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
Hardware
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.
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
