Computer Page: Syllabuses for the FutureSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 8, No. 5 (Nov., 1979), pp. 12-14Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30213504 .

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more difficult within an overcrowded curriculum. The move towards a narrower range of subject options has meant that time and resources are not always available for a subject which has, in some cases, enjoyed the status of only a fringe activity.

It is the hope of this Working Party, however, that if a school undertakes an overall review of the curriculum during the next few years, the following list of topics should be considered for inclusion as a priority, reflecting as they do the environment and society in which our students will inevitably develop. We leave it to the ingenuity of teachers to find ways to incorporate our suggestions, in whatever order is thought appropriate, within the core of their curriculum.

1. The Automatic Control of Processes

One of the major concerns of the Schools Committee during recent years has been that most syllabuses in so-called "Computer Studies" have not kept pace with current trends. They do not produce a contemporary awareness of the com- puting world nor do they reflect the pace of technological change. The first Working Party which tried to offer guidance on syllabus design produced, in 1969 and revised, in 1970, a document called "Computer Education for All". The success of this document has, to a certain extent, frustrated several valiant attempts at revision.

The present Working Party has approached the matter by identifying, within 'existing syllabuses, topics which are con- sidered to be of lasting value and by adding areas which might be relevant for the next decade. We have tried to produce an answer to the question posed to the British Computer Society in 1985 by a secondary school headteacher: "What should my colleagues be teaching all children about computers?".

In listing the selected topics, members have added a paragraph of explanation, not only of the meaning of the topic itself but also an indication of how a teacher might present the topic to pupils. We would recommend that the topics be included somewhere within the normal secondary school curriculum for every student either as part of a computing course or as topics studied within other subjects, e.g. general studies, humanities or mathematics.

The Working Party recognised that the current educational debate, epitomised by the recent Green Paper and the published curriculum guidelines from Her Majesty's Inspectorate was making the establishment of computer studies courses even

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Processes, in the widest sense of the word, have been automated since early times. With the advent of the computer and, in particular, the micro-computer, developments in the automatic control of processes are infiltrating much of our modern living at an ever increasing pace. This is exemplified by an acceptance, as commonplace, of the fact that many of our large industries no longer have need for the higher manning levels which were so common in the past. It is necessary for our pupils to gain a basic understanding of the underlying principles of automation through a study of present developments and possible future trends. A visit to a local engineering works could indicate the extent to which mechanical handling techniques have been introduced.

2. The Concept of Input-Process-Output Pupils should be aware of input-process-output sequence in other than a computer context (e.g. a laundry or dry-cleaning shop). This should help them to appreciate the need, especially in an extremely high speed system, for a standard form of input. They should also be aware of the various means of con- verting input from a form convenient for people into a form designed for machine. The emphasis should be on the principle rather than on the means of conversion. It should be recognised that, during the processing stage, a computer system undertakes a number of tasks according to a predetermined sequence, thus transforming the input data into a form ready for output. Pupils should also be aware of the ways in which the output from a machine is designed to serve the direct needs of people, for example the computer generation of letters and bills which

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arrive in the home or the control of traffic by means of coloured lights.

3. Coding Systems In carrying out data processing tasks, a computer repeatedly transforms the input data using precise codes and rules. These transformations may not always be apparent to the operator of a computer system. The input, transmission and manipulation of data involve a wide range of coding techniques from which suitable examples can be selected. Teachers could choose from codes used for punched cards, printing devices, braille output, graph plotters and number representation. Having used some of these codes or seen them in action, students may be interested in inventing their own codes and in using them to complete simple communication tasks.

4. Preparation of Input - Interpretation of Output Pupils should be aware of the degree of precision needed when specifying input for a computer. They should have first hand experience of data collection and checking and should be alive to the possibility of data containing errors despite such check- ing. The preparation of forms for data collection, so that sub- sequent transfer of data is made easier, can be experienced at first hand. Pupils should appreciate that computer output is not infallible and is simply information which can be used as the basis on which to make decisions, and, as such, may require a degree of interpretation. Most computer programs contain routines for checking data but it is impossible for the com- puter to produce valid results from incorrect or incomplete data.

5. Using Computer Program Packages A computer package is a program or set of programs designed to output results which depend upon data supplied by the user. The user needs to be familiar with any manual of instructions and must have a knowledge of the operational procedure for the particular computer system.

The use of such a package does not require any knowledge of the computer programs themselves. It is possible that the data will need to be structured in a certain way, conforming to a particular set of rules; indeed, this may provide some of the educational value of the exercise. A package should be viewed, and treated, as a tool by means of which an extremely powerful information-processing system can be easily controlled by an unsophisticated user.

6. Information Storage and Retrieval Pupils should be aware that the computer has made possible the storage of vast amounts of information. They should know that such information can be made available for use, either in a general way or on a restricted basis, but that convenient access is possible only if the information is structured in some way. Libraries offer examples of both manual and computer based systems for retrieval of information. Businesses use computer data-bases to help them make up-to-date management decisions and to guide their transactions, for example, in inter- national airline booking systems.

Pupils will wish to make use of computer based storage and retrieval systems alongside other techniques of study. The increase in the amount of information held in the world's libraries has been likened to an explosion. However, new techniques have enabled students to have ready access to recent and relevant research.

7. Hardware in Context It is not necessary to emphasise a study of hardware for its

own sake, because technology changes and what is available today may well be out of date in five years time. However, as pupils are made aware of particular applications of the computer by means of case studies, it will be natural to consider the role played by particular pieces of hardware, to appreciate the facilities offered by them and to consider the relative merits (and disadvantages) of alternative devices. Pupils should view hardware as tools which are intended to be convenient for the job being undertaken.

8. Special-purpose and General-purpose Computers A general-purpose computer is one which, supported by a team of programmers, analysts and operators, provides a range of computing facilities for a number of users. These systems can be found in large organisations such as local authorities, manufacturing companies and commercial groups and may combine central processing with links to terminals. Some computing activities can be performed by processors which are specifically designed for a single task, for example, the body scanning X-ray system for medical diagnosis or the hand-held calculator used by salesmen. The advent of the micro- processor has made the computer more universally available for such special purposes roles, especially where size is at a premium.

9. The Effect of the Cashless Society Pupils need to be made aware of the ways in which cash trans- actions in banks and shops are being replaced by the electronic transfer of funds from one bank account to another using computer systems operated by special cards carried by the customer.

In a supermarket, individual items are identified by a com- puter readable commodity code. As well as enabling the details and total of a customer's purchases to be calculated, these codes can give the store an automatic record of the stock posi- tion and an indication of buying behaviour. The sociological implications of these developments should also be studied.

10. Computers and People The creation of files of information about people raises questions of accuracy, access and morality which are not easily answered by regulating the behaviour of those in positions of power and control. There are several sensitive areas of public life in which such files may be used or abused, for example, police work and the law, the use of computers to establish the credit worthiness of people, the holding of pupil records in a school. In such areas great care must be taken to make the system foolproof, secure and flexible.

One danger is that decisions on the feasibility and design of such systems will be left to the analyst who may or may not have a social conscience. One safeguard must be to inform our future citizens of the ways in which these systems can be used for their benefit or against our interests.

11. Communications Systems Throughout the last 100 years, communications have been successively revolutionised by the introduction of the tele- phone, radio, television, satellites and computers. Data may now be transmitted at high speed to almost any part of the world, enabling the use of links between computer systems in different continents.

Networks provide for the sharing of computing resources, by routing requests for processing to the most appropriate location, without the user necessarily being aware that this is taking place. A data base, for example on weather conditions, can be accessed from any point in a given region. The problem of maintaining the data base is then left to a single forecasting station.

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12. Computer Manipulation of Text, Number, Picture and Spoken Word Pupils should appreciate that there are various means of com- municating information and that such information can be transmitted, edited, summarised and re-arranged using a computer. The various viewdata and teletext systems are common examples of such manipulation. Direct communica- tion with the computer has been greatly simplified by the development of devices which recognise spoken words and the patterns of text and handwriting. Word processing is already making an impact on office practice. A study of the automation of office procedures could start with a consideration of the information processing activities in the schools' own adminis- tration. In design work the computer can support the creative process by allowing exploration of possible models before final decisions are taken. It should be recognised that the computer can also be involved in the implementations of the design by producing the working drawings or by controlling the machine tools.

13. Artificial Intelligence How closely can computers parallel human intelligence? The computer has already taken over relatively complex, though routine, human tasks. Industrial robots are carrying out manual skills and have used pattern recognition and object manipula- tion to control assembly lines. Some mental tasks, such as language translation, have also been undertaken by the computer. Although progress has proved difficult and is the result of continued, intensive research, the development of "intelligent programs" will be of increasing importance in the future. A practical exercise for pupils would be to learn a new but simple board game and then to be asked to investigate what has been learned and how that learning has taken place.

14. Computers and Employment One effect of the use of computers to automate industrial processes is that some jobs are lost but that others are created. During a working lifetime people will be called upon to per- form several jobs and will require continuous learning and retraining. It may also mean that at any one time many people will not be "at work" in the traditional sense. This requires a radical rethinking of society's attitudes to the unemployed.

As technology advances, the decision to implement a computerised system may be based more on social than on technical considerations and will require the participation of the people involved. So that such participation can be effective, the concept of a "lifetime of learning" means more than just retraining for a new job.

15. Computers in the Economy Business and commercial organisations can be likened to an information processing system. Over the years, these have made increasing use of computer facilities to improve their efficiency. Also, the mere existence of a computer has led some organisations in new directions, for example in banking services. We have reached a stage where the removal of computing systems would cause the economic collapse of many of our institutions.

It is important to acquaint our pupils with the ways in which' automatic data processing systems are modelled on human organisations, but to help them recognise the essential human factors which remain. Examples could be drawn from assembly line manufacturing in the engineering industry and computer managed learning systems.

This article is published in leaflet form and copies may be obtained from: The Registrar, British Computer Society, 13 Mansfield Street, London W1M OBP

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