ECDL / ICDL Module 1
Concepts of Information Technology (IT)
Courseware Training Manual
1. GENERAL CONCEPTS
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
· Hardware
· Software
· Information Technology (IT)
TYPES OF COMPUTER
· What is a mainframe computer?
· What is a PC?
· What is a Mac?
· What is a networked computer?
· What are laptop & palmtop computers?
· What is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)?
· Types of computer - Mainframe
· Types of computer - PC
· Types of computer - Networked PC
· Types of computer - Laptop
· Types of computer - Palmtop
· Types of computer - PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
MAIN PARTS OF A PERSONAL COMPUTER
· The System Unit
· The System (Mother) Board
· The CPU
· Memory (RAM)
· ROM-BIOS
· Serial Port
· Parallel Port
· Universal Serial Bus (USB)
· What are input devices?
· What are output devices?
· What is a peripheral device?
· The Keyboard
· The Mouse
· CD
· DVD Drives
· Floppy disk
· Zip Disc
· Hard (Fixed) Disk
· The Monitor
· Additional items or cards
· Sound cards and speakers
· Modems
· Printers
· Scanners
· Recordable CDs
· Tape backup
· What is PCMCIA?
COMPUTER PERFORMANCE
· Factors affecting performance
2. HARDWARE
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
· The CPU (Central Processing Unit)
· MEMORY
· What is computer memory?
· What is RAM?
· What is ROM?
· What is the ROM-BIOS?
· What is flash BIOS?
· What is video (graphics) memory?
INPUT DEVICES
· The Mouse
· The Keyboard
· Tracker Balls
· Scanners
· Touch Pads
· Light Pens
· Joysticks
· Voice input for PCs (microphones)
· Web Cams
· Digital Cameras
OUTPUT DEVICES
· The VDU (computer monitor or screen)
· Flat screen monitors
· Screen size
· Graphics for games
· Computer presentation projection devices
· Different types of printer
· Laser printers
· Colour laser printers
· Inkjet printers
· Dot Matrix printers
· Printer Memory
· Cost of running a printer
· Plotters
· Speakers
· Speech synthesizers
INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES
· Input/Output devices
STORAGE DEVICES
· Internal hard disks
· External hard disks
· Zip drives
· Jaz drives
· Diskettes (floppy disks)
· CD Disks
· DVD Drives
· What is the difference between internal and external hard disks?
· Why format a disk?
3. SOFTWARE
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
· What is an Operating System?
· What is an Application Program?
· Why are new versions of software released year after year?
OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE
· What is an Operating System?
APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE
· What is an application program?
· Word processing
· Spreadsheets
· Databases
· Presentation
· Accounts / Payroll
· Web browsing
· Web authoring
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
· What is a Graphical User Interface?
· The advantages of using a GUI (Graphical User Interface)
SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
· What is systems development?
· What is a systems development cycle?
4. INFORMATION NETWORKS
LAN AND WAN
· What is a LAN (local Area Network)?
· What is a WAN?
· What does client/server mean?
· What is workgroup computing?
· Advantages of workgroup computing
· Disadvantages of workgroup computing
INTRANET, EXTRANET
· What is the difference between the Internet and an Intranet?
· What is the difference between an Intranet and an Extranet?
THE INTERNET
· What is the Internet?
· What is the Internet and how is it useful?
· What is the difference between the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet?
THE TELEPHONE NETWORK IN COMPUTING
· How is the telephone line used in computing?
· Where to get help about technical terms
· What is PSTN?
· What is PSDN?
· What is ISDN?
· What is ADSL?
· What is DSL?
· Digital vs. analogue
· Modem
· Baud rate
5. THE USE OF IT IN EVERYDAY LIFE
COMPUTERS AT WORK
· Where computers might be more appropriate than people
· Where people might be more appropriate than computers
· Examples of large scale computer applications in business
· Uses of large scale computers applications within government
· Uses of computer applications within hospitals and the health care system
· Uses of computer applications in education
· What is tele-working?
· Some of the advantages of tele-working
· Some of the disadvantages of tele-working
ELECTRONIC WORLD
· What is email?
· What is E-commerce?
· What is E-banking?
· The process of shopping online
· The advantages of e-commerce
· The disadvantages of e-commerce
6. HEALTH AND SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT
ERGONOMICS
· Good working practices
HEALTH ISSUES
· Using a computer incorrectly can damage your health
· Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
· Glare from screens
· Bad posture
PRECAUTIONS
· Make sure that cables are safely secured
· Make sure that power points are not overloaded
THE ENVIRONMENT
· Computers and the environment
· Don't Waste Paper
7. SECURITY
INFORMATION SECURITY
· What is information security?
· Advantages of proactive information security
· Passwords
· The Importance of shutting down your computer
· What is a UPS?
· Electrical surge protection
· Things computers like
· Things to avoid
· What to do if the computer breaks down
· Dealing with security problems
· Responsibilities for dealing with security problems
· Security rights and obligations
· User IDs and passwords?
· Choosing a secure password
· How secure is your software?
· How do your manage data securely?
· How do you dispose of data securely?
· What is visitor control?
· Why do you need to back up your computer?
· Organising your computer for more efficient backups
· Complete vs. incremental backups
· Why you should use 'off-site' storage?
· Beware of 'open files'
· What if your laptop is stolen?
· What if your mobile phone is stolen?
COMPUTER VIRUSES
· What are computer viruses?
· How do viruses infect PCs?
· How to prevent virus damage
· To make a diskette read-only
· To password protect your computer
· How do your protect computers from attack?
· What to do if you discover a virus on your computer
· The limitations of anti virus software
· What is virus disinfecting?
· Anti-virus Precautions
8. COPYRIGHT AND THE LAW
COPYRIGHT
· Software Copyright Issues
· What are site licences?
· Copyright Issues
· How to check a software Product ID
· What is freeware?
· What is shareware?
· What about software which you find on the Internet
· What is an end-user licence agreement?
DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION
· Data Protection Legislation
9. ABBREVIATIONS & TERMINOLOGY
ECDL / ICDL Module 2 (Syllabus Four)Using the Computer and Managing Computer Files
Courseware Training Manual
1. COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT
· Which mouse button?
· "Select then manipulate"
· Double clicking
· "Drag and drop" moving
· "Drag and drop" copying
· Multiple selection techniques
· The other (right) mouse button
· What is the "Desktop"?
· What is the Start Button?
· The Start Menu
· To display the Start menu using a mouse
· To display the Start menu using a keyboard shortcut
· To display the Start menu using a Windows keyboard
· To close the Start menu
· Drag and Drop techniques
FIRST STEPS WITH THE COMPUTER
· To turn the computer on
· To properly shutdown the computer
· 'Turn Off Computer' Options
· To restart your computer
· To close down an application which is not responding
BASIC INFORMATION AND OPERATIONS
· The Power On System Test (POST)
· What is an operating system?
· What is RAM?
· What is a CPU?
· To view your "System Properties" and see the version of Windows you are using
· To change the Date and Time
· To configure the volume setting
· To customise the Windows Desktop
· To set screen resolution and colour quality settings
· To modify screens appearance
· To change the Desktop background or to apply a theme
· Why use a screen saver?
· To select a screen saver
· To set the language used by the keyboard
· To format a diskette (floppy disk)
· To format a removable drive
· Installing a software application
· Uninstalling a software application
· To use the Print Screen facility
· To take the Windows XP Tour
· Help within the Start Menu
· To search for Help
TEXT EDITING
· What is WordPad?
· To start WordPad
· To enter text into WordPad
· To save a WordPad file
· To create a new document within WordPad
· To open an existing WordPad file
· To save a file to a specific folder (directory)
· Creating a new folder in which to save your document
· Close the text editing application
· To close an editing application
2. DESKTOP
WORK WITH ICONS
· Desktop files
· Desktop applications
· Desktop folders
· The Recycle Bin / Wastebasket
· To select a Desktop icon
· To move a Desktop icon
· To copy a Desktop icon
· To customise your Desktop icon alignment
· To open a Desktop object
· To create a Desktop shortcut icon
WORK WITH WINDOWS
· What is the Title Bar?
· The Menu bar
· The Tool Bar
· The Status Bar
· What is the scroll bar?
· To move up and down within a window (using the scroll bar)
· To move right to left within a window
· To scroll through a window at speed
· Maximise, Minimise, Restore and Close Buttons
· To minimise a window
· To maximise a window
· To restore a maximised object to run in a window
· To make a Desktop window taller or shorter
· To make a Desktop window narrower or wider
· To resize a Desktop window in two directions at once
· To close a program using the Close button
· To switch between programs (using the Task Bar)
· To switch between programs (using a keyboard shortcut)
3. MANAGING FILES
CONCEPTS
· What are Drives, Folders and Files?
· The Windows Explorer Window
· The Windows Explorer Toolbars
· The Windows Explorer Views
· To view the contents of a folder (displayed on right)
· To expand a branch one level
· To open all folders on a disk
· To close all the folders within the Explorer
· To switch drives
· Data storage devices
DIRECTORIES / FOLDERS
· To open a file from a specified folder on a drive
· To create a new folder within the Windows Explorer
· To create folders within folders
· To create a folder directly on the Desktop, using a popup menu
· To view folder attributes
· To view folder properties
WORKING WITH FILES
· To determine file types
· Some more examples:
· Audio and video files
· Compressed files
· Temporary files
· To count up the number of files within a folder (inc. sub-folders)
· To count files of a specific type in a folder (which DOES NOT contain sub-folders)
· To count files of a specific type in a folder (which DOES contain sub-folders)
· To view files as a detailed list
· To view file properties
· To write protect a file.
· To change a read-only file to a read/write file
· To sort your Windows Explorer file listing
· Why are file extension names important?
· To rename files or folders using the Explorer
· To rename files or folders - the easy way
· To view file name extensions using the Windows Explorer
· Beware of re-naming certain files!
DUPLICATE, MOVE
· To select an individual file or folder within the Windows Explorer
· To select a continuous block of files
· To select multiple files which are not in a continuous block
· To copy files (the hard way) using the Windows Explorer
· To copy files (the easy way) using the Windows Explorer
· To use "Cut and Paste" to move files from one folder to another
· To use "drag and drop" to move files from one folder to another - Moving the easy way!
· Why do you need to back up your computer?
· Why you should use 'off-site' storage
· To copy files to a diskette
DELETE, RESTORE
· To delete a file or folder
· To physically delete files (rather than sending them to the Recycle Bin)
· To delete a folder
· The Recycle Bin and deleted files
· To restore deleted files or folders
· To empty the Recycle Bin
SEARCHING
· The Start Button - Search
· To search for a file, or folder, by name
· To search for a file using wildcards instead of the full name
· To find a file containing a specific word or phrase
· To find a file created on or around a certain date
· To find files of a particular type
· To view recently used files
COMPRESSING FILES
· What is file compression?
· To compress files using WinZip
· To extract compressed files using the Windows Explorer
· To extract files using WinZip
4. VIRUSES
CONCEPTS
· What is a virus and what does it do?
· How viruses infect computers
· Why use a virus checker?
· What is virus disinfecting?
HANDLING VIRUSES
· To run a virus checker
· Regularly update your virus checking software!
5. PRINT MANAGEMENT
SETUP
· To change the default printer
· Windows and printing
· To install a new printer driver
PRINT OUTPUTS
· To print from an application
· Why print to a file?
· How to print to a file
· To view print jobs
· To control print jobs using the Print Manager
ECDL / ICDL Module 3 (Syllabus Four)Word Processing
Courseware Training Manual
1. USING THE APPLICATION
FIRST STEPS WITH WORD PROCESSING
· To start Word using the Windows Start menu
· To close the Word program
· To open a file
· Tools to help you with opening files
· To select a continuous block of files to open