iCompute
www.icompute-uk.com
PRIMARY COMPUTING
glossary
iCompute for Primary Schools
Creative, engaging,
step-by-step
lesson plans for
Years 1-6
Fully matched to the
National Curriculum for
Computing at Key Stage 1
& Key Stage 2
Comprensive assessment
guidance and pupil
progress trackers
All the support and
materials you need to
teach computing creatively
and with confidence
iCompute
Screenshots and video
screencasts to support
teachers
Detailed teacher guides,
glossaries and links to
resources to deepen
subject knowledge
www.icompute-uk.com
Glossary of Terms
Debug
Abstraction
Findingandcorrectingerrors
Takingthedetailoutofa‘problem’tomake
iteasiertosolve
Data
Algorithm
Numbersthatrepresentimages,video,text
andsound
Stepstofollowtoachieveatask
Decomposition
Boolean
Splittingthingsintosmallerparts
Avariablewhosevaluecanonlybetrueor
false
Evaluation
Browser
Isthis‘good’?Canitbeimproved?
Acomputerprogramusedtoaccessthe
WorldWideWeb
FTP
FileTransferProtocol.Aserviceformoving
files
Checksum
Thetotalnumberofpacketssentto/froma
router
Generalisation
Adaptingsolutionsalreadyfoundtosolve
newproblems
Code
SeeProgram
Hub
Computer
Adevicethatjoinsagroupofcomputers
together
Adevicethattakesinput,processesit,then
producesoutput
HTML
ComputationalThinking
HyperTextMarkupLanguage:the‘code’
usedtocreateandlayoutwebpages
Ananalyticalapproachto‘problem’solving
(involvingabstraction,decomposition,
logicalthinking,pattern,evaluation,
generalisation)
Information
Dataprocessedand/orpresentedtousersin
ameaningfulway.Forexample,alargelist
ofnumbersismeaninglessunlessitis
presentedas,say,theagesofpupilsinaclass
Condition
Somethingthatiseithertrueorfalse
Input
CSS
Amethodofcomputersreceivingdata(Eg.
keyboard,mouse,touch,sensorsetc,)
CascadingStyleSheets–Howwebcontentis
styled(Eg.font,colouretc.)
PrimaryComputingGlossary
www.icompute-uk.com
Page1of3
©iCompute(allrightsreserved)
Glossary of Terms
Internet
Repetition
Anetworkofconnectedcomputers
IPAddress
Numericallabelassignedtoeachdeviceona
computernetwork
InternetServiceProvider.Thecompanyyou
paytoconnectyoutotheInternet
Findingdatathatsatisfiescondition(s)
Awayincomputerprogramstomake
choices(e.g.IF..THEN)
Sequence
LAN
LocalAreaNetwork.Computersconnected
togetherthataregeographicallycloseto
eachother(e.g.homeorschool)
LogicalReasoning/Thinking
Asetofinstructionsthatarefollowedin
order
Simulate
Usingcomputerstoimitatereal-world
scenarios
Usingrulestosolveproblems
Software
Network
Agroupofcomputersthatareconnected
(includingtheInternet)
Output
Computerprogramsandapplications(apps)
TCP/IP
Languagecomputersusetocommunicate
Aresponsemadebycomputerstotheuser
(Eg.audio(sound),visual(images),motion)
Packet
Smallpiecesofdata(text,pictures,sound)
Pattern
URL
UniformResourceLocator:anickname
(address) forawebsite
Variables
Namesgiventothingswewantthecomputer
tostore(remember).Eg.scores.
Findingandusingrepetition
WAN
Program
Instructionswritteninalanguage(code)
computerscanunderstand
Page2of3
Search
Selection
ISP
www.icompute-uk.com
Instructionsthatcanberepeateduntila
conditionismet–i.e.aloop
WideAreaNetwork.Computersconnected
togetherthataregeographicallyfarapart,
evenindifferentcountries.TheInternetis
anexample.
PrimaryComputingGlossary
©iCompute(allrightsreserved)
Glossary of Terms
WebServer
AcomputerconnectedtotheInternetthat
providesaccessto(hosts)websites
WebSite
Acollectionofwebpages
WorldWideWeb(WWW)
AllofthewebpagesontheInternet,
accessedusingawebbrowser
Wired
Devicesthatareconnectedusingwires,
usuallycables
Wireless
Devicesthatareconnectedwithoutwiresor
cables.Theycommunicateviaradiowaves
PrimaryComputingGlossary
www.icompute-uk.com
Page3of3
©iCompute(allrightsreserved)
iCompute for Primary Schools
Creative, engaging,
step-by-step
lesson plans for
Years 1-6
Fully matched to the
National Curriculum for
Computing at Key Stage 1
& Key Stage 2
Comprensive assessment
guidance and pupil
progress trackers
All the support and
materials you need to
teach computing creatively
and with confidence
iCompute
Screenshots and video
screencasts to support
teachers
Detailed teacher guides,
glossaries and links to
resources to deepen
subject knowledge
www.icompute-uk.com
iCompute
www.icompute-uk.com
An eBook version of this glossary is
available at:
www.icompute-uk.com
© iCompute Teaching Ltd (all rights reserved)