How Computers Work: Demystifying Computation

CO206 Online course

Explore the fundamentals of computing - computer architecture, binary logic, data processing, circuits, and more.

Computing Mathematics Key stage 3 Key stage 4 CS Accelerator

Free online course Approximately 8 hours of self-study

On this course, you’ll gain an understanding of how computers work at a fundamental level. 

You’ll explore system architecture, along with how computers use binary and logic. Once you’ve examined the von Neumann model of computer architecture and the Fetch-Execute cycle, you’ll learn to build a range of simple circuits for maths, and then simulate various logic gates. 

Ultimately you’ll complete the course with an understanding of the processes that underpin every modern computer - from supercomputers to smartphones, and everything in between.

Outcomes

You will:

• Explore how transistors can act as digital switches and be combined to create logic gates.                 
• Produce truth tables for AND, NOT and OR gates, individually or combined                                         
• Explore how computers use binary arithmetic                                                                                                 
• Explore how logic gates can be combined to produce digital circuits that can perform a calculation        
• Investigate Von Neuman Architecture and the Fetch-Execute cycle

This course is part of the Subject knowledge certificate

Subject knowledge certificate

Our professional development programme, Computer Science Accelerator, is designed to help you develop or refresh your subject knowledge and leads to a nationally recognised certificate.

Find out more

Join this course

You need to be logged in to start the course.

Not got a STEM Learning account?
Create an account

This course is from Teach Computing and delivered by Raspberry Pi Foundation

Adapted teaching and effective learning interventions in secondary computing

Develop an evidence-informed approach to education recovery over a sustained period, securing the computing education of young people following a period of great disruption.

Live remote training course

An Introduction to algorithms, programming and data in computer science - remote

Create some simple block-based computer programs and discover how to implement them in the text based language Python.

Live remote training course

An introduction to algorithms, programming and data in GCSE computer science - face to face

Create some simple block-based computer programs and discover how to implement them in the text based language Python.

Face to face course