KS3 Computing/Applications

Making Computing Matter To People

Hang on a minute, what's the point of all the stuff we are learning?

All this programming and logic and stuff.

What is it for?

There is got to be some point to all of this.

How do I let my audience know what I am doing? Wait, what do we mean by an audience?

No. Not that sort of audience.|

When we use the word audience here we mean anyone who will need to use this for a real reason. They are reading it because they are interested or need the information.

Below is the read-out from a navigation program. The way it looks and works is really important.

The audience for this is the person who might be alone at night on a boat and wishing he could find his way home.

If the readout isn't clear, or if the information isn't available at the right time, he could be in real trouble.

In fact, people die every year because they get it wrong.

Applying computing tools is a real-world skill. It is about taking the bits and pieces of computing and putting them together to solve a problem. Making a whole solution to a problem or idea might mean:

* Using tools or apps that are familiar to everyone.

* Using new or strange apps that do new things.

* Using one app to work with another.

* Creating a new app through coding. Making something new that solves problems.

* Sharing and fixing (de-bugging) a project.

* Sharing the whole project with other people through the web or via a VLE/MLE.

Welcome to the Application section of KS3 Computing.

Here you will learn how to take theory and put it into practice with real life situations.

You can start by looking into the Toolbox for various places to get started.

Then head over to the projects section to start using those tools

Next, to get better at using the applications the best thing is to review someone else's project by debug project.

Finally, share your project and publish your work for the rest of the world to see.