#REVISE
Use this resource to recap and revise little and often, starting in Year 7.
Why revise?
Turning up to lessons is a start, but not a guarantee of success.
Your teacher will provide all you need to succeed, but not necessarily cover everything in class.
You need to ensure you get the most out of your GCSE.
Year 11 Revision Plan
OCR_GCSE_Computer_Science_Revision_Checklist_-_March_2018.pdf
BBC Bitesize for GCSE Computer Science - a good starting place for your revision
The National Oak Academy is a Government sponsored online school providing a fantastic selection of remote learning lessons on most GCSE topics
Top Revision Techniques
#1 Active Recall
Read about a topic then answer questions about it
#2 Spaced Repetition
Recall and revise a topic regularly over a prolonged period of time (1 year+)
Quizlet Learn
A new section on Quizlet that provides a learning programme to revise for specific exams.
It is mobile based and provides questions that it learns that you need to...er...learn.
Download it from the App or Play store
CLICK HERE for more details.
"Crash Course" is an awesome YouTube channel that explains all aspects of the Computer Science syllabus is a very digestible way. The production quality is very high.
"Craig n Dave" - a YouTube channel with lots of clips explaining the different aspects of Computing.
"Computer Science Tutor" - a YouTube channel with videos explaining the computer science curriculum. (Thank you DW)
General revision advice:
Create a revision schedule for the weeks ahead to tell you when you will revise each subject. Make sure you build in some 'downtime' (socialising/movies etc.) but ensure your schedule is pretty full-on until about a week before the exams, then reduce for lower intensity revision.
Remember, this should be a tough experience. It should eat into your normal life. But it is only for another 6 weeks then you will reap your rewards.
When studying CT:
Pick a topic you want to revise
Start by reading through BBC Bitesize for that topic
Then go to thinkct.com (here) for that topic and see what the exam board needs you to know
Read through your lesson notes and the lesson blog on that topic to bring it back to your memory
Check out the Quizlet section for that topic and learn the definitions and key topics by repetitively reading and writing them down (maybe even creating your own revision cards in the process)
Then do a few exam questions that fit the topic, checking your answers with the mark scheme to ensure you are thinking correctly
Boil your understanding of the topic down into a series of lists, or a mind map, or a diagram that shows all the key topics and definitions on 1 sheet of A4. Stick this on your wall in your bedroom to constantly remind you.
General QUIZLET - CLICK HERE for general GCSE CT questions across all topics
Use this to test your knowledge as your revise.
You may find some questions easy, but others hard. You then know what to revise.
My version of the checklist which includes questionning
Revision breakdown CT.pdfUnderstand how a machine that only has the ability to represent a 1 or 0 (a computer) can store and manipulate:
numbers
characters
images
sound
instructions
Open Google Assistant and say "Talk to Data Representation Revision"
What elements are found in the CPU?
What is the role of the CPU? (Fetch/Execute)
What effects the performance of a CPU?
RAM? ROM? Cache?
Peripherals?
System bus?
Open Google Assistant and say "Talk to Computer Systems Revision"
George Boole worked on a field of mathematics which we now call Boolean Algebra.
It provides a way to manipulate 1's and 0's logically - which is handy when your machine (the computer) can only handle 1's and 0's.
Logic (AND, OR, NOT, XOR) can be expressed in terms of:
Logic expressions
Truth tables
Logic diagrams
A Database is a persistent store of organised data.
They create a separation between the actual data and the user. This brings lots of advantages over the traditional filing cabinet/flat file way of storing data.
Databases are often controlled using DBMS. These provide specific functionality such as:
Input forms (incl. validation, verification)
Output reports
A structured query language (SQL)
Backup and security
Intranets (aka Local Area Networks - LANs) are networks internal to a company or organisation. They have difference designs (topologies) and are created using specific hardware.
The Internet is an example of a Wide Area Network (WAN) and is organised by domains.
Both use IP addressing to send data from one computer to another (intranets also rely on MAC addresses).
Security and file compression are important aspects of networking.
Open Google Assistant and say "Talk to Networks Revision"
Topics not already mentioned:
Computer systems
Input & output devices
Secondary storage devices
Types of software
Programming languages & algorithms
Video explanations
Crash Course is a YouTube channel discussing all kinds of school topics, including Computer Science
Mind maps and summary sheets
RockStar Louie says...
Don't forget to put HEX numbers into the Holy Cross (16's and 1's)
When converting between BINARY and HEX use NIBBLES
Postman Ed says...
Root network answers around the TCP/IP protocol stack.
Data is sent around a network in 'packets' (a bit like the envelopes he uses).
Don't forget that if you MUST know if a packet has been delivered use 'registered mail' (aka TCP)
If you don't care if the packet gets delivered, or you don't have much bandwidth use UDP
RoboJorge says...