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Matt Hogan
This online course from the Raspberry Pi Foundation explores how computers do interesting things with data. You'll discover how to represent and manipulate text, images and sound and compression and other algorithms.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/j2npgp/data
What's inside
Learning objectives
- Describe how computers represent things in binary
- Explain common text encoding (ascii and utf-8)
- Investigate the physics of sound, and how sampling allows computers to represent sounds
- Compare lossy and lossless compression
- Evaluate whether to use a bitmap or a vector image
- Over the following three weeks, you will:
- Describe how computers represent things in binary
- Explain common text encoding (ascii and utf-8)
- Investigate the physics of sound, and how sampling allows computers to represent sounds
- Compare lossy and lossless compression
- Evaluate whether to use a bitmap or a vector image
- Over the following three weeks, you will:
Syllabus
This course will cover:
Units of information
Character encoding
Representing images
Read more
Syllabus
This course will cover:
Units of information
Character encoding
Representing images
Read more
Representing sound
Data compression
Good to know
Good to know
Know what's good ,
what to watch for , and
possible dealbreakers
Explores fundamental computing concepts that are used across many industries
Taught by instructors from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, who are established leaders in computer education
Provides a strong foundation for those new to computing and data
Covers core concepts in data representation, manipulation, and compression
Suitable for beginners with little to no prior knowledge in computing
Students should expect to spend time studying and completing assignments outside of class
Save this course
Save Data Representation in Computing: Bring Data to Life to your list so you can find it easily later:
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Activities
Be better prepared
before
your course. Deepen your understanding
during
and
after
it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered
in Data Representation in Computing: Bring Data to Life with these
activities:
Review the basics of information theory
Show steps
Strengthen your grasp of foundational concepts by reviewing information theory, which provides the mathematical framework for data representation and compression.
Browse courses on
Information Theory
Show steps
-
Review the concepts of information entropy, mutual information, and channel capacity
-
Understand the theoretical limits of data compression
Review prerequisite computer hardware
Show steps
Start off on the right foot by recalling foundational knowledge of computer hardware so that you can jump into more complex concepts covered in the course.
Browse courses on
Computer Hardware
Show steps
-
Review different types of computer hardware, such as CPUs, RAM, and storage devices.
-
Understand the functions of each hardware component and how they work together.
Glossary of key terms and concepts
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of key terms and concepts by creating a glossary.
Show steps
-
Identify the most important terms and concepts from the course
-
Write clear and concise definitions for each term or concept
-
Organize your glossary in a logical manner
Ten other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all 13 activities
Review binary basics
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of binary operations and arithmetic, which is fundamental to understanding how data is stored and processed by computers.
Browse courses on
Binary Arithmetic
Show steps
-
Revisit the concept of binary numbers and their representation
-
Practice converting between binary and decimal numbers
-
Understand the basic binary arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
Work through practice problems on data representation
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of how data is represented in computers by working through practice problems.
Browse courses on
Data Representation
Show steps
-
Convert numbers from decimal to binary and vice versa.
-
Encode and decode text using ASCII.
-
Perform bitwise operations on binary numbers.
Volunteer as a mentor in the course discussion forums
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of the course material while helping others by answering questions and providing support in the course discussion forums.
Show steps
-
Volunteer to be a mentor in the course discussion forums
-
Actively participate in discussions, answer questions, and provide guidance to other students
-
Review and reflect on discussions to reinforce your own understanding
Attend coding meetups or join online forums for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts
Show steps
Connect with other Raspberry Pi users to share knowledge and learn from their experiences.
Browse courses on
Raspberry Pi
Show steps
-
Find local coding meetups or online forums dedicated to Raspberry Pi.
-
Attend meetups or participate in discussions on the forums.
-
Share your knowledge and ask questions to learn from others.
Exercise: Text encoding drills
Show steps
Reinforce your knowledge of text encoding techniques by solving practice problems and exercises.
Show steps
-
Practice encoding and decoding characters using ASCII and UTF-8
-
Understand the limitations and strengths of different text encoding formats
Follow tutorials to create simple audio and image processing programs
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of audio and image representation by creating your own programs.
Browse courses on
Audio Processing
Show steps
-
Find tutorials on creating simple audio processing programs in Python.
-
Follow the tutorials to create your own programs that can perform basic audio processing tasks.
-
Repeat the process for image processing.
Explore sound sampling and compression techniques
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of how computers represent and manipulate sound by following guided tutorials on sampling and compression.
Browse courses on
Audio Compression
Show steps
-
Learn the principles of sound sampling and quantization
-
Explore different audio compression techniques (lossy and lossless)
Review and organize course materials
Show steps
Improve retention and recall by regularly reviewing and organizing notes, assignments, quizzes, and exams from the course.
Show steps
-
Organize your notes and materials into a system that works for you
-
Review your notes and materials regularly, even after completing the course
Build a simple project that applies data compression techniques
Show steps
Test your understanding of data compression by applying it to a real-world project.
Browse courses on
Data Compression
Show steps
-
Choose a dataset to compress.
-
Implement a data compression algorithm in a programming language.
-
Compress the dataset using your algorithm and evaluate the results.
Develop a data compression algorithm
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of data compression by creating your own algorithm and experimenting with different techniques.
Show steps
-
Research and select a data compression technique
-
Implement your chosen algorithm in a programming language
-
Test and evaluate the performance of your algorithm
Review the basics of information theory
Show steps
Strengthen your grasp of foundational concepts by reviewing information theory, which provides the mathematical framework for data representation and compression.
Browse courses on
Information Theory
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Review the concepts of information entropy, mutual information, and channel capacity
- Understand the theoretical limits of data compression
Review prerequisite computer hardware
Show steps
Start off on the right foot by recalling foundational knowledge of computer hardware so that you can jump into more complex concepts covered in the course.
Browse courses on
Computer Hardware
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Review different types of computer hardware, such as CPUs, RAM, and storage devices.
- Understand the functions of each hardware component and how they work together.
Glossary of key terms and concepts
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of key terms and concepts by creating a glossary.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Identify the most important terms and concepts from the course
- Write clear and concise definitions for each term or concept
- Organize your glossary in a logical manner
Ten other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all 13 activities
Review binary basics
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of binary operations and arithmetic, which is fundamental to understanding how data is stored and processed by computers.
Browse courses on
Binary Arithmetic
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Revisit the concept of binary numbers and their representation
- Practice converting between binary and decimal numbers
- Understand the basic binary arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
Work through practice problems on data representation
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of how data is represented in computers by working through practice problems.
Browse courses on
Data Representation
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Convert numbers from decimal to binary and vice versa.
- Encode and decode text using ASCII.
- Perform bitwise operations on binary numbers.
Volunteer as a mentor in the course discussion forums
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of the course material while helping others by answering questions and providing support in the course discussion forums.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Volunteer to be a mentor in the course discussion forums
- Actively participate in discussions, answer questions, and provide guidance to other students
- Review and reflect on discussions to reinforce your own understanding
Attend coding meetups or join online forums for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts
Show steps
Connect with other Raspberry Pi users to share knowledge and learn from their experiences.
Browse courses on
Raspberry Pi
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Find local coding meetups or online forums dedicated to Raspberry Pi.
- Attend meetups or participate in discussions on the forums.
- Share your knowledge and ask questions to learn from others.
Exercise: Text encoding drills
Show steps
Reinforce your knowledge of text encoding techniques by solving practice problems and exercises.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Practice encoding and decoding characters using ASCII and UTF-8
- Understand the limitations and strengths of different text encoding formats
Follow tutorials to create simple audio and image processing programs
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of audio and image representation by creating your own programs.
Browse courses on
Audio Processing
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Find tutorials on creating simple audio processing programs in Python.
- Follow the tutorials to create your own programs that can perform basic audio processing tasks.
- Repeat the process for image processing.
Explore sound sampling and compression techniques
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of how computers represent and manipulate sound by following guided tutorials on sampling and compression.
Browse courses on
Audio Compression
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Learn the principles of sound sampling and quantization
- Explore different audio compression techniques (lossy and lossless)
Review and organize course materials
Show steps
Improve retention and recall by regularly reviewing and organizing notes, assignments, quizzes, and exams from the course.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Organize your notes and materials into a system that works for you
- Review your notes and materials regularly, even after completing the course
Build a simple project that applies data compression techniques
Show steps
Test your understanding of data compression by applying it to a real-world project.
Browse courses on
Data Compression
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Choose a dataset to compress.
- Implement a data compression algorithm in a programming language.
- Compress the dataset using your algorithm and evaluate the results.
Develop a data compression algorithm
Show steps
Solidify your understanding of data compression by creating your own algorithm and experimenting with different techniques.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Research and select a data compression technique
- Implement your chosen algorithm in a programming language
- Test and evaluate the performance of your algorithm
Career center
Learners who complete Data Representation in Computing: Bring Data to Life will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
Computer Programmer
Computer Programmer
Computer Programmers use data representation to bring color and vibrancy to computer systems by instructing machines how to transform data into visuals, music, and more. The work that they complete is often task-based, but the results are often essential for how end-users interact with technology. Given that Computer Programmers deal with so many different types of media, understanding the concepts of data representation is key for success. This course covers the representation of text, sound, and images and will provide a strong foundation for a Computer Programmer's work.
Computer Systems Analyst
Computer Systems Analyst
A thorough understanding of data representation is essential for the success of a Computer Systems Analyst. They work to transform business processes into computer-based systems and must have the skills to bridge between business teams and programmers. They must also be able to gather diverse requirements and translate them into functional specifications. The representation of data in varying formats and standards plays a significant role in the work of a Computer Systems Analyst.
Data Scientist
Data Scientist
A Data Scientist typically possesses a strong understanding of advanced mathematical concepts and a background in data analysis. To discover meaningful insights from the data they analyze, Data Scientists must understand how data is represented and stored. This course covers the fundamentals of how machines represent data, which can help build a solid foundation for work in Data Science.
Software Developer
Software Developer
Software Developers may oversee all aspects of programming a given system. Given this, they will need the ability to work with different data types and understand how their formats impact the functionality of the software. This course covers the representation of both textual and non-textual data, which will be essential to success in Software Development.
Web Developer
Web Developer
Web Developers are tasked with designing, building, and maintaining websites. This requires a strong foundation in how computers represent information, as they work with different data types and formats on a daily basis. This course covers concepts in data compression and the representation of images, sound, and text. This can help a Web Developer understand how to effectively and efficiently serve web content to users.
IT Manager
IT Manager
IT Managers plan, implement, and maintain all aspects of an organization's IT infrastructure. They need to have a strong understanding of data representation and IT management principles. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for IT Managers.
Data Analyst
Data Analyst
Data Analysts are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to help businesses make informed decisions. They need to have a solid understanding of data representation and data analysis techniques. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a strong foundation for Data Analysts.
Software Engineer
Software Engineer
Software Engineers apply engineering principles to the design, development, and maintenance of software systems. They need to have a strong understanding of data representation and data structures. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Software Engineers.
Applications Developer
Applications Developer
Applications Developers design and develop software applications. They need to have a strong understanding of data representation and software development principles. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Applications Developers.
Database Manager
Database Manager
Database Managers plan, implement, and maintain database systems. They need to have a strong understanding of data representation and database management principles. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Database Managers.
Computer Network Architect
Computer Network Architect
Computer Network Architects design and build computer networks. They need to understand how data is represented and transmitted over networks to do their jobs effectively. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Computer Network Architects.
Database Administrator
Database Administrator
A Database Administrator oversees the storage, maintenance, and recovery of data in an organization. To perform this job effectively, a person in this role needs to have an understanding of how database management systems represent and store data. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a strong foundation for Database Administrators.
Computer Support Specialist
Computer Support Specialist
Computer Support Specialists help users troubleshoot computer problems and provide technical support. They need to understand how data is represented and stored to effectively diagnose and solve issues. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Computer Support Specialists.
Web Designer
Web Designer
Web Designers create and maintain websites. They need to have a strong understanding of data representation and web design principles. This course covers the fundamentals of data representation and can help build a solid foundation for Web Designers.
Information Security Analyst
Information Security Analyst
Information Security Analysts must understand data representation to stay ahead of security threats. They protect an organization's computer systems by designing and implementing security measures. This course will provide an overview of how computers represent data, which will aid in understanding how hackers try to exploit data.
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/j2npgp/data
Reading list
We've selected 14 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Data Representation in Computing: Bring Data to Life.
Classic work on computer programming. It covers a wide range of topics, including data structures, algorithms, and programming languages. It valuable resource for those seeking a deep understanding of the art of computer programming.
Save
Collection of essays on programming. It covers a wide range of topics, including data structures, algorithms, and programming techniques. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their programming skills and learn from one of the masters of the craft.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to algorithms and data structures. It covers topics such as sorting, searching, graph algorithms, and dynamic programming. It valuable resource for those seeking to develop a strong foundation in algorithms and data structures.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer architecture and organization, covering topics such as binary representation, data representation, and data manipulation. It valuable resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of the underlying principles of computing.
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to software development. It covers topics such as software design, coding, testing, and debugging. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their software development skills and become more productive.
Classic work on software development. It covers topics such as software engineering, project management, and team dynamics. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their software development skills and become more productive.
Save
Classic work on software development. It covers topics such as team dynamics, motivation, and communication. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their software development skills and become more productive.
Classic work on open source software development. It covers topics such as the history of open source software, the benefits of open source software, and the challenges of open source software development. It valuable resource for those seeking to learn more about open source software development.
Provides a comprehensive guide to using Git for version control. It covers topics such as branching, merging, and resolving conflicts. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their Git skills and become more productive.
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to using Git for version control. It covers topics such as branching, merging, and resolving conflicts. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their Git skills and become more productive.
Provides a comprehensive guide to preparing for programming interviews. It covers topics such as data structures, algorithms, and system design. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their interview skills and land their dream job.
Practical guide to software development. It covers topics such as software design, coding, testing, and debugging. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve their software development skills and become more productive.
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to writing clean code. It covers topics such as naming conventions, formatting, and refactoring. It valuable resource for those seeking to improve the quality of their code and become more productive.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to data structures and algorithms in Java. It covers topics such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs. It valuable resource for those seeking to develop a strong foundation in data structures and algorithms.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/j2npgp/data
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Effort
2 to 4 hours per week for 3 weeks
Level
Intermediate
Via
edX
Institution
Raspberry Pi Foundation
Instructor
Matt Hogan
Language
English
Transcript
English
Good to know
Explores fundamental computing concepts that are used across many industries
Taught by instructors from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, who are established leaders in computer education
Provides a strong foundation for those new to computing and data
Covers core concepts in data representation, manipulation, and compression
Suitable for beginners with little to no prior knowledge in computing
Students should expect to spend time studying and completing assignments outside of class
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