IB Computer Science: What you need to know about
IB Computer Science: What you need to know about
IB Diploma Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for students in the 16 to 19 age range. It is a broad-based two-year course that aims to encourage students to be knowledgeable and inquiring, but also caring and compassionate. There is a strong emphasis on encouraging students to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and the attitudes necessary for them to respect and evaluate a range of points of view.
Computer Science is regarded as an experimental science – and sits in the Group 4 list of subjects. The IB Computer Science course is a rigorous and practical problem-solving discipline.
Features and Benefits
Features and benefits of the curriculum and assessment of are as follows:
- It has two course levels; standard level (SL) and higher level (HL). Computer science candidates are not limited by a defined study level so can opt for this course in the same way as their other subjects. SL course takes one year to complete, while HL course takes two years to complete. HL course includes everything in the SL course and additional topics, including resource management, control, abstract data structures, and advanced object-oriented programming.
- Computational thinking lies at the heart of the course and is integrated with other topics. This will be supported by practical activities including programming. Candidates will learn programming skills as a critical element of developing higher-level skills applicable to virtually all fields of study.
- Four course options are available; databases, modelling and simulation, web science, object oriented programming. These options will allow a particular subject of interest to be studied as defined by the subject teacher.
- Algorithmic thinking will be both externally and internally assessed at the level of pseudo-code. This means the external assessment will focus on the student’s algorithmic thinking, not on their mastery of the syntax of a particular programming language.
- Practical programming experience will be an essential element of developing higher-level thinking skills; this may be assessed as a part of the internal assessment. There is no designated language, which will allow teachers to select the programming language(s) which they feel are most appropriate for teaching the practical elements of the course.
- Syllabus content will be reviewed as part of the curriculum review cycle. This will ensure course content remains current.
- A new component has been introduced (HL only) that is linked to the annually issued case study, to expand students’ knowledge of a new subject-related topic through investigative study. This will allow students to investigate in greater depth current issues in computer science that are not included in the syllabus.
- The internal assessment has changed from a being based on a Java-related task to a more open problem-solving exercise. This will expand the choice of programming languages and better support the development of learners who match the IB learner profile.
- All computer science students will work with other students of group 4 subjects. Collaborative working will be emphasized through combined activity with like-minded students.
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