Study guide: Computing Foundations and Digital Media

📋 Course Outline

1. History of Modern Computing
2. Computer Systems and Uses
3. Binary Data and Digital Signals
4. Digital Media and Compression
5. Technology Ethics

📖 1. History of Modern Computing

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Transistor: a semiconductor computer part with three connections
• Microchip: a small piece of semiconducting material that holds the parts of an integrated circuit
• World Wide Web: a system on the Internet where documents can be shared and viewed in a web browser

📝 Essential Points

• Significant developments in modern computing include:
  • the Census Tabulating Machine
  • the silicon transistor
  • the integrated circuit or microchip
  • personal computers
  • the World Wide Web
  • smartphones

💡 Memory Hook

Census machine → transistor → microchip → personal computer → Web → smartphone

📖 2. Computer Systems and Uses

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Desktop Computer: a computer system designed to fit on a desk, typically consisting of a tower, monitor, keyboard, and mouse
• Smartphone: a mobile device that combines cell phone and computer capabilities, such as the ability to browse the Internet
• RGB Display: a computer or television monitor made of tiny red, green, and blue lights, with one of each light together making a pixel

💡 Memory Hook

Desktop computer stays in one place, whereas a smartphone combines mobility with computer capabilities.

📖 3. Binary Data and Digital Signals

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Binary: a counting system that uses only two digits, zero and one, which computers use to encode data as digital data
• Bit / Byte: A bit is a single 0 or 1 in a digital signal, and eight bits together form a byte.
• Analog: a way of recording data that directly represents or reproduces something in the real world, such as a sound wave recorded onto a vinyl disc
• Digital: a way of representing data as a string of 1s and 0s

📝 Essential Points

• A kilobyte contains 1024 bytes, and a megabyte contains 1024 kilobytes.

💡 Memory Hook

Analog represents the real world directly, whereas digital represents data with 1s and 0s.

📖 4. Digital Media and Compression

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• File Compression: a method for reducing the size of a file

📝 Essential Points

• Run-length encoding reduces repeated data in a file as a simple compression algorithm.

📌 Raster and vector images are distinct image types that should be compared when selecting the best format for digital images.

• Digital media comparison activities examine the properties of image, sound, and video files to compare their quality.

💡 Memory Hook

An RGB display builds each pixel from tiny red, green, and blue lights.

📖 5. Technology Ethics

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Ethics: personal behaviors that build responsibility and trust

📝 Essential Points

• Ethical considerations are necessary when evaluating evolving forms of technology.

💡 Memory Hook

Responsible behavior builds responsibility and trust when technology evolves.