Transcript DEVELOPING ICT SKILLS - Project Goodwill Africa

TOPICS
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What is ICT and Computer Literacy?
What is a Computer?
Difference between Computer Hardware and Software
Standard Input and Output devices
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b.
c.
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KEYBOARD
MOUSE
MONITOR
Other Input and Output devices
The CPU
The Computers Memory or RAM
Difference between RAM and ROM
How the Computer does its job
Storage Media
Introducing the Windows Desktop
How to create files
How to create folders
How to find and start or launch applications
Shutting down Windows and the Computer.
Computer Networks
The Internet
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1.) WHAT IS ICT AND COMPUTER LITERACY?
Nowadays knowing about the Computer and being able to use it to
perform various task is a must for anyone who is interested in future
job opportunities and career advancement.
More and more businesses, companies and institutions have come to
depend on the use of Computers to their day to day operations. It has
almost become a requirement for anyone looking for a new job to
acquire some basic Computer Skills.
Computer Literacy is the knowledge and the ability to use the Computer
to perform various tasks.
Computer Literacy creates opportunities for many people and increases
their chances of becoming employed with Companies anywhere in the world.
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WHY ARE MORE AND MORE COMPANIES RELYING ON THE USE OF COMPUTERS FOR
THEIR DAILY OPERATIONS?
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Computers work more efficiently than humans
Computers can perform tasks much faster than humans
Computers can do more work
It saves Companies money
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Lately there has been a lot of talk about ICT which is short for Information and
Communications Technology.
ICT Literacy is basically an expansion on Computer Literacy. ICT literacy begins with
Computer literacy.
ICT covers all forms of Computer and Communications equipment as well as the
software used to create, store, transmit, receive, interpret, and manipulate information in
its various formats.
Information come in various formats and it is all around us:
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Voice Conversation
Text
pictures
Data
Motion Pictures or Video
Multimedia Presentations
Radio and Wireless Broadcast
Television Broadcast
ICT deals with all the systems including the hardware and software involved in creating, storing,
sending, receiving and manipulating these kinds of information.
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2.) WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
A Computer is an electronic device that accepts a series of instructions and performs the
actions contained in those instructions.
These series of instructions or commands are usually created and organized in a
language that the Computer understands.
A computer simply does what humans tell it to do.
If you click on a program on your computer you are simply telling the Computer to
execute the instructions contained in that program.
The Computer’s processing cycle is as follows:
Get Input ==> Process Input ==> Send Ouput or Store Results
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3.) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
The Computer has two basic parts:
HARDWARE and SOFTWARE
HARDWARE includes all the physical components of the Computer which you
can see and touch.This includes the following:
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system unit
monitor
keyboard
mouse
Hard Drive
Floppy Drive
CD-Rom Drive
Peripherals such as printers, scanners, speakers
The are other hardware components inside the Computer case which one
cannot see until they open the Computer. These include the motherboard, the
CPU, Memory chips, adapter cards, power supply and others.
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SOFTWARE is any organized series of instructions that the Computer
executes to accomplish a specific task. Computer software is also
called a program or an application.
A Computer needs software to be able to function. At a minimum the
Computer must have an Operating System software such as Windows
XP to allow it any meaningful tasks.
The Operating System [abbreviated as OS or O/S ] is the software
component of the computer that takes care of managing and
coordinating activities and the sharing of the computer’s resources.
The Operating System is designed to run other programs or
applications. It manages both hardware and software resources. It
recognizes input from external or input devices and sends output to
OUTPUT devices such as the Computer’s monitor.
The Operating system also manage files on the hard drives and
controls peripherals, like printers and scanners.
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The Operating System also manages files on the hard drives and controls peripherals, like
printers and scanners.
Other examples of software apart from the OS include:
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Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Gaming programs (Solitaire)
If you click on any of the above programs to launch the Computer simple follows and
executes the instructions contained in these programs to carry out the tasks intended.
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4.) STANDARD INPUT AND OUPUT DEVICES
To be able to communicate with the Computer and use it meaningfully, the Computer has
three basic hardware devices attached to it. These are the standard input and output
devices.
The monitor, keyboard and mouse are the standard input-output devices.
There are two standard input devices attached to the Computer. These are the Mouse and the
Keyboard.
a.) THE KEYBOARD:
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The keyboard is used to type information into the computer. When you type a document
the keyboard sends characters to the computer and it is displayed on the monitor to help
you see what you are typing.
The keyboard has a series of buttons or keys with labels on them. On the keyboard you
will see the following keys:
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LETTERS & CHARACTERS
NUMBERS
ENTER
BACKSPACE
SPACEBAR
SHIFT
TAB
CAPS LOCK (Capitalizes all letters you type)
DELETE
NUMERIC KEYPAD
FUNCTION KEYS
PAGE UP
PAGE DOWN
HOME
END
INSERT
ARROW KEYS (Up, Down, Left, Right)
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b.) THE MOUSE
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The mouse in an input device just like the keyboard.
It is used to select objects and text as well as to display pop-up menus.
Some mice have only two buttons (the LEFT and RIGHT buttons)
Some mice have either a middle third button in addition to the LEFT and
RIGHT buttons.
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The most commonly used buttons on the mouse are the LEFT and RIGHT buttons.
Normal or regular clicking is done with the LEFT mouse button. You can single click or
double-click on this button to send a signal to the Computer.
If you click on the RIGHT mouse button we say that you are RIGHT clicking.
When you RIGHT-click on the desktop or any object a list will be displayed. This is called the
pop-up menu.
RIGHT BUTTON
LEFT BUTTON
SCROLL WHELL
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c.) THE MONITOR
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The Monitor is the standard output device to the Computer.
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Some people refer to the monitor as the display or screen.
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The monitor allows you to see what the Computer is doing. It displays or
shows information on the screen when you type or launch an application.
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5.) OTHER INPUT and OUTPUT DEVICES
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In the general sense an INPUT device is any device that allows a Computer user to send signals or
information to the Computer. This information can be in the form of characters, sound or pictures.
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An output device on the other hand allows the user to see or hear what the computer is doing.
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Devices attached to the Computer other than the standard input and output devices are referred to as
peripherals. A peripheral can be an input or output device. A printer is an example of a peripheral
and it is an output device. A set of speakers is an example of a peripheral and it is an output device.
A modem or DSL router is a peripheral.
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Your Computer can work without peripheral devices such as a printer, a scanner or a modem but you
cannot achieve much with your Computer in the absence of a Keyboard and a Mouse and a monitor.
Group the following under input and output devices:
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KEYBOARD
MOUSE
PRINTER
MONITOR
SPEAKERS OR EARPHONE
WEBCAM
SCANNER
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6. THE CPU
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CPU is short for Central Processor Unit. It is sometimes referred to as the Microprocessor.
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Located inside the Computer case on the motherboard, the CPU carries out the main
functions of the computer. It is the brain of the computer and executes the all instructions sent
to the Computer. If you click or double-click on a program with the mouse, the CPU
interprets the command and launches the program. The CPU will at the same time tell the
monitor to show you what the program is doing.
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Many people refer to the main Computer case as the CPU but the CPU is actually an
electronic chip or integrated circuit inside the computer case.
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The CPU with the help of its registers and the Computer’s memory carries out the instructions
required to perform various tasks while interacting with other parts of the computer including
the input and output devices, storage media and peripherals.
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How fast you computer runs programs is mostly dependent on the speed at which the CPU
executes instructions contained in those programs. The speed of the CPU is measured in
Megahertz [ MHz ].
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Some Computers run as Gigahertz speeds [GHz].
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1000MHz = 1GHz
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7. THE COMPUTER’S MEMORY (RAM)
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The CPU uses the Computer’s memory, also known as RAM for temporary storage while running
programs or accepting text from the keyboard.
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RAM is short for Random Access Memory. It is a temporary storage space.
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Both the CPU and the RAM are located on the motherboard.
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The bigger the amount of memory inside the Computer the better your computer performs.That
means more RAM is better. The Computer can run multiple applications and still be able to maintain
high performance.
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Unlike other storage media such as the hard disk or CDRom, RAM loses its content when you turn
off or restart the computer. For this reason RAM is said to be volatile storage media
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The amount of memory or RAM in the computer is measured in Gigabye, MegaBytes or KiloBytes.
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1024 kilobytes = 1 Megabyte
1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte
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The Computer utilizes another kind of memory called ROM (i.e Read Only Memory). This memory
is pre-programmed with instructions that the CPU reads and processes when the computer is
powered up.
ROM is non-volatile memory. Information in ROM stays permanently and is not lost when you
shutdown or reboot the computer
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8.DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAM AND ROM
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RAM is volatile memory and ROM is non-volatile memory.
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RAM stores information temporarily whiles the computer is still running.
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Information inside the ROM is electronically pre-programmed and is mostly
permanent.
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RAM loses all its content when the computer is powered off or restarted.
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ROM maintains its information even when the computer is powered off.
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9. HOW DOES THE COMPUTER PERFORM ITS FUNCTIONS?
After you push the power button to turn on the Computer, it goes through a series of
startup routines. The Computer checks critical components to ensure that they are in
good operating condition. This process is called POST.POST stands for Power On Self
Test.
After successfully going through the POST procedures, the boot process is handed over
to the installed Operating System if one is found. The Operating System or OS
continues the boot process and takes it into the user interface like Windows.
Once the user interface of the OS is up you are ready to launch your programs or send
commands to the Computer using the attached input devices such as mouse and
Keyboard.
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10. STORAGE MEDIA
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Storage media are hardware devices used to store information or
data until it is needed. Information on a storage media can be
retrieved, viewed and modified using the applications that were
used create them.
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When you create a file or a document you normally would like to
save it to the hard disk so you can retrieve it at another time when it
is needed.
HARD DISK
There are two kinds of Storage Media?
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Temporary Storage Media such as the Computer Memory or RAM
Mass Storage Media such as the hard disk or USB disk
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A temporary storage medium such as RAM is used by the CPU
while running programs and applications. The CPU reads the
programs and parts of their data into RAM from the hard disk for
quick access while the program is still running. It is faster for the
CPU to communicate with RAM than with the hard disk.
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Mass Storage devices such as the hard disk or CDRom is used for
storing information until they are manually deleted or erased by the
Computer user. Information on a mass storage media is not lost
when the Computer is turned off or rebooted.
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FLOPPY DISK
USB or PEN DRIVE
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To help you identify and manage your files and folders the Computer uses letters to
represent each storage media installed inside or attached to it.
For example C: for the primary hard disk, D: for the CD-ROM, E: for the
USB drive etc. These identifying letters differ from one computer to the other
depending on how many storage devices are installed on the Computer.
You can store your files on one of the mass storage media:
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Hard Disk
Floppy Diskette
USB Drive
writeable CD-ROM or DVD
The above are all HARDWARE components of your Computer.
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11. INTRODUCTION TO THE WINDOWS DESKTOP
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When the Computer is turned on it goes through a series self-checks to ensure that all its basic
hardware are good operating conditions. Once the normal checks complete the Computer
continues to boot using the Operating System software that exists on the Computer.
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The Computer is said to be going through the BOOT process whiles we are waiting for the
User interface such Windows XP to come up.
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The Operating System manages and coordinates activities on the Computer. It manages and
coordinates the sharing of the computer’s resources including hardware and software
resources. It runs other programs or applications. It recognizes input from external or input
devices and sends output to OUTPUT devices such as the Computer’s monitor.
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If your Computer is installed with a Windows Operating system such as Windows XP the
boot process will eventually take you into Windows.
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The first thing you see when the Computer boots into windows is the Windows Desktop.
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The Windows Desktop
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The Desktop is the main or initial screen (mostly empty space) you see when
windows launches. The little images you see on the Desktop are called icons.
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Icons provide you with easy access to the applications installed on the Computer.
When you double-click one of these icons the associated applications launches or
runs. Icons are also called shortcuts.
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Some Icons or Shorcuts on the Desktops are automatically created when new
applications are installed on the Computer. You can also create your own icons on
the desktop to provide you with quick access to programs, files and folders.
THE TASKBAR
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This is a bar that normally stretches across the bottom of your main screen. If you
are running any applications they will be shown as tasks in the taskbar.
Start Menu Button
The Windows Taskbar
Quick Launch Bar
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The QUICK LAUNCH BAR: This is located between the Start Menu Button and
the TaskBar.
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The Quick Launch bar contains shortcuts to applications. Windows provides
default entries, such as Internet Explorer, and the user or third-party software may
add any further shortcuts that they choose.
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A SINGLE Click on an icon on the Quick Launch Bar launches the application.
Icons on the Desktop however need to be double-clicked to run.
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The Quick Launch bar can be enabled or disabled. It can be turned on or off by
right clicking on the taskbar and choosing the properties option in the list.
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START BUTTON: This a button to the extreme left side of the task bar. If you
click on this button a menu shows up listing all the programs you can access or run
on your Computer.This menu is the START MENU.
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The Start Button and Start Menu serve as the launching point for applications
and tasks.
The default Start Menu for Windows XP
Start Menu
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ICONS AND SHORTCUTS
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What are ICONS and SHORTCUTS used for?
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ICONS are the little images you see on the desktop. They represent links to actual
programs, files or documents.
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Icons provide quick access to your files and programs and applications
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Icons on the desktop are also called SHORTCUTS. They provide quick access to
files, folders and programs.
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Instead of accessing a program by using the Start Menu, you can simply doubleclick on the shortcut to launch or run the program or open your document.
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12.) HOW TO CREATE FILES
Creating a file means making a file.
In Windows XP there are many different ways to make or create a file.
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METHOD-1:
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On the desktop (main screen) or Start Menu, double-click the My Computer icon.
Right-Click on the mass storage device where you want to create the folder. (e.g C: drive)
Select Explore from the list that appears. This list is the Pop-Up menu
This will open a window with two panes (Left Pane and Right Pane). On the left is a list of all the
main folders and on the right is a list of the the sub-folders and files under each main folder (when
you click on a main folder)
If you click on a main folder (in the left pane) the list in the right pane changes to show you all the
existing folders currently in the main folder you just selected.
Right click in any empty space in the right pane.
Select New from the list and it will expand. Select the type of file you wish to create from the new
list.
A new document is created at the bottom of the list of files and folders with a name matching the
type of file you have chosen to create. It will be highlighted if you haven’t moved the mouse.
Type in a name for the file. e.g. testfile
Hit Enter key and the file will have the new name you just typed.
Since you just created this file, it will have no content. It is an empty file.
Double-click on the name of the new file you just created and the program or application of the
file type will open. Add content and save your filein creating, storing, sending, receiving and
manipulating these kinds of information.
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METHOD-2:
You can also create files directly on the Desktop.
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Using the mouse, right-click and empty space on the Desktop.
A Popup Menu will appear listing your options.
Click on New and choose the kind of file you want to create.
Give the file a name and press enter.
This will create an empty file for you.
To add content just double-click on the new file to launch the associated
application such as MS Word.
METHOD-3:
You can also create a file by starting the application related to the type of file you wish
to create. You can then create the file from within the application and save it to a
storage medium of your choosing.
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13.) HOW TO CREATE FOLDERS
Folders are used to organize files and documents on the computer to make them easy to find.
To keep things organized on your computer, create folders for different documents and files.Once
your files or documents are well organized on the computer it is easy to access or retrieve them.
There are various methods for creating folders on a mass storage device such as hard disk.
METHOD-1:
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On the desktop (main screen) or Start Menu, double-click the My Computer icon.
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Right-Click on the mass storage device where you want to create the folder. (e.g C: drive)
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Select Explore from the list that appears.
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This will open a window with two panes (Left Pane and Right Pane). On the left is a list of
all the main folders and on the right is a list of the the sub-folders and files under each
main folder (when you click on a main folder)
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If you click on a main folder (in the left pane) the list in the right pane changes to show
you all the existing folders currently in the main folder you just selected.
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Right click in any empty space in the right pane.
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Select New from the list and it will expand. Select Folder from the new list.
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A new folder is created at the bottom of the list of files and folders with the name New
Folder. It will be highlighted if you haven’t moved the mouse.
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Type in a name for the folder. e.g. myhome
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Hit Enter key and the folder will have the new name you typed.
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How to create folders
METHOD-2:
You can also create or make a folder on the Windows Desktop.
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Right-Click an empty space on the Desktop. A Popup Menu will appear.
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Click on New and choose the Folder option.
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Give the folder a name.
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WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU FORGET WHERE YOUR FILES AND FOLDERS
ARE STORED?
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Every Windows OS comes with a search tool for finding files and folders on the Computer.
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If you click on the Start menu and select the Search program the following window will be
displayed
The Search Window shows a LEFT and a
RIGHT pane.
In the left pane fill in the appropriate
information relating to the file or folder you
are looking for.
Then click on the Search button.
If your file or folder is found it will be
displayed in the right pane.
Above window will also displayed if you press the function key F3.
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14.) HOW TO FIND AND LAUNCH APPLICATIONS OR
PROGRAMS.
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When new applications are installed in Windows they normally create a
group icon in the Start menu under the All Programs submenu. (Start 
All Programs ).
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Some applications also install an icon or shortcut on the Desktop which is
linked to the program’s executable.
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Double-clicking on an icon will start the related program.
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Other ways for finding and starting an application include searching for the
program as shown previously or looking in the folder in which the program
was installed.
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For hands on practice look for the following Microsoft applications, launch
them and close them
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Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
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15.) SHUTTING DOWN WINDOWS AND THE COMPUTER
If you are done with your work, you normally need to shutdown the Computer. This is
recommended practice and it is required by some Companies. In some cases,
especially if the Computer is a server, it is allowed to run for a long time.
To shutdown the Computer from within Windows XP do the following:
a.
Click on the Start Button to display the Start Menu below
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b.
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Choose the “Turn off Computer” icon
From the screen that pops up choose Turn Off
On modern Computers, the above procedure will close all currently opened
applications, save your user profile and settings and actually power off the computer.
In older computers you will need to push the power button to turn the Computer off
after Windows notifies you that it is safe to turn of the computer.
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16. COMPUTER NETWORKS
Computer Networks have helped in the accelerated development of ICT and
Computers.
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A Computer Network consists of a group of interconnected computers and other
hardware devices such as printers.
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Two or more Computers can be connected together using special cables and
communication devices to form a Network.
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The primary benefit of a network is to allow resources to be shared between
computers.For instance a group of computers on a network can share files. They
can also share a Printer connected to the same network.
A Simple Network:
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The simplest form of a Computer Networks is made up of interconnected
Computers and other devices within a small environment such as a room or a
building.
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Such Networks are called Local Area Networks. A Local Area Network or LAN is
normally localized within one building or on a floor within the building.
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A SIMPLE NETWOK
Hub or Switch
Workstation
File Server
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In the Network above the Computers can share files stored on the File Server
Computer.
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17.) THE INTERNET
What is the Internet?
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The Internet is a network of several computers all over the world that store and
share information with other computers.
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Any computer that is connected to the internet can be used to retrieve or access
information made available by other computers on the Internet.
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You can use the Internet to look at a wide variety of information.
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The Internet is sometimes called the World Wide Web.
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People access the Internet by using special programs called Web Browsers. An
example of a Web Browser is the Internet Explorer or FireFox.
What are some uses of the Internet?
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Research ==> Search for information on topics of interest
Education ==> Learn new subjects or take part in distant learning
Entertainment ==>Listen to music, watch video clips or news
E-mail or Electronic Mail ==> Send and Receive electronic messages
Downloads ==> Transfer files, programs and documents to your computer
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THE INTERNET
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HOW DO COMPUTERS CONNECT TO THE INTERNET?
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Computers connect to the internet through Communication Devices and Networks.
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A Communication Device is the electronic device that enables one computer to talk to another
computer. It allows one Computer to send and receive information to and from other
Computers. An example of a Communication device is the modem.
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A modem can be used to connect a Computer to the Internet through the basic telephone line.
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The modem is rapidly being replaced by other electronic devices such as Cable and DSL
routers.
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The communication device that will be used depends on which Internet Service Provider you
use to connect to the Internet.
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An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that has their communication equipment and
computers connected to the internet through high speed links. They provide internet services
to other companies, internet café’s and to individuals.
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The transfer of information occurs over telephone lines, cables, satellites etc,
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These are called Transmission Media
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POPULAR WORDS AND PHRASES ASSOCIATED WITH THE
INTERNET
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WEBSITE ==> the location of an internet resource. A pointer to an information
source
VISIT ==> to go to a specific site on the Internet
SEARCH => to look for information on the web
BROWSE => to move from one website to another
EXPLORE => to move from one website to another
BROWSER => the application that you use to access the Internet (e.g. Internet
Explorer, FireFox or Netscape)
FAVORITES => contains a list of websites you have saved or bookmarked
BOOKMARK ==> to save a website in your favorites for easy access in the future
DOWNLOAD => to transfer files from the Internet onto your Computer
SEARCH ENGINE => provides tools for searching for information on the
Internet. Google and Yahoo are examples of Search Engines
WEB ADDRESS ==> the location of an internet resource ( e.g. www.yahoo.com)
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