Representing and Manipulating Data in Computers OpenCourseWare: The Open University's Free Undergraduate Data Management Course

Published Feb 10, 2009

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Learn how computers handle data through the free OpenLearn course 'Representing and Manipulating Data in Computers,' offered through the Open University. This intermediate-level IT and Computing unit can be completed in approximately 20 hours.

Representing and Manipulating Data in Computers: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
No Yes No

Representing and Manipulating Data in Computers: Course Description

Students using this free OpenLearn course will reference three everyday items - a personal computer, electronic kitchen scales and a digital camera - as they come to understand how computers receive data and then store, manipulate and present it back to the outside world. They will study how computers store data numerically, examining the similarities and difference between binary and decimal representation. They will explore how to convert binary to decimal numbers and vice versa and will learn basic binary arithmetic. Students also will be introduced to bit maps and vector graphics, the basic ways of representing still images, and will boost their IT and Computing vocabulary through definition of such terms as exponent, positional notation, fixed-point representations and Boolean variable. Finally, they will examine four simple logic operations - NOT, AND, OR and exclusive-OR - that allow for the access and manipulation of bits.

A variety of self-assessment and exploratory activities, along with related answers and discussions, are available for free online.

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