New
New
Year 11
AQA

Web technologies

I can explain the difference between client-side and server-side processing and describe how search engines return relevant results.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Web technologies

I can explain the difference between client-side and server-side processing and describe how search engines return relevant results.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Client-side and server-side processing run web applications.
  2. Search engines use indexing and algorithms to return relevant results.

Keywords

  • Client-side processing - when code runs on the user's device (the client)

  • Server-side processing - when code runs on a web server and then the content is sent to the user’s browser

  • Web crawler - a program used by search engines to browse and collect information from websites

  • Search engine optimisation - the process of improving how a website appears in search engine results

Common misconception

Search engines instantly know every website and search live each time you type in a query.

Search engines don’t search the web in real time. They use crawlers to index content in advance. When you search, they quickly scan this index to return the most relevant results.


To help you plan your year 11 computer science lesson on: Web technologies, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Emphasise the difference between where code runs (client versus server) using examples like search suggestions (client) versus search results (server). Reinforce how crawlers and indexing power search results.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the main role of a server on the internet?

to display graphics
to increase internet speed
Correct answer: to host and provide services to other devices
to control all the devices on a network

Q2.
What does a client do in a client–server model?

Correct answer: requests and uses services from servers
hosts websites for others
stores all the data on the network
manages internet connections for everyone

Q3.
Which of these is an example of a cloud service?

installing software from a CD
pinting a document
plugging in a USB stick
Correct answer: using an online file storage platform

Q4.
What is the process of making a website available on the internet called?

Correct Answer: Hosting, Host

Q5.
What does SaaS stand for?

Correct Answer: software as a service

Q6.
Arrange these steps for accessing a cloud-based document.

1 - Connect to the internet.
2 - Log in to the cloud service.
3 - Request the document.
4 - View or edit the document.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these best describes server-side processing?

Code runs after the page loads in your browser.
Code only runs on mobile devices.
Code is stored on a USB stick.
Correct answer: Code runs on a web server before you see the page.

Q2.
What is client-side processing?

Code runs on the web server.
Correct answer: Code runs on the user’s device.
Code runs on both server and client at the same time.
Code runs on the search engine’s database.

Q3.
What do search engines use to collect and organise information from websites before you search?

Correct Answer: Web crawler, Crawler, Spider, Bot

Q4.
Arrange these steps for how a search engine returns results:

1 - Web crawler collects website data.
2 - Search engine builds an index.
3 - User enters a query.
4 - Search engine checks the index for relevant results.

Q5.
Match each scenario to the correct term.

Correct Answer:search engine optimisation,website changes title tags to appear higher in search results

website changes title tags to appear higher in search results

Correct Answer:server-side processing,website content is created after you log in

website content is created after you log in

Correct Answer:web crawler,search engine gathers new website content

search engine gathers new website content

Correct Answer:client-side processing,code checks your password as you type

code checks your password as you type

Q6.
Which statement about search engines is true?

Correct answer: They use crawlers to index sites before you search.
They search the web in real time every time you search.
They only find websites that are updated daily.
They ignore new websites.