Computers are everywhere, they aren't just the desktops and laptops we use for work but the phones in our pockets and even the watches on our wrists are also computers. You probably use a computer every day and in fact you are reading this on a computer!
Just because we use computers all the time, doesn't mean that we understand them, or find them easy to use. Computer Science is the science of computers, it is the field of knowledge that experts use to understand computer systems. Knowing a little computer science will help you understand the computers all around you.
This isn't a how-to course for a particular piece of software, instead you will learn some fundamental concepts that you can apply to any software or computer system. You'll apply these concepts to the kind of computer systems we use every day, including word processing applications, e-commerce, the internet and web sites. You will learn how to apply computer science concepts to solve problems in daily computer use and generally be a better computer user.
Taking this course could be the start of your career in computer science, and the course is an introduction to the Bachelors in Computer Science from University of London, but it is also for you if you just want to learn a little computer science to help you better understand the computers you use in your ordinary life.
This course is part of the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Specialization
How Computers Work
4.5
(66 ratings)
5,326 already enrolled!
Offered By
University of London
Goldsmiths, University of London
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
Abstraction
This week starts your journey into understanding computer science. You will think about how computer science can help you understand the technology you use every day and you will also learn one of the most important concepts in computer science: abstraction.
6 videos (Total 20 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
1.1.1 Abstraction4m
1.1.2 Abstraction in data representations4m
1.1.3 Notional machines4m
1.1.5 CPU and memory3m
1.1.7 Summary1m
1 reading
1.0.3 Further Reading10m
1 practice exercise
1.1.4 Abstraction30m
Week
23 hours to complete
State, modularity and applications
In this week you will learn about the computer science concepts of state and modularity and how they can help you understand the computer applications that you use every day.
9 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 5 quizzes
9 videos
2.1.3 State5m
2.1.5 An e-commerce site4m
2.1.7 Why does turning it off and on again work?3m
2.2.1 A notional machine: files6m
2.2.3 Modularity2m
2.2.4 Applications5m
2.2.6 Debugging6m
2.3.4 Summary1m
1 reading
2.2.5 Looking inside applications5m
4 practice exercises
2.1.4 State15m
2.2.2 Files15m
2.2.7 Debugging an application problem10m
2.3.3 Summative quiz20m
Week
32 hours to complete
Networks
This week you will learn about how computers communicate with each other over networks, including the internet. You will also learn about some of the security threats that the internet entails and how they can be avoided.
7 videos (Total 34 min), 3 quizzes
7 videos
3.1.2 The internet7m
3.2.1 Security threats2m
3.2.3 Encryption5m
3.2.4 Security defenses3m
3.2.5 The perils of the password: Interview with Sarah Wiseman10m
3.2.8 Summary59s
3 practice exercises
3.1.3 Networks16m
3.2.6 Security: what have you learned?15m
3.2.7 Case study: debugging a web load error15m
Week
44 hours to complete
How the web works
In this week you will apply all of the computer science concepts you have learned in this course to understanding how modern websites work.
9 videos (Total 24 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes
9 videos
4.1.1 Websites2m
4.1.2 Networks and the Web2m
4.1.3 Security and the Web2m
4.1.4 State and the Web2m
4.1.5 Clients and servers3m
4.1.6 Embedding and APIs2m
4.1.7 Your data2m
4.2.5 MOOC Summary2m
1 reading
4.2.4 Further Learning10m
3 practice exercises
4.0.1 Motivating problem15m
4.1.8 Websites15m
4.2.3 Summative quiz20m
4.5
17 ReviewsTop Reviews
I enjoy the MOOC and would introduce it to my friends. I think the course has revolutionize my previous understanding of Computer and Internet. Thumb Up!
Excellent overview, with lots of quizzes and assignments designed to help evolve learning into understanding.
Instructor
Dr Marco Gillies
Senior LecturerComputing Department, Goldsmiths, University of London
About University of London
The University of London is a federal University which includes 18 world leading Colleges. Our distance learning programmes were founded in 1858 and have enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality University of London degrees wherever our students are across the globe. Our alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners. Today, we are a global leader in distance and flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 50,000 students in over 180 countries. To find out more about studying for one of our degrees where you are, visit www.london.ac.uk
About Goldsmiths, University of London
Championing research-rich degrees that provoke thought, stretch the imagination and tap into tomorrow’s world, at Goldsmiths we’re asking the questions that matter now in subjects as diverse as the arts and humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, and entrepreneurial business and management. We are a community defined by its people: innovative in spirit, analytical in approach and open to all.
About the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Specialization
This specialisation covers topics ranging from basic computing principles to the mathematical foundations required for computer science. You will learn fundamental concepts of how computers work, which can be applied to any software or computer system. You will also gain the practical skillset needed to write interactive, graphical programs at an introductory level. The numerical mathematics component will provide you with numerical and computational tools that are essential for the problem solving and modelling stages of computer science.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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