How Computers Work

This course is part of Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Specialization

Instructor: Prof Marco Gillies

Skills you'll gain

Computer Networking

Details to know

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Assessments

11 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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There are 4 modules in this course

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 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.

What's included

6 videos1 reading1 assignment2 discussion prompts

6 videosTotal 20 minutes

1.0.1 What is computer science and how can it help us2 minutesPreview module
1.1.1 Abstraction4 minutes
1.1.2 Abstraction in data representations4 minutes
1.1.3 Notional machines4 minutes
1.1.5 CPU and memory3 minutes
1.1.7 Summary1 minute

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

1.0.3 Further Reading10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

1.1.4 Abstraction30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

Introduce yourself15 minutes
1.1.6 Notional machines15 minutes

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.

What's included

9 videos1 reading4 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts

9 videosTotal 38 minutes

2.1.1 The deep secret of computer science1 minutePreview module
2.1.3 State5 minutes
2.1.5 An e-commerce site4 minutes
2.1.7 Why does turning it off and on again work?3 minutes
2.2.1 A notional machine: files6 minutes
2.2.3 Modularity2 minutes
2.2.4 Applications5 minutes
2.2.6 Debugging6 minutes
2.3.4 Summary1 minute

1 readingTotal 20 minutes

2.2.5 Looking inside applications20 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

2.1.4 State15 minutes
2.2.2 Files15 minutes
2.2.7 Debugging an application problem10 minutes
2.3.3 Summative quiz20 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

2.3.1 An application60 minutes

3 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

2.1.2 The deep secret of computer science15 minutes
2.1.6 States of software15 minutes
2.3.2 Notional machines10 minutes

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.

What's included

7 videos3 assignments1 discussion prompt

7 videosTotal 34 minutes

3.1.1 Networks4 minutesPreview module
3.1.2 The internet7 minutes
3.2.1 Security threats2 minutes
3.2.3 Encryption5 minutes
3.2.4 Security defenses3 minutes
3.2.5 The perils of the password: Interview with Sarah Wiseman10 minutes
3.2.8 Summary0 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 46 minutes

3.2.6 Security: what have you learned?15 minutes
3.1.3 Networks16 minutes
3.2.7 Case study: debugging a web load error15 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 15 minutes

3.2.2 Security risks15 minutes

In this week you will apply all of the computer science concepts you have learned in this course to understanding how modern websites work.

What's included

9 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts

9 videosTotal 25 minutes

4.0.2 What is a website?2 minutesPreview module
4.1.1 Websites2 minutes
4.1.2 Networks and the Web4 minutes
4.1.3 Security and the Web2 minutes
4.1.4 State and the Web2 minutes
4.1.5 Clients and servers3 minutes
4.1.6 Embedding and APIs2 minutes
4.1.7 Your data2 minutes
4.2.5 MOOC Summary2 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

4.2.4 Further Learning10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes

4.0.1 Motivating problem15 minutes
4.1.8 Websites15 minutes
4.2.3 Summative quiz20 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes

4.2.1 How does a website work?120 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 25 minutes

4.0.3 Notional machine for a website15 minutes
4.2.2 Computer science10 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

4.7 (136 ratings)

Prof Marco Gillies

University of London

14 Courses549,918 learners

Offered by

University of London

Goldsmiths, University of London

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Reviewed on Sep 24, 2020

Good Course for a person who is not in the field of computer science and who wants to get deep knowledge in computer science.Thank You the University of London for that wonderful course.

Reviewed on Sep 1, 2024

Very beginner friendly, the AI tools that help students better understand the information allow for a more accessible and digestible course.

Reviewed on Nov 6, 2020

I am so glad I took this course. It taught me so much and it gave me the confidence I needed to seriously change careers. I loved it!

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