Beauty and Joy of Computing for Technology and Engineering Teachers (BJC-T&E)

People evaluate and select algorithms based on performance, reusability, and ease of implementation. Knowledge of common algorithms improves how people develop software, secure data, and store information.

Data structures are used to manage program complexity. Programmers choose data structures based on functionality, storage, and performance tradeoffs.

Programmers consider tradeoffs related to implementation, readability, and program performance when selecting and combining control structures.

Complex programs are designed as systems of interacting modules, each with a specific role, coordinating for a common overall purpose. These modules can be procedures within a program; combinations of data and procedures; or independent, but interrelated, programs. Modules allow for better management of complex tasks.

Diverse teams can develop programs with a broad impact through careful review and by drawing on the strengths of members in different roles. Design decisions often involve tradeoffs. The development of complex programs is aided by resources such as libraries and tools to edit and manage parts of the program. Systematic analysis is critical for identifying the effects of lingering bugs.

The design and use of computing technologies and artifacts can improve, worsen, or maintain inequitable access to information and opportunities.

Many aspects of society, especially careers, have been affected by the degree of communication afforded by computing. The increased connectivity between people in different cultures and in different career fields has changed the nature and content of many careers.

Laws govern many aspects of computing, such as privacy, data, property, information, and identity. These laws can have beneficial and harmful effects, such as expediting or delaying advancements in computing and protecting or infringing upon people’s rights. International differences in laws and ethics have implications for computing.

The accuracy of predictions or inferences depends upon the limitations of the computer model and the data the model is built upon. The amount, quality, and diversity of data and the features chosen can affect the quality of a model and ability to understand a system. Predictions or inferences are tested to validate models.

People transform, generalize, simplify, and present large data sets in different ways to influence how other people interpret and understand the underlying information. Examples include visualization, aggregation, rearrangement, and application of mathematical operations.

Data can be composed of multiple data elements that relate to one another. For example, population data may contain information about age, gender, and height. People make choices about how data elements are organized and where data is stored. These choices affect cost, speed, reliability, accessibility, privacy, and integrity.

Data is constantly collected or generated through automated processes that are not always evident, raising privacy concerns. The different collection methods and tools that are used influence the amount and quality of the data that is observed and recorded.

Network security depends on a combination of hardware, software, and practices that control access to data and systems. The needs of users and the sensitivity of data determine the level of security implemented.

Network topology is determined, in part, by how many devices can be supported. Each device is assigned an address that uniquely identifies it on the network. The scalability and reliability of the Internet are enabled by the hierarchy and redundancy in networks.

Troubleshooting complex problems involves the use of multiple sources when researching, evaluating, and implementing potential solutions. Troubleshooting also relies on experience, such as when people recognize that a problem is similar to one they have seen before or adapt solutions that have worked in the past.

Levels of interaction exist between the hardware, software, and user of a computing system. The most common levels of software that a user interacts with include system software and applications. System software controls the flow of information between hardware components used for input, output, storage, and processing.

Computing devices are often integrated with other systems, including biological, mechanical, and social systems. These devices can share data with one another. The usability, dependability, security, and accessibility of these devices, and the systems they are integrated with, are important considerations in their design as they evolve.