Teacher Guide

Appendix B:
 Sample sc
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Syllabus ref
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
• buffer
• polling
• interrupts
• handshaking
• checksum.
Learners use their fi ndings to create a short role play 
activity that demonstrates how each of these works 
(G). Learners need to make their own notes on each of 
these after they have been acted out. 
(I)
Class brainstorm to review learners’ previous 
experience of operating systems with graphical user 
interfaces (GUI), and introduce the idea of a command 
line interface. 
(W) 
Discuss the main differences between command line 
interfaces and GUIs and their respective advantages 
and disadvantages. 
(G/P)
Pairs of learners devise their own quiz questions (and 
answers) on this unit 
(P); teacher selects one or two 
quizzes to test understanding of operating systems 
and their function. 
(W)
Cambridge IGCSE Computer Studies 
Coursebook pp. 102–5
Theory notes and activities on buffers (and 
drivers):
www.teach-ict.com/gcse_new/
computer%20systems/buffers_drivers/
home_buffers.htm
Old but still relevant article that compares 
interrupts with polling:
www.atarimagazines.com/compute/
issue149/60_Interrupts_made_easy.php
Cambridge IGCSE Computer Studies 
Coursebook pp. 98–100
Theory notes, activities and quizzes on user 
interfaces:
www.teach-ict.com/gcse_computing/