It includes:
- Student Learning Record (A3 version in word)
- Student Learning Record (PDF version)
- Student Learning Record (PowerPoint version)
- Set of student activities and workshops with answers
- Answers to the exam questions from the back of the SLR
- Teacher Marking Checklist
This topic covers:
H446
- 2.2.2 a-f Computational methods
Specific knowledge required for A Level:
- Candidates need to be able to determine if a problem can be solved using computational methods, such as decomposition, abstraction, calculations, storage of data.
- Candidates need to be able to recognise a problem from a description of a scenario, decompose the problem and use abstraction to design a solution.
- Candidates need to understand how divide and conquer can be used within a task to split the task down into smaller tasks that are then tackled.
- Candidates also need to identify how tasks can be carried out simultaneously to produce a solution.
- Candidates need to understand the purpose of backtracking within an algorithm, for example when traversing a tree.
- Candidates need to be able to read, trace and write code that makes use of backtracking for a given scenario.
- Candidates need to understand what is meant by data mining, and how data mining is used in a situation.
- Candidates need to understand the complexities within data mining and how a program will search for and interrogate the data.
- Candidates need to understand what is meant by heuristics, and how they can be used within a program (for example the A* algorithm).
- Candidates should have some experience of programming a simple heuristic, and be able to apply their knowledge to a given scenario to explain the purpose and benefits of using heuristics in a solution.
- Candidates need to understand the principles, and purpose of performance modelling, and how it is used in the production of software.
- Candidates need to understand the principle of pipelining and how it is used within programming (for example the result from a process feeds into the next process).
- Candidates need to understand how visualisation can be used to create a mental model of what a program will do or work, and that from this they can plan ahead what is going to happen or what they will need to do.
