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Understanding Maths and Logic in Computer Science

CO213 Online course

Improve your understanding and ability to teach maths and logic in computing while building elements of an escape room.

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Computing Key stage 3 Key stage 4 KS3 and GCSE subject knowledge certificate
Free online course Approximately 8 hours of self-study

The mathematical aspects of computer science can be difficult to understand and teach. On this course, you will be introduced to maths and logic in computing in an engaging way.

Using the concept of an escape room, you will learn activities and games to help improve your knowledge and skills in this subject. You will build your understanding of a range of topics, including using logic and mathematical operators in programming, and converting numbers to binary. Through practical activities you will become more comfortable with concepts including logical operators, truth tables, and logic gates.

Who is it for?

This course is for current or prospective teachers of computer science who have some understanding of computer science principles.

Topics covered

  • Converting between binary and denary
  • Hexadecimal
  • Logic gates, including combining them into logic circuits
  • Use of arithmetic operators
  • Truth tables

How long is this course?

This is approximately 8 hours of self-directed learning.

How will you learn?

This course is not facilitated. You can learn independently or with colleagues to directly address your individual needs.

Outcomes

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to:

  • Identify the AND, OR, NOT and XOR logical operators, recognise the symbols representing each logic gate, and be able to combine them in logic circuits and statements
  • Develop knowledge of and be able to use: equal to, addition, subtraction, multiplication, real division, integer division including remainders
  • Produce drawings of truth tables and logic circuits and recognise a logic gate/circuit from its truth table
  • Calculate conversion between binary and denary whole numbers (0-255)
  • Explain why hexadecimal is often used in computer science, convert between binary and hexadecimal & decimal and hexadecimal

This course is part of the KS3 and GCSE Computer Science subject knowledge certificate

Key stage 3 and GCSE Computer Science certificate

Our certificate is designed to help you develop or refresh your computer science subject knowledge.

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This course is from the National Centre for Computing Education and is delivered by STEM Learning.

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