Basic Computing

Computer Literacy Course Outline

Introduction
•	Hardware o	System 	Hard disk 	Floppy disk 	Compact disk 	Flash drive o	Monitor o	Keyboard o	Mouse

•	Windows (Microsoft) o	Desktop 	Icons o	Start menu o	Programmes/applications and files/folders

MS Word and Excel

•	Keyboard – letters, numbers and special keys •	Menus – File, Edit, View etc •	Typing and selecting – keyboard and mouse control •	Cut n Paste •	Copy n Paste

Internet Browsing

•	Google •	Browsers •	Websites / addresses

Emailing

•	Email providers: hotmail,yahoo etc •	Creating an account •	Logins and passwords •	Sending emails •	Saving and printing

WINDOWS
Made by the company “Microsoft”, Windows is the programme that runs the computer system. It is called windows because it shows programmes on windows in the main screen. This is HYPERGRAPHICS – pictures within pictures.

The starting screen is called the Desktop, which has got little ‘icons’ on it. When you click on an icon, a new window will open.

icons									windows Start menu								clock

Controlling windows:

Windows are controlled by the pointer and the mouse. The buttons on the top of the window will open and close the window.

Minimize				close

Open

Windows is a filing system: All work is saved as a file, which is stored in a folder:

Folders

Files

MicroSoft WORD

Word is a word-processing program, used for writing documents (eg. Letters, essays, stories etc.)

Menus:

File : 	Open, Save your work as files. Print your work

Edit: 	Copy and Paste bits of text

View: 	How you see the page you are working on

Insert:	Add pictures, information, data to your page

Format: Change the look of the letters, font, size… as well as add colour

Tools: 	Spelling, grammar and language tools

Table: Add tables for presenting information

Window: Work on many documents at once using multiple windows

Help: Get help from the automated programme

MicroSoft Excel
Excel is a spreadsheet program

Use Excel to work with tables, adding data to the cells The cells are numbered from A1 (in the top left corner) onwards ….

Add numbers and text to the cells

Formulas: You can use a formula to do automatic functions like calculating the SUM:

Or

will give the sum of all the figures in the cells A1 to A5

Copy & Paste
1.	Select text:

•	Click & Drag to highlight text. Hold down the left mouse button Move the cursor over the text to highlight it.

2.	Copy :

•	Press Cntrl  +  c •	Or	Select : Edit	Copy

3.	Paste

•	Press Cntrl  +  v •	Or	Menu:	Edit 	Paste

Cut & Paste: Repeat this exercise using Cut & Paste (just use Cut instead of Copy)

Internet
The internet is a huge collection of information that anyone can add to (write) and look at (read).

It consists of text (writing) images (pictures, graphics), audio (music and sound) and video files. It is organised in pages of HYPERTEXT – ie text within text, which are navigated by links (also called hyperlinks or weblinks).

Internet Explorer is a program for looking (browsing or surfing) at the internet

Menus				Type in website address here

Click on a link (hyperlink or weblink)to goto another page (webpage). Weblink

These are usually underlined

Google.com is a very popular website used to search for other websites

Type in a word here and press Google Search Google will find websites related to that subject/ word. This is called a keyword search.

e-mail
To use email you will need to register for an email account

You will need a username and password

Enter your username or ID

Enter your password

Press Login

•	You Email account will be split into folders or boxes. •	The Inbox is where your incoming messages are stored (messages sent to you) •	The Sentbox or Out box is where copies of emails that you have sent are stored. •	You can save Draft emails in the draft box. •	Select Compose or Write to send a new message.

•	To send an email you need to write the correct email address in the To: box •	Write a title to your message in the Subject: box •	Then write your message in the main box •	Then press Send