Foundations of Computer Science

Overview

Class Central Tips

Welcome to Introduction to Programming: Visual Basic. In the course sequence you will learn to write programs that utilize both procedural and object oriented techniques to solve business problems. In the first course in the sequence we will provide you with a solid foundation in the computer science topics that are important to understand when programming Visual Basic. In courses two through four, we will role up our sleeves and start coding in Visual Basic. In these courses you need to have access to a computer that is running Windows, macOS or Linux with the .NET 5 installed. We will show you how to install .NET 5.

Syllabus

Specialization: Introduction to Computer Programming Visual Basic

Welcome to Foundations of Computer Science, the first course of the Key Technologies of Visual Basic Programming specialization. By enrolling in this course, you are taking the first step to kick start your career in computer programming.

Algorithms, History of Computing and Algorithm Efficiency

In the first week of the course, we will learn about algorithms and talk about problem solving using algorithms. We will also learn about some historical events in computation that lead us to where we are today. By the end of this module, you will know how to identify the different types of data analysis and their use cases. So, let's get started!

Computer Hardware and Organization

In the second module of this course, we will learn how computers utilize hardware to store data and execute instructions to carry out our algorithms. We will explore binary number systems, Boolean logic, computer circuits and control circuits. We will look at the primary machine architecture that has been used in all modern machines.

Computer Networks, Cloud Computing and Information Security

In the third module of this course, we will learn how connecting computers offers opportunities and challenges. We will discuss how computer communicate with each other and ways we can protect the computers while sending communication.

Systems Software, Databases and Automation

In the fourth module of this course, we will touch on some important remaining topics required to understand the place of the software we develop. We will dive into the low-level languages used in computing including assembler and machine language. We then will look at databases as most applications need to store data. Lastly, we will look at how automation and artificial intelligence will affect the programs we develop