Course Objectives

This course aims to provide a breadth-first coverage of the discipline of computer science, and to give student essential information about computer science so that they can pursue the subject further. This course covers computing history and future, number systems and digital data representation. It introduces curriculum, education and career opportunities of computer science majors. It explains computing hardware, software, operating systems and networks, with essential concepts and technologies. It explains preliminary programming and algorithms, with a series of coding practices. It offers a gentle introduction to subareas in computer science such as software engineering, multimedia, database, artificial intelligence, and so on.  It also covers security issues of software and networks.

Course Requirements

· Understand how the courses in computer science are related.

· Intelligently understand the history of computing technology.

· Master how to convert between binary and decimal numbers, and master digital data representation.

· Master computer hardware switching technologies

· Master basic functions of operation systems

· Master basic concepts and technologies of networks, the Internet and the Web

· Master basic concepts of software engineering and database

· Understand basic concepts of computer security and artificial intelligence

· Describe computer language generations and analyze their differences.

· Master the relationship among algorithm, problem solving and programming.

· Master the basic ideas of programming abstraction, logic and bugs

· Master fundamental programming skills with practices

Course Contents

Part I. Groundwork

1. Layers of a Computing System

2. Computer history of hardware and software

3. Computer science as a discipline : Subareas of computer science, Curriculum of CST majors

4. Computer science as a Career:Jobs and salaries, Education and certification

Part II. Digital data representation

1. Data representation (including: digital images and sounds)

2. Binary number system, Base conversion

Part III. Computer System

1. Hardware: Gates and circuits (Optional), Stored-program concepts, Computer components

2. Software: Software basics, Operating system basics, security issues

Part IV. Programming and Algorithm

1. Programming language

2. Algorithm and Problem solving

3. Elementary Programming with variables, expressions, data types, input and output, bugs and debugging

4. Programming with selections, loops and arrays

Part V. Network

1. Network components, wired and wireless networks

2. Internet technology and services, Web technology, security

Part VI.  Software Engineering and Database

1. Software Engineering concepts, Software development life cycle

2. Database concepts, DBMS

3. Artificial Intelligence (Optional)

Additional Content

Any section or chapter not listed previously.

Credits: 3