Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking helped me understand how computers represent information and how problems can be solved logically.

This unit included topics such as:

• Number systems
• Binary
• Hexadecimal
• Decimal
• Rounding
• Powers
• Logical problem solving
• Data representation

This unit helped me develop more technical and mathematical IT skills.

I learned that computers use binary to represent information.

Binary uses only:

0 and 1

I learned how binary values can represent decimal numbers.

I also learned how to convert between decimal and binary.

I also learned about hexadecimal.

Hexadecimal uses:

0–9 and A–F

Hexadecimal can make binary information easier to read because one hexadecimal digit can represent four binary bits.

I learned how to convert between:

• Decimal
• Binary
• Hexadecimal

I learned about powers of two because they are important in computing.

Examples include:

• 2⁰ = 1
• 2¹ = 2
• 2² = 4
• 2³ = 8
• 2⁴ = 16

Understanding powers of two helped me with binary calculations.

I learned that computers sometimes have limitations when representing numbers.

This can create rounding errors.

I learned that these small differences can affect calculations and that computers may not always represent every number perfectly.

Computational thinking also helped me improve logical problem solving.

I learned to:

• Understand the problem.
• Break it into smaller parts.
• Identify important information.
• Think about possible solutions.
• Test the solution.
• Improve it if necessary.

These skills are useful in programming, databases and many other areas of IT.