type of software used as a platform for running the applications and
controls all user interface tools including display and the keyboard.

Some of the types of system software are;

 Operating system
 Translators
 Utility Programs

Operating system

An Operating System is a collection of programs that monitors and controls the execution of
all programs. It serves as a platform on which other application program runs. Examples of
OS includes

o MS Windows,Mac (Graphical user interface)

o MSDOS (Microsoft disk operating system), PCDOS, UNIX (command line)

Translators

A translator is a program processor that translates program written in one level of

programming to another. There are three types of translators which are;

o Compiler
o Assembler
o Interpreter

Utility Program

This is a program that performs a specific task, usually related to managing system resources.
The operating system contains a number of utilities for managing disk drives, utilities are
sometimes installed as Memory – resident programs.

Examples include:

o Routines for tracing debugging

o Routines for sorting files into particular order
o Routines for copying files
o Editing routines
o antivirus

Application Software are the computer programs for performing user tasks such as word
processing and web browsing. The major types of application software are;

 Application packages
 User application program or customized software

Application packages
Application packages are ready made programs or suit of programs with associated
documentation used for a particular type of problem or variety of similar programs. The
application packages can be classified into;

o Special or specific purpose: this consists of program designed to carry out one
specific task examples includes;
 Payroll
 Stock control
 Accounting
 Airline seat reservation
o General Purpose: these provides facilities which might be useful in wide variety of
business situations and used across many departments of business. Examples includes
 Word processing program
 Database programs
 Spreadsheet programs
 Graphic packages
 Games
 WEEKTWO

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTING DEVICES 1

(PRE COMPUTING AGE TO 19TH CENTURY)
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.

CONTENT

Pre – Computing Device

Computer history spans more than two centuries. Pre – computing age refers to Stone Age,
when men started using fingers and toes, stones and pebbles, stick and cowries and making
markings on surfaces as a method of counting and storing information. Initially proposed by
mathematicians and business people, mechanical calculators were created in the 19th century
to address the growing complexity of numerical problems. Some of the pre-computing
counting devices developed are;
i. Abacus
ii. Slide Rule
iii. Napier Bones
iv. Pascal Calculator
v. Leibnitz multiplier
vi. Jacquard’s loom
vii. Analytical Engine
viii. Hollerith census machine
ix. Burroughs’s machine

1. Abacus

The abacus (plural abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool
which has been used since times. The exact origin of the abacus has not yet emerged. It
consists of rows of movable beads, or similar objects, strung on a wire. They represent digits.
One of the two numbers is set up, and the beads are manipulated to perform an operation such
as addition, or even a square or cubic root.
2. The Slide Rule

The slide Rule was developed by Reverend William Oughtred and others in the 17 th century.
It was based on the emerging work on logarithm by John Napier. It was commonly used
before the advent of the pocket calculator. It was mostly used in science and engineering.
Around 1974, the electronic scientific calculator made it obsolete and most suppliers left the
business. The slide rule is used basically for multiplication and division. It is also used for
functions such as roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but not normally used for addition and
subtraction.

3. Napier’s Bone

Napier's bones also called Napier’s rod is a manually-operated calculating device created
by John Napier for the calculation of products and quotients of numbers. The method was
based on lattice multiplication. Using the multiplication tables embedded in the rods,
multiplication can be reduced to addition operations and division to subtractions.
4. Leibnitz Multiplier

In 1671 the German mathematician-philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz designed a

calculating machine called the Step Reckoner. (It was completed in 1694). The Step
Reckoner expanded on Pascal's ideas and did multiplication by repeated addition and shifting.

5. Jacquard’s Loom

The jacquard loom is a mechanical loom invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1804 that
simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with complex patterns such as brocade and
damask. The loom is connected by punch cards with punched holes. It makes possible in
almost any loom the programmed raising of each wrap thread independently of the others.
This brings much greater versatility to the weaving process.

Jacquard shedding brought about the automatic production of unlimited varieties of pattern
weaving.

6. Hollerith Census Machine

Herman Hollerith designed a tabulating machine in the 19th century which was used to assist
in summarizing information stored on punched cards. The machine was developed to help
process data for 1980 U.S. Census. Models of the tabulating machine were later used for
business applications such as accounting and inventory control.

7. Difference engine:
An English mathematician, inventor and mechanical engineer named Charles Babbage
invented the Difference engine in 1822. He was regarded as the father of computer for
invention comprising of 25000 parts, weighed about 15 tons and stood 8 feet (2.4m) high that
could perform simple differential equations calculations.
8. Analytical engine
Charles Babbage designed another machine called Analytical engine which was regarded as
the first mechanical computer. It could perform any form of calculation. It consists of four
major component; the mill, store, reader and printer which served as the calculating unit, the
memory, input and output devices respectively. Augusta Ada, Countess of Lovelace (1815-
1842) created the instruction routines to be fed into the computer, making her the first female
computer programmer.
 WEEK THREE

COMPUTING DEVICES II
(20TH CENTURY TO DATE)
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary School 1

CONTENT
The advancement of technology enabled ever more-complex computers by the early
20th century, and computers became larger and more powerful. These generations of
computers had magnetic drum for storage and machine language was basically used
for programming.

The 20th century was characterized by more advanced computers that can carry out more
complex numeric manipulations. Before then, most calculations were carried out by humans
manually. Early mechanical tools to help calculations were referred to as calculating
machines or calculators.
The ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC, the Manchester Mark 1, Harvard mark 1 etc. were
examples of the 20th century computers

1. The Manchester Mark 1

The Manchester mark 1 was developed in the Victoria University of Manchester. Work began
in august 1948 and the machine was operational in 1949. a program written to search
for Mersenne primes ran error-free for nine hours on the night of 16/17 June 1949. The
machine's successful operation was widely reported in the British press, which used the
phrase "electronic brain" in describing it to their readers.

It was historic because of the inclusion of index register (Operand manipulator). Many of the
ideas behind its design were incorporated in subsequent commercial products such as
the IBM 701 and 702 as well as the Ferranti Mark 1.

The chief designers, Frederic C. Williams and Tom Kilburn, concluded from their
experiences with the Mark 1 that computers would be used more in scientific roles than in
pure mathematics.
2. The ENIAC

The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first general purpose
electronic machine. It was a Turing complete digital computer capable of being
reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems. ENIAC was designed primarily
to calculate artillery firing table for the United States army laboratory. ENIAC was completed
in 1945 and first put to work for practical purposes on December 10, 1945.

ENIAC was formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania on February 15, 1946 and
was heralded as a "Giant Brain" by the press. It was designed by John Mauchly and J. Presper
Eckert of the University of Pennsylvania. It had a speed on the order of one thousand times
faster than that of electro-mechanical machines.

The ENIAC was a modular computer, composed of individual panels to perform different
functions.

Basic Components

a. It uses vacuum tube

b. It had circuitry memory component
c. It had large and enormous panels
d. It consumes up to 150Kw energy
e. It uses binary coding instruction
3. The EDVAC

The Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) unlike the ENIAC, the
EDVAC was binary rather than decimal. ENIAC inventors John Mauchly and J. Presper
Eckert proposed the EDVAC's construction in August 1944, and design work for the EDVAC
commenced at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering,
before the ENIAC was fully operational. The design implemented a number of important
architectural and logical improvements conceived during the ENIAC's construction, and a
high-speed serial-access memory. It was finally delivered to the U.S. Army's Ballistics
Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in August 1949, but due to a number
of problems, the computer only began operation in 1951, and then only on a limited basis.

Features

a. It uses binary coding system

b. It could store up 1000bits
c. Stored program was incorporated
d. It comprises wiring circuits
e. It was a machine code

4. UNIVAC I

The UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I) was the world’s first commercially
available computer. UNIVAC was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. The
UNIVAC handles both numbers an alphabet. The first UNIVAC came online for the U.S.
Government’s Censors Bureau. The first commercial customer to purchase the UNIVAC was
the Prudential Insurance Company.

In 1952, the UNIVAC I successfully predicted the outcome of the 1952 presidential election.
General Electric Appliance Division created the first successful industrial payroll application
for the UNIVAC I in 1954.
Characteristics of the UNIVAC I

a. The CPU were made of vacuum tubes

b. They were extremely large in size
c. They generated a lot of heat
d. Punched card was used as an input device
e. They were very expensive and extremely slow.

5. Microcomputers

These are the smallest and the most common type of computers used in most offices, homes
and schools today. It is based on Microprocessor chip technology. The first Micro computers
were invented by IBM in 1977. It is generally called a personal computer. Microcomputers
are small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU)
made out of a microprocessor. They are known as Personal Computers and come in
various sizes. The first micro computer was invented by IBM in 1997.Examples of
micro computers are Desktops, Laptops, Palmtops, and Personal Digital Assistants.
 WEEK FOUR
COMPUTER HARDWARE(INPUT DEVICES)
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.

CONTENT
Hardware is the physical components of a computer, such as the motherboard, processor,
memory, storage drives, and other devices. It is the hardware that hosts and supports software
or programs that provide instructions for the computer to complete its tasks.
Hardware also includes external input/output devices such as keyboards, mice, monitors,
printers, and speakers.
CLASSES OF COMPUTER HARDWARE
Computer hardware are broadly classified into two namely;

1. System unit
2. Peripherals
 Input devices
 Output devices
 Storage devices

1. SYSTEM UNIT

The exterior casing that encases every internal component of the computer is known as the
computer system unit. It is sometimes referred to as a computer tower, computer case, or
computer case. Although plastics can also be used, steel or aluminum are typically used to
make the housing. Major components of the system unit.

i. Motherboard: The motherboard (also known as a logic board in other devices)

distributes power and allows communication to and from the random access memory
(RAM), CPU, and other hardware components.

ii. Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU interprets and executes most of your
computer's commands. It comprises of the following;

i. Control Unit: It fetches instructions from the main storage, interpret them and issue all
the necessary signals to the components making up the system.
 ii. Arithmetic and Logic Unit: It performs all arithmetic operations in the computer. This
unit is also involved in decision making. Logic functions such as less than (<), equal
(=), greater than (>) etc. which are operations of comparisons are used for decision
making.
iii. emory Unit: It is the place in the computer where the program and the data are stored.
The computer memory is divided into two namely: Random Access Memory (RAM)
and Read Only Memory (ROM)
iv. Random Access Memory (RAM): RAM is the memory your computer uses to work;
it's different from the storage that holds your files and programs. Your computer
spends RAM to run those programs and process information.
v. Power Supply Unit (PSU): The PSU is the means through which your computer draws
power. It's usually a cord that plugs into the wall and a "power brick."
vi. Video card: This component handles drawing graphics in games and displaying
videos.
vii. Hard Disk Drive (HDD): It stores information like apps and documents on a physical
disc that your computer reads with an arm that travels across it (similarly to a record
player).
viii. Optical disk drive (e.g., BD/DVD/CD drive): This feature is less common in newer
computers, but they provide a place to enter a music, movie, or data disk for your
computer to read.
ix. Card reader (SD/SDHC, CF, etc.): Your computer uses these to read from portable
storage like SD cards.

2. PERIPHERALS
The peripherals are devices outside the CPU but function under the control of the CPU.

a. Input devices: They are used for entering data and programs into the computer
system by the user for processing. Examples include:
i. Keyboard vi. Touchpad
ii. Mouse vii. Microphone
iii. Joystick viii. Scanner

iv. Graphics tablet ix. Web cam

v. Trackball
 b. Output device: Output devices are pieces of hardware that send usable processed
information out of the computer. Examples are;
i. Printer
ii. Monitor
iii. Plotter
iv. Speakers
v. Headphones
vi. Media projector.

c. Computer Storage Devices: They are used to store digital data and applications
which may be in the form of images, video, audio, etc. Examples are CD-ROM,
DVD, Memory Card, Floppy Disk etc.

INPUT DEVICES
Input devices are those that provide data to the computer system through input. The computer
system receives data input in raw format, which is subsequently converted into a form that
can be understood by computers. Examples are; Keyboard. Mouse, Joystick, Trackball.
Scanner, Microphone, Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR), Optical Character Reader (OCR)
Bar Code Readers, Optical Mark Reader (OMR), Light Pen etc.

1. COMPUTER KEYBOARD

A computer keyboard is an input device that allows users to input text into a computer
system. It consists of finger-sized buttons called keys which create numbers, symbols, letters,
and special keys (like the Windows and Alt key) which can be combined to perform complex
operations.
TYPES OF KEYBOARD

a. STANDARD KEYBOARD: It has about 82-85 keys with function keys ranging from
F1- F10.
b. ENHANCED KEYBOARD: It has about 101- 102 keys with F1-F12 function keys.
c. WINDOWS KEYBOARD: It has windows keys specifically designated as a start button,
is an improvement over the improved keyboard.

STRUCTURE OF THE COMPUTER KEYBOAD.

The computer key consists of keys which include:

1. Function keys
2. Numeric keys
3. Alphabetic keys
4. Special character keys
5. Cursor control keys
6. Command keys.
Functions of some keyboard keys
1. Function keys: they are known as the F-keys located at the uppermost section of the
keyboard and designed to perform specific functions . A standard keyboard has F1-F10
keys while An Enhanced Keyboard has F1-F12 Keys.
2. Numeric keys : are used for typing numeric values (0-9)
3. Alphabetic keys: Consists of alphabets and used for typing both upper and lowercase
characters.
4. Arrow keys: are marked with arrows infour directions and used as cursor control keys
5. The symbols and special character keys: useful for typing special characters e.g *, &,#, @
+,=,< etc.
6. Enter key: useful for executing other commands or moves the cursor to the beginning of a
new line.
7. CTRL KEY: it is combined with other keys to execute some functions
8. NUM KEY: to turn on and off the numeric keypad
9. Shift key: used to get the second functions of keys with two characters and symbols.
10. ALT KEY : useful for activating menus
2. MOUSE
A Mouse is a pointing input device used to control cursor that is visible on the computer
screen while moving the mouse on flat surface place. It was invented by Douglas
Engelbart in 1963. The basic movement of the mouse includes pointing, clicking, dragging,
hover, drag and drop and double clicking.
The Parts of a mouse are the:
a. Buttons d. Circuit board
b. Ball, laser, or LED e. Cable or wireless receiver
c. Mouse wheel

The mouse
Types of mouse
i. Mechanical mouse iv. Trackball mouse
ii. Laser mouse v. Gyroscopic mouse
iii. Optical mouse vi. Gaming mouse etc

Functions of the Mouse

i. It is used for highlighting selected text or document
ii. For drawing objects on the screen
iii. It is used in moving text
iv. It is used to select a menu
v. For clicking and opening of files and folders

3. JOYSTICK : A joystick is an input device commonly used to control video games. It

employs a vertical rod that can be moved in any direction mounted on a base with one or
more buttons.
4. WEB CAMERA: It takes digital images and captures videos which can be transmitted
over the internet.
5. Scanner: It is used to capture test or images into digital information which can be
processed and stored on a computer.
6. Lightpen: it is a light sensitive input device which can be used to enter or modify data on
a computer system
other input devices include
7. Microphone ·
8. Digital Camera
9. Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR)
10. Bar Code Reader
 WEEK FIVE
OUTUT DEVICES
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.

CONTENT
An output device is any piece of hardware equipment which converts information into human
readable form. It can be text, graphics, audio, video etc. some output device are monitors,
printers, plotters, graphic output device. A new output device called speech synthesizer (a
mechanism attached to the computer which produces verbal output sounding almost like
human speeches) is been developed these days. Output is anything that comes out of the
computer. Output can be of hard and soft copy. Output device are the medium through which
processed data are sent to the user.

The visual display unit (VDU) or Monitor

The computer monitor is an output device that displays information in a pictorial form. The
monitor comprises of the visual display circuitry, casing and the power supply cable. Modern
monitor uses a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT – LCD) with led backlighting
having replaced cold – cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlighting. Older monitor used
cathode ray tube (CRT). Monitors are connected to the computer via VGA, Digital Visual
interface (DVI), HDMI etc.

Classification of Monitors based on colours

There are three types of monitors based on classification by colour

1. A Monochrome monitor is a type of computer monitor in which computer text and

images are displayed in varying tones of only one colour.
This is a type of CRT computer monitor which was very common from the 1960s – 1980s
before the invention of the colour monitor. It usually a white against a black. They are
non – graphic computers.
2. Gray – scale: A gray – scale monitor is a special type of monochrome monitor capable of
displaying different shades of gray.
3. Colour Monitor: this is a computer monitor capable of displaying many colours. The
colour monitor implement the RGB colour model by using three different phosphors that
 appears red, green and blue when activated. The color monitor displays by combining the
three primary colors red, green and blue.

Uses of Monitor

1. It is used to display inputted data

2. It is used to display output
3. It displays graphical image/text.

Printers

The printer is a device used to print information sent from the CPU.

Classes of printers

1. Impact printers
2. Non – impact printers

Impact printers: this class of printerprints by hitting the print head on the paper through the
inked ribbon which then makes impression on the paper. The impact printers can further be
grouped as

1. Serial printer
i. Dot matrix printer
ii. Cylinder printer
iii. Daisy wheel printers
iv. Golf ball printer
2. Line printer
i. Band printer
ii. Chain printers
iii. Drum printer

Non – Impact printers: A non – impact printer prints by spraying either tonner or ink or by
using heat laser or photographic actions to form impressions. It prints without banging a
ribbon onto paper. Non – impact printers are categorized into 5 types

1. Inkjet printers
2. Laser jet printers
3. Thermal printers
4. Electrostatic printers
5. Electro – graphic printers

Uses of printers

1. It is used to store information permanently on the paper

2. It serves as backup

Plotters

The plotter is an output device used mainly to produce graphical output like graph or pie
chart. They are used to produce precise and good quality graphics and drawings under the
control of the computer. They use ink pen or inkjet to draw graphics or other drawings.
Plotters can be classified as follows;

 Inject plotter
 Drum plotter
 Flat – bed plotter
 Micro – grip plotter

Speakers

The speaker produces output in form of sound to the user. This is done by using a sound card
(an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a
computer under controls of Computer program). Most sound cards are sound blaster
compactible. Most computers come with built in speakers.

Projector

This is a computer peripheral/hardware that projects and enlarges image or information stored
in the Computer on a screen. Most projector creates an image by shining a light through a
small transparent lens, but some newer type of projector can project the image directly using
lasers. We have the liquid crystal display projector (LCD) and the digital light processing
projector (DLP)
 WEEK SIX
COMPUTER SOFTWARE (OPERATING SYSTEM)
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary School 1

CONTENT
Computer software or simply software is a set of programs that enables a computer to
perform specific tasks. It is the part of a computer system that consists of encoded
information or computer instructions.

Type of Computer Software

Software is divided into two broad groups, these are:

1. Application Software
2. System software

1. Application Software: A computer program that allow the users to perform

specific task. The programs are commonly referred to as “Apps”. They can be
installed or downloaded from a variety of websites.
Classes of application software
i. Web Browser e.g. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome etc.
ii. Word processing package e.g. Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect etc.
iii. Spreadsheet software e.g. Microsoft Excel, Lotus123 etc.
iv. Database Software e.g. MS-Access, Dbase123, Fox Pro etc.
v. Presentation Software e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, keynote etc.
vi. Graphics Software e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Canva etc.
vii. Media Player e.g. VLC player, Windows Media Player, etc.
viii. Gaming Software e.g. World of Warcraft, Need for Speed etc.
2. System software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control and extend the
hardware and software capabilities of the computer.
Types of System software
a. Operating System: It is a program that manages the hardware and software resources of
the computer and provides common services for other programs.
b. Translators: a program that translates a set of code written in one programming language
into a functional equivalent of the code in another programming language.
c. Utility programs (or tools): software design to analyze, configure, optimize and
maintain the computer system.
Operating System

An operating system (OS) is the interface between a computer user and the computer
hardware. All operating system performs the entire basic task like file management, memory
management, processing management, handling input and output. And controlling peripheral
devices such as disk drives and printers. Every computer needs an operating system to start
up.

The operating system serves as an interface in which other computer applications runs.

An operating system is a suite of programs that takes over the operation of the computer to
the extent of being able to allow a number of programs to run in the computer without human
intervention by operator.

Below are examples of operating system

 Personal computer disk operating system (PCDOS), Microsoft disk operating system
(Command line operating system (CLI)). Command line interface uses the command line
to receive commands from a user in the form of text.
 Windows, Mac, Linux (Graphical user interface operating system (GUI)). The GUI uses
icons, menus and a mouse to manage interaction with the system.

Functions of the Operating System

Below are some important functions of the Operating System;

1. Memory Management: this involves the management of primary or main memory. Main
memory is a large array of bytes were each word or byte has it’s own address.
2. Device Management: An OS manages device communiccation via their respective
drivers.
3. File Management: A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation
and usage. These directories may contain files and other directories.
An OS does the following activities
 Keeps tracks of information, location, locations, uses, status etc.
 Decides who gets the resources.
 Allocates the resources.

Below are other important activities carried out by the Operating System;

 Security.
 Control over system performance.
 Job accounting.
 Error detecting aids
 Coordinating between other software and users.

Types of operating system

Below are the major types of Computer operating system;

Single – tasking, single user operating system: single tasking operating system can only
run one program at a time while single user operating system as the name implies allows only
one user but may allow multi tasking or single tasking operations.

Multi – tasking, Multi – user operating system: a multi – tasking operating system allows
more than one program to be running in concurrence. This is achieved by time sharing, where
the available processor time is divided between multiple processors while multi – user OS
allows many user to share computer resources (disk space) simultaneously.

Distributed operating system:A distributed operating system manages a group of distinct,

networked computers and makes them appear to be single computer, as all computations are
distributted (divided among the constituent computers.)

Embedded Operating System: Embedded OS are designed to be used in embedded

computer systems. They are designed to operate on small machines with less autonomy (e.g.
PDA’s). they are very compact and extremely efficient by design, and are able to operate
with limited amount of resources. Windows CE and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded
OS.

Real Time OS: A real time OS is an operating system that guarantees to process events or
data by a specific moment of time. A real time operating system may be single or multi –
tasking.

Windows Operating System

Microsoft Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families, all
of which are developed and marketed by Microsoft.

MS windows include Windows NT (developed July 27, 1993), Windows XP (operating

system produced by Microsoft as part of Windows NT family of operating system. Released
Oct 25th, 2001), Windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1, windows 10 etc. The MS windows is
the most widely used operating system for microcomputers.

It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) called the desktop. The MS windows is a multi –
tasking operating system. Info are stored in a system of files and folders.

As of October 2021, the most recent version of Windows PCs and tablets is windows 11.

The Mac Operating System

Mac Operating system is a set of proprietary graphical operating system developed and
marketed by apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for apple Mac
computers. It is the second most highly used after Microsoft windows.

Linux operating system

Linux is a family of open – source Unix – like operating systems based on the Linux kernel
an operating system first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds.

Types of Translators

a. Assembler: a program for translating assembly language into machine language.

b. Compiler: it translates text written in a computer language into another language
c. Interpreter: it executes instructions written in a programming language, without previously
compiling them into a machine language program
 3. Utility Program: Utility software also known as a service program, service routine, tool,
or utility routine) is computer software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or
maintain the computer.

Examples of Utility program

i. Anti-virus v. Cryptographic utilities
ii. Backup Utilities vi. Disk Cleaners
iii. Data compression utilities vii. Disk partitioners
iv. File managers:
 WEEK SEVEN
MID-TERM BREAK
 WEEK EIGHT
The future of computing (Robotics/Artificial Intelligence (AI))

CONTENT
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a digital computer or computer – controlled robot
to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.

Since the development of the computer in the 1940s, it has been demonstrated that computers
can be programmed to carry out complex tasks like discovering proofs for mathematical
theorems or playing chess with proficiency. Despite the continue advancement in computing
processing speed and storage capacity, there are yet no program that can match human
flexibility over wider domains or in task requiring everyday human knowledge.

On the other hands, some programs have attained the performance level of human experts
and professionals in performing tasks. So, the AI in this limited sense is found in application
as diverse as medical diagnosis, computer search engine, voice or handwriting recognition.

What is intelligence?

All human behavior is ascribed to intelligence, while even the most complicated insect
behavior is never taken as indication of intelligence. Research in AI has focused chiefly on
the following component of intelligence;

 Learning
 Reasoning
 Problem solving
 Perception
 And using language

Methods and goals in Artificial intelligence

Symbolic vs connectionist approaches

AI research follows two distinct methods, the symbolic (or “top-down”) approach, and the
connectionist (or “bottom – up”) approach. The top – down approach seeks to replicate
intelligence by analyzing cognition independent of the biological structure of the brain, in
terms of processing of symbol (Symbolic approach). The bottom-up approach on the other
hand, involves creating artificial neural networks in imitation of the brain’s structure
(connectionist approach).

Strong AI, applied AI and cognitive simulation

AI research attempts to reach one of three goals;

 Strong AI
 Applied AI
 Cognitive simulation AI

Strong AI aims to build machine that thinks. Applied AI, also known as advanced
information processing, aims to produce commercially viable “smart” system examples
“expert” medical diagnoses system, stock trading systems.

In cognitive simulation, computers are used to test theories about human and mind works. For
example, theory about how people recognize faces.

Robotics

Robotics, is the design, construction, and use of machines (robots) to perform tasks done
traditionally by human beings.
Robots are widely used in such industries as automobile manufacture to perform simple
repetitive tasks and in industries where work must be performed in environments hazardous
to humans. Many aspects of robotics involve artificial intelligence; robots may be equipped
with the equivalent of human senses such as vision, touch, and the ability to sense
temperature. Some are even capable of simple decision making, and current robotics research
is geared toward devising robots with a degree of self-sufficiency that will permit mobility
and decision-making in an unstructured environment.
Today’s industrial robots do not resemble human beings; a robot in human form is called an
android robot.
Robotics and application

Industrial robots and robot arms are used by manufacturers and warehouses, such as those
owned by Amazon, Devol, Best Buy and more.

To function, a combination of computer programming and algorithms, a remotely controlled

manipulator, actuators, control systems -- action, processing and perception -- real-time
sensors and an element of automation helps to inform what a robot or robotic system does.
Some additional applications for robotics are the following:

 home electronics

 computer science/computer programming

 artificial intelligence

 data science

 law enforcement/military

 mechanical engineering

 mechatronics

 bioengineering/healthcare
 WEEK NINE
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.

CONTENT

Definition of Terms.

Program: A program is a set of instructions that the CPU obeys to guide the computer on
how to carry out a certain task can also be referred to as a program.

Programming: the act of writing instructions or codes (programs) for the computer.
Computer programs are written by programmers.

Programming Language: . The language used by programmers to interact with computers

to solve various types of problems is called programming language. It facilitates
communication between programmers and computers to create programs. Program semantics
is the meaning attached to each word in a language, and syntax is the collection of rules
guiding how words are written in a programming language.

Levels of Programming Language

There are three levels of programming language

1. Machine Language

2. Low Level Language (Assembly Language)

3. High Level Language

1. Machine Language

This was the first generation programming language that the computer can only understand.
Machine language is written in binary digits (1 and 0).

Advantages

i. It is fast and efficient for the computer usage.

ii. It requires no translator to translate the code.
iii. It is directly understood by the computer.
Disadvantages

i. It is very difficult to code, read and remember.

ii. It is machine dependent
iii. It is hard to debug
2. Low Level (Assembly) Language

A low Level programming Language is a language developed to overcome some of the many
inconveniences of machine language. Assembly language uses mnemonic representation of
machine language and requires a translator to covert to machine language before execution. A
program for translating low assembly language is called assembler.

Advantages of Assembly Language

i. It is close to machine language

ii. Does not use much of computer memory
iii. It is easy to locate and correct error as compared to machine language
iv. Program written in assembly language executes faster than that of high level language.

Disadvantages of Assembly Language

i. Assembly language, like machine code is also machine dependent

ii. Difficult to understand
iii. It is machine dependent
iv. Coding is time consuming

3. High Level Programming Language

A high level language is a programming language that, in comparison to low level

programming languages, may be more abstract, easier to use, or more portable across
platforms.

Examples of High Level Language include

i. PASCAL v. FORTRAN (Formula Translation)

ii. BASIC (Beginners All-purpose vi. COBOL (Common Business
Symbolic Instruction Code) Oriented Language)
iii. C ++ vii. PROLOG
iv. Java viii. ALGOL (Algorithmic language)
ix. APL (A Programming Language) x. Python

Advantages of High Level Language

i. It is easier to learn and use

ii. It user friendly
iii. Programs in high level language requires less time to write
iv. It is easier to maintain
v. It is machine independent
It does not require programmer to have knowledge of the computer hardware
architecture.

Disadvantages of High Level Languages

i. It consumes more memory

ii. Very difficult to translate
iii. Translation process is tedious and time consuming.

Classification of High-level language

 Scientific language
 Multi – purpose language
 Commercial language
 Command language of operating system
 Special purpose programming language
 General purpose programming language

Scientific language is used for scientific and engineering purposes. An example includes
FORTRAN (Formula Translator), BASIC. It combines features of extensive arithmetic
computational ability and ability to handle mathematical expression.

Multi – purpose can cope with a number of different types of applications areas. Examples
of multi – purpose language are Visual BASIC, C++. Java etc.

Commercial Language is a programming language used for commercial purposes. The

prominent commercial language is COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language).

Command language for operating systemis used to control the operating system. E.g. DOS
commands (Disk Operating System commands).
Special Purpose High level languagealso known as domain – specific language is a
programming language designed for a specific assignment. It is tailored towards a particular
problem. E.g. command languages, artificial intelligence HLL

General-Purpose High-levellanguageare designed to be use to program any particular

application or problem. Some examples are python, java, BASIC, PASCAL etc

Programming errors

A bug is an error in a program. Some types of programming errors are

 Logical Errors
 Syntax Errors
 Execution Errors

Logical Errors are programming errors that causes the program to operate incorrectly, but
not to terminate abnormally or crash. Unlike a program with a syntax error, a program with a
logic error is a valid program in the language, though it does not behave as intended. Logical
errors are difficult to detect.

Syntax Errors occurs when the code given does not follow the syntax rules of a
programming language. Examples include misspelling a statement (writing Print instead of
print).Syntax refers to rules that defines the structure of a language. It defines how words
and symbols are been written in that particular programming language.

Debugging

Debugging is the process of eliminating all errors and suitably modify instructions for smooth
running of program.
 WEEK TEN
PROGRAMMING WITH BASIC
Reference Books:
i. Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.
ii. Basic Computer studies for Senior Secondary Education.

CONTENT

Basic Programming

BASIC (Beginners all – purpose symbolic instruction code) is a family of general – purpose,
high – level programming language designed for ease of use. The original version was
created by John.G. Kemeny and Thomas Eugene Kurtz at Dartmouth college in 1964. They
wanted to enable students in non – scientific field to use the computer system.

Versions of BASIC

 Q BASIC (Quick BASIC)

 T BASIC (Turbo BASIC)
 V BASIC (Visual BASIC)
 Apple soft BASIC

Rules of BASIC programming

 All expressions must be written in capital letters

 First character must be an Alphabet
 BASIC statement or keyword must start with a line number
 Each line must contain only one BASIC program statement
 There must not be full stop at the end of a statement
 END/STOP statement must be the last entry in a program

Elements of BASIC

1. Character set: this refers to any letter, number, sign and symbol and punctuation mark in
any language used for representing information.
Numbers:comprises of numbers (0 – 9).
Alphabet:comprises of upper and lower case alphabets (Aa – Zz).
Special characters/symbols: @,%,$,(,),:,; etc.
2. Line numbers: in BASIC, we need a line number for each BASIC statement. The
number ranges from 1 to 99,999
10…………..
20………….. etc.
3. Data Constant and Data Variables:
Data Constant: these are data that do not change during the course of computation or
program execution.
Data Variables: they are data that can be changed in quantities during execution.
4. Reserved Keyword: This refer toa word that is reserved by a program because the
word has a special meaning. They are called BASIC statement in BASIC programming
language

Classification of Data

 Numeric data
 String data

Numeric data are data in which arithmetic operations can be carried out on. e.g. 2*3, 5-2,
4+7 etc.

Names are given to the numeric variables so that the Computer can understand it.e.g.

10 LET A = 5

20 LET B = 6

30 PRINT A, B

40 END

String Data/Variables are data which arithmetic operations cannot be carried on. The values
is usually characters enclosed in quotation marks (single or double). e.g.

10 LET A$ = “Father”

20 LET B$ = “Christmas”

30 PRINT A$ + B$

40 END

Output => Father Christmas

Operators and Expressions in BASIC

There are three types of operators which are; arithmetic, relational and logical operators.
There are precedence when it comes to these operators. An operator with higher precedence
will be evaluated first before the other.

1. Arithmetic Operators: these are special characters/symbols used in carrying out basic
arithmetic operations. E.g. () (brackets), ** or ^ (exponential), / (division), *
(Multiplication), + (Addition) and – (Subtraction).
2. Relational Operators: a relational operator is a programming language construct
or operator that tests or defines some kind of relation between two entities. E.g. = (Equal
to), /= or != (Not Equal to), > (Greater than), < (Less than), >= (Greater than or equal to),
<= (Less than or equal to).
3. Logical Operators: The logical operators include AND, OR, and NOT they perform test
on multiple relationships.

Expression in BASIC

In BASIC, mathematical expressions are carried out using variable names and constantly
joined together by operators.

Rules guiding Expressions in BASIC

1. No two operators will follow each other. E.g. A+*B, A+/B

2. Any two names must be separated by an operator
3. An expression must not end with an operator

Operator precedence

Operator precedence means priority in order or rank of operators. See the below;

Operator Name
^ or ** Exponential
* Multiplication
/ Division
+ Addition
- Subtraction
BASIC STATEMENTS

These are words that have special meaning or interpretation to the computer or interpreter in
BASIC. Below are some of the BASIC statements;

1. REM Statement: This statement is used to insert a comment or Remark in a program.

Below are examples
10 REM this is our first program
20 REMARK the program will add two numbers
100 REM Program to the whole program add two numbers
150 REM Solves the perimeter of a circle.
2. LET statement: This is used to assign a value to variable.
10 LET A = 50
20 LET A$ = “John”
3. INPUT statement: this statement allows values to be inputted from the keyboard while
the program is running
10 REM input statement
20 INPUT A$ “Enter name”
30 PRINT A$
40 END
4. READ and DATA statement: READ and DATA is used to enter data into a program
before running.
10 READ A,B,C
20 DATA 10,15,20
5. FOR and NEXT statement: the statement is used for repetition/Iteration
6. SAVE statement: SAVE statement enables you to put a copy of your program on to a
floppy disk or a cassette tape.
7. PRINT statement: The PRINT statement tells the Computer to display an output of
executed program on the screen. E.g.

10 PRINT “This year 10”

30 PRINT “The values”, A,B

123 PRINT “THE NAME OFMY SCHOOL IS HONEYLAND”

8. END statement: this is used to terminate the program.

 10 LET A = 20

20 LET C=500
30 LET Z= 40
40 LET K= (A+C)/ Z
50 LET P= A*C*Z
60 LET Z = K+ (P-500)
70 PRINT Z
80 PRINT K
90 PRINT P
100 END

WRITING SIMPLE BASIC PROGRAMS.

Example 1: Program to divide any two given numbers
10 LET A = 500
20 LET Z = 20
30 LET K= A+ Z
50 PRINT “THE QUOTIENT IS ”, K

Example 2: Program to calculate the of a rectangle

100REM PROGRAM TO CALCULATE ARE OF RECTANGLE

200 DIM A, L, B AS INTEGER
300 INPUT “LENGTH OF RECTANGLE”L
400 INPUT “BREADTH OF RECTANGLE”B
500 LET A = L*B
600 PRINT “AREA OF RECTANGLE =” A
700 END

3. Write a BASIC program that will add two numbers

10 REM a program that adds two numbers

20 READ A,B
30 DATA 10,20
40 LET C = A+B
50 PRINT C
 60 END

4. Write a BASIC program that enable you to enter your name

10 REM a program that allow input from user
20 INPUT “enter first name ”; A$
30 INPUT “enter surname”; B$
40 LET $C = A$ + B$
50 PRINT $C
60 END