Computers And The World Of Computing - 1997 Words

The world of computing affects more around us each day, with technologies being developed to offer all sorts of solutions. Consider how vast its effects are: wireless signals and cables carrying data everywhere; how many use the internet; and now how many have smartphones in our pockets. These are all computer systems we use, but how many of us understand how it all actually works? Microsoft’s Bill Gates once said â€Å"I think it s fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we ve ever created. They re tools of communication, they re tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user† and I agree, computers have become powerful tools to many of us. Offering adaptability to create and share all sorts of†¦show more content†¦Code acted as commands and directed the computer through tasks. This required understanding of computer language, how data was laid out inside the machine, and knowing individual stages of a task. These basic interfaces meant a more capable user was required to make computers function, and the education reflected this, teaching computer science. Boston University’s department of Computer Science (2003) describes â€Å"Computer Science is the systematic study of the feasibility, structure, expression, and mechanization of the methodical processes (or algorithms) that underlie the acquisition, representation, processing, storage, communication of, and access to information†. This is the knowledge of how a computer thinks and what it needs to overcome a problem. A solution requires the manipulation of data, using the computer as a tool, and most importantly human development to make it possible. The department go onto say â€Å"they study the very nature of computing to determine which problems are (or are not) computable†. They need to know how it works to understand the capabilities of what is or not possible. Turple’s thoughts of recent education were â€Å"now the goal is to teach students how to use computer applications, on the premise that if they can work with the computer, they can forget what’s inside and still be masters of the technology.† (Turple 1997, p.76). This refers to