Home » Open Courseware 2.0 (OCW2) Project » OCW2 Computer Science and IT (Version 1)

Basics

The fundamentals of computer systems and programming. This international selection of resources varies in focus, depth and presentational styles, starting with the very basic and building up in complexity. Scan all items at first to see what you like and where to start before studying anything in depth and then use the other items to reinforce and supplement your learning.

Starting Points for Beginners

Introduction to Computers

- This introduction by Wikiversity has relatively little text but plenty images and some podcasts:

" ... a gentler, lighter survey course without delving too much into technical details. It will also examine computers from the perspective on how they influence society."

An Introduction to Data and Information

- A 20 hour introductory course by the Open University (UK):

" ... examines how a computer-based society impacts on daily life. You will learn what computers can do with data to produce information and how computers can be used to work with data and search for it, control machines, and support commercial operations."

Interactive Learning

Animations to Assist Learning Some Key Computer Science Topics

- Lessons and review questions with embedded interactive components by the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech (US)

" ... multimedia course material with animations to assist learning some key Computer Science topics on the World Wide Web. The work is presented in eight learning modules: Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Data Structures, Machine Architecture, Number Systems, Operating Systems, Programming Languages, and Software Engineering. Each module consists of a set of lessons with animations and interactive components including review questions."

A Selection of First Courses

Computers and Computer Systems

- A further 20 hour course from the UK's Open University, now focused on the the principal hardware components and basic operation of computer systems:

" ... introduces the different parts of computer systems and their use of binary code. Using the examples of kitchen scales, a digital camera and a computer artwork the unit, with the help of flowcharts, discusses how computers process data and instructions."

Introduction to Computer Science

- A course from Connexions by Huong Nguyen of Hanoi University of Technology (VN) introducing basic concepts and the C programming language. Topics include:

Data Representation in a Computer, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Introduction to C (Data Types and Expressions, Control Flow, Pointers and Arrays, Functions, Strings, Structures, Files)

Introduction to Computer Science using Java

- Covering hardware and software fundamentals, Bradley Kjell of Central Connecticut State University provides notes, quizzes and reviews in 87 "Chapters" and uses a simple programmed learning technique, asking questions after each lesson to reinforce concepts. Audio and German and French translations are also available.

Higher Computing

- Richard Buckland, an award-winning lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (AU), made this first-year introductory course available to high school students as part of an innovative online learning project - also available in Chinese and Turkish.

"This course consists of three strands: programming, systems, and general computer-science literacy. The programming strand is further divided into two parts. For the first half of the course we cover small scale programming, in the second half we look at how to effectively use teams to produce more substantial software. In the systems strand we will look at how computers work. Concentrating on microprocessors, memory, and machine code. In the literacy strand we will look at topics drawn from: computing history, algorithms, WWW programming, ethics and law, cryptography and security, and other topics of general interest."


Understanding Computers and the Internet

- Basic material in 14 wide-ranging and entertaining lectures by David J. Malan and a group of teaching assistants at Harvard College. A large number of brief videos on practical matters are also available such as "Upgrading RAM", "Macs versus PCs", "Digital Photography" etc. as well as fun topics such as "Geek Chic" and "Socializing Online".

".... all about understanding: understanding what's going on inside your computer when you flip on the switch, why tech support has you constantly rebooting your computer, how everything you do on the Internet can be watched by others, and how your computer can become infected with a worm just by turning it on. .... Topics include hardware, software, the Internet, multimedia, security, website development, programming, and dotcoms."


Introduction to Computer Science I

- 32 videoed lectures (via Academic Earth), again by David J. Malan of Harvard College but now right into the detail. Problem sets, notes, slides, quizzes with answers etc. can be found here.

"Introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science. Algorithms: their design, specification, and analysis. Software development: problem decomposition, abstraction, data structures, implementation, debugging, testing. Architecture of computers: low-level data
representation and instruction processing. Computer systems: programming languages, compilers, operating systems. Computers in the real world: networks, security and cryptography, artificial intelligence, social issues."

  

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2008

- This recent course of 24 videoed lectures from MIT OpenCourseWare (US) by Profs Eric Grimson and John Guttag comes with problem sets, quizzes and readings.

" ... aimed at students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems. It also aims to help students, regardless of their major, to feel justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. The class will use the Python™ programming language."


(N.B. An ongoing learning community has sprung up around this OCW - see comment.)

Introduction to Computer Science

- A complete course from Wikiversity:

" ... covers the same materials as an introductory class for undergraduate computer science majors. Its curriculum, which includes software, hardware and algorithms, resembles that of a one- or two-semester first-year college course or the high school Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science."

Open Courseware Directory - search for introductory OCW

  • Open Courseware with tags "introductory" and "Computer Science" - Search
  • As above but "video" only - Search
  • Open Courseware with tags "Introductory" and "Computer Hardware, Software, Networks" - Search
  • As above but "video" only - Search

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