The first video explores the first computers that had stored programs in the same memory space as the data required for them.  This is known as the von Neumann architecture and is still the foundation principle on which most computers are still built today.  We take the lid off a central processing unit and explain...

The first video outlines the purpose of systems software: the operating system and utilities.  It consider the role of systems software in providing a user interface and abstraction to the physical hardware.  A variety of different types of user interface are explained in more detail.

The second video...

This document from the Department of Education looks at how St Gregory's Catholic School Science College educates pupils and parents about cyberbullying through newsletters, their 'Parent Zone' and curriculum. The resource explores the school's resources for parents, mobile phone and behaviour polices as part of...

This infographic gives a clear overview and summary of the progression of the Teach Computing Curriculum through each key stage and year group from the beginning of key stage 1 through to the end of key stage 4 with suggestions for post-16 options.

The Teach Computing Curriculum resources contain everything...

Leah studied AS maths and IT and A level psychology and computing. Despite starting a computing degree, she subsequently realised that the Telecoms Support Apprenticeship Pathway suited her learning style more appropriately. She is now working as an apprentice at Azzuri, working to support customers...

This CS4FN activity from the team at Queen Mary University of London highlights some issues encountered during the design of human-computer interfaces (HCI). It acts as an introduction to HCI, introducing the need to translate problems and to understand how people behave.

The activities include a robot...

The book "The Magic of Computer Science" contains a variety of tricks that relate to various elements of computer science.

In this resource, the algorithm...

The aim of this activity is to raise awareness of human interface design issues. In a world where poor design is rife, people have become accustomed to dealing with problems caused by the artifacts with which they interact, sometimes blaming themselves instead of attributing the problems to flawed design. The issue...

Can computers understand emotions? Can computers express emotions? Can they feel emotions? This video, from the University of Cambridge, examines the research of Professor Peter Robinson exploring how emotions can be used to improve interaction between humans and computers.

The research team is collaborating...

In this activity students explore why a water clock was the world's first programmable system. Programmable systems are by no means a modern invention. Many regard the first to be Ktesibios's water clock, which was invented approximately 2250 years ago.

The aim of this activity is that students apply what...

This magic trick from the Computer Science for Fun team at QMUL shows that computing is about more than just programming and computational thinking is about more than just algorithms.

A simple mathematical approach is taken with dealt piles of cards – this allows the dealer to control the whereabouts of the...

This unplugged activity from the CS4FN team uses two examples – an insulting computer and one that can play snap – to look at simple computer programming, flow of control and logic. Everything is provided for this front-of-class activity, which would act as an effective starter for a lesson on programming concepts...

In this activity from the CS4FN team, learners are introduced to algorithms in the context of artificial intelligence. They are challenged to beat a ‘piece of paper’ at a game of noughts and crosses. By following a simple algorithm, the piece of paper becomes very difficult to beat. The algorithm is a sequence of...

The twenty seven challenges contained in this booklet are designed to challenge and inspire students whilst helping them on their journey to becoming a ‘computational thinker’. The ideas contained in the booklet will also provide useful teacher stimulation when planning lessons.

Many of the challenges...