Zimbabwe Form 4 Curriculum - Computer Science (Elective)

This course covers the first four years of Secondary Education in Computer Science, focusing on problem-solving skills and preparing learners for further education or specialized computing fields. It equips learners with skills for the information age, promoting innovative thinking for socio-economic development.

Form 1

• Hardware and Software: Input devices, output devices, storage devices, processing devices, and software concepts.
• Application of Computer Science: Agriculture, banking systems, education, social networks, and research and development.
• Data Representation: Binary number system and data representation using binary.
• Communication Networks and Internet Technologies: Networking concepts, types of networks, network topologies, and internet services.
• Security and Ethics (Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu): Cyber-wellness, copyright issues, and plagiarism and piracy.
• Systems Analysis and Design: Systems development life cycle and problem identification.
• Algorithm Design and Problem Solving: Introduction to algorithm tools and sequence construct.
• Programming: Programming concepts.
• Databases: Database creation, file structure elements, database objects, and views.
• Web Design: Web page elements, web page templates, and web content development.
• Technopreneurship: Elements of intellectual capital, business ethics (Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu), and marketing and business strategies.

Form 2

• Hardware and Software: Application software and system software utility tools.
• Application of Computer Science: Agriculture, transport management, health, environmental management, and robotics.
• Data Representation: Conversion of binary to denary and vice versa, addition and subtraction of binary numbers, and converting keyboard characters to ASCII code.
• Communication Networks and Internet Technologies: Data transmission modes, data transmission media, types of networks, and internet service providers (ISP).
• Security and Ethics (Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu): Computer crime, data protection measures, and computer ethics.
• Systems Analysis and Design: Feasibility study.
• Algorithm Design and Problem Solving: Algorithm tools, pseudo code structures, selection and repetition constructs, and applying selection and repetition algorithm structures in problem-solving.
• Programming: Programming concepts, control structures (repetition/iteration/loop and selection), functions, and testing and debugging.
• Databases: Database objects and views, datasheets, queries, forms, reports, data manipulation methods, and database security.
• Web Design: Content Management System (CMS) web templates, web content development, testing and debugging, and plugins and extensions.
• Technopreneurship: Environmental technopreneurship components, technology innovation and design thinking.

Form 3

• Hardware and Software: Hardware devices, applications of hardware devices, operating systems (Personal Computer (PC) Operating Systems and Mobile Operating Systems).
• Application of Computer Science: Agriculture, computer-aided manufacturing, intelligent systems, wildlife management, and mining.
• Data Representation: Units of storage (bit, nibble, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, terabyte) and number bases (octal and hexadecimal).
• Communication Networks and Internet Technologies: Mobile technology, wireless technologies, and cloud services.
• Security and Ethics (Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu): Privacy, data integrity, system security, cybercrime, and hacking.
• Systems Analysis and Design: Systems analysis, systems design, development & testing.
• Algorithm Design and Problem Solving: Algorithm tools (flow charts, pseudocode, top-down and bottom-up design), interpreting and testing algorithms.
• Programming: Interface design, visual programming (functions and objects), testing and debugging, and errors.
• Databases: Database objects and views, external data sources, and database security.
• Web Design: Content management systems, graphic design, web security, plugins/extensions.
• Technopreneurship: Laws and policies on technopreneurship and intellectual property rights.

Form 4

• Hardware and Software: Hardware and software maintenance.
• Application of Computer Science: Agriculture, ambient systems, and geographic information systems.
• Data Representation: Logic gates and truth tables.
• Communication Networks and Internet Technologies: Network protocols and networking devices.
• Security and Ethics (Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu): Data backup, disaster recovery, and data recovery tools.
• Systems Analysis and Design: Documentation, user training, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.
• Algorithm Design and Problem Solving: Algorithm design.
• Programming: Coding programs, testing, and debugging.
• Databases: Advanced queries, database connection, and database security.
• Web Design: Web development, web security, and testing and debugging.
• Technopreneurship: Finance and funding and market research.