First Steps In Computing - 1

Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Office 2010

This learning resource is the first in the series of three beginners computing guides. It assumes no prior knowledge of computing or related software or hardware. This publication is designed to be used by the learner within a controlled learning environment aided by a qualified trainer. For learners to make the most of this learning resource and complete learning tasks, they should have access to computing hardware and software such as Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Word 2010.

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Contents
About this course ................................................................... iii
How to use this guide ............................................................................ iii Conventions used in this guide ................................................................. iii What you will learn ............................................................................... iv Prior knowledge and skills ....................................................................... iv Assessment ......................................................................................... iv Resources ........................................................................................... iv

1 About Computers ................................................................ 1

A brief history of computers ..................................................................... 1 Personal computing ................................................................................ 2 Computer hardware ............................................................................... 3 Types of computers ........................................................................ 3 Parts of a computer ....................................................................... 4 Other Peripherals .......................................................................... 6 Computer Software ................................................................................ 8 Purchasing software ....................................................................... 8

2 Working with Your Computer ............................................... 11

Starting your computer ......................................................................... 11 The Windows 7 desktop ......................................................................... 12 Working with your mouse ....................................................................... 13 Placing and holding your mouse ....................................................... 15 Pointing, clicking and dragging ........................................................ 16 Using the scroll wheel ................................................................... 16 Customising your mouse ................................................................ 17 Working with your keyboard ................................................................... 17 How the keys are organised ............................................................ 17 Typing text ................................................................................ 18 Using the navigation keys ............................................................... 19 Specialised keyboards ................................................................... 20 A look around windows.......................................................................... 21 Icons ........................................................................................ 21 Files......................................................................................... 21 Folders ..................................................................................... 21 Programs ................................................................................... 21 The Start Menu ........................................................................... 22 Document Libraries ...................................................................... 23 The Documents library window ........................................................ 24 Opening a program....................................................................... 26 Workstation Health and Safety ................................................................ 26 Equipment ergonomics .................................................................. 26

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Workstation design and layout......................................................... 28 Environmental factors ................................................................... 28 Working sustainably ..................................................................... 28

3 Getting Started With Word ................................................... 31

A look around the Word window .............................................................. 32 Open and working with an existing document .............................................. 34 Setting up the Word page .............................................................. 35 Selecting Text ............................................................................ 36 Formatting text to change its appearance .......................................... 37 Editing text................................................................................ 38 Inserting a graphic into your document .............................................. 40 Saving your document ........................................................................... 40 Printing your document ......................................................................... 41

4 Managing Your Files ........................................................... 45

Understanding data storage and memory ................................................... 46 Setting up your filing system................................................................... 47 Creating a collection of folders ....................................................... 47 Renaming a folder or file ............................................................... 47 Moving files and folders ................................................................. 48 Searching for files and Folders ................................................................ 49 Searching from the Start Menu ........................................................ 49 Searching from the Window Search Bar .............................................. 49 Making a backup of your files .................................................................. 50

5 Exploring the Control Panel.................................................. 53

Changing the appearance of your screen .................................................... 53 Change the desktop picture ............................................................ 54 Apply a screen saver ..................................................................... 55 Changing your mouse settings ................................................................. 55 Changing the taskbar and start menu ........................................................ 56 Change the date and time .............................................................. 57 Changing user account settings ............................................................... 58

APPENDIX Keyboard Shortcuts .................................................................. I Glossary of computing terms ...................................................... II

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About This Course

About this guide

Welcome to your First Steps in Computing - 1. This learner guide is the first of three introductory guides designed to assist new computer users in a classroom environment as they begin their journey into the exciting world of personal computing. While giving you simple but very important skills and strategies for working with and managing your computer, this guide is intended to be used in the classroom where you will have the guidance of an experienced trainer in a supportive environment with other beginners. To maximise the benefit of your learning you should have access to a Windows personal computer both in the classroom and at home so that you will gain hands-on experience, be able to practice computing tasks and take your learning further. The skills you will learn are designed to provide you with a solid foundation upon which you will be able to explore the world of computing with confidence and further your computing enjoyment.

How to use this guide

This guide is designed to direct your learning along a systematic path, enabling you to progress in a logical manner while building on your knowledge and skills along the way. Try not to jump ahead as there are some foundation skills that even some experienced computer users have failed to acquire. Be patient. In this way you will build your confidence which will add to your learning and enjoyment of computing. It is an aim of this guide to introduce and demystify much of the techno-jargon used in computing. You will find some of the more common computing terms are used throughout this guide and these will be explained as we go. To help with this, there is a Glossary of Terms at the end of the publication containing more detailed explanations. If in doubt about any of the terminology used in this guide or in class, ask your trainer for help. It is important that you bring this learning resource to each class session you attend so you can refer to information, exercises and diagrams presented by your trainer. In some cases, the trainer may refer you to files and other resources used for exercises and demonstrations. These may be accessible on your class computer or you may need to load the CD resource disk located inside the back cover of this guide. The files contained on this resource disk are available for you to use for practice at home.

Conventions used in this guide

Throughout this learner guide you will find the following conventions used:

Bold text...................A command, button or menu item to be selected.

Italic text ..................Special reference to a computing term or phrase. This term may be found in the glossary. CAPITALISED TEXT ........Keyboard keys to be pressed. Navigation > String......Directions to find a menu item, or the location of a file or folder.

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First Steps In Computing -1

What you will learn

As you progress through this guide you will gain the knowledge and skills to: Operate your computer within a Windows environment. Open, close and make new folders. Operate basic functions in a word processor. Change basic windows settings such as screensaver and desktop picture, change mouse buttons, set the time & date and create new user accounts. Understand the basics of a filing system, the concepts of computer memory and the different types of data storage devices. Open and close programs as well as generate new documents and save and file these correctly to a file system. Use different methods for backing up valuable data files. Connect a portable device. Understand basic computing terminology.

Prior knowledge and skills

There is no prior knowledge or skill necessary to complete this learner guide.

Assessment
There is no assessment required to complete this learner guide. Talk to your trainer or training organisation for information about qualifications you may need for work and career advancement.

Resources
As you progress through this guide there are practice exercises you can. There will also be times when you will be required to open selected files relating to these exercises. These files may already be loaded onto your class computer. Please listen carefully to your trainers instructions. To complete exercises at home, you will be able to use the resource disc located on the back cover of this guide to access files needed to complete practice exercises. You will need to have access to a home computer with Microsoft Windows operating system installed as well as Microsoft Word. Your computer will also need to have a CD or DVD disc drive so that you can access the files on the resource disc.

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Working with Your Computer

Working with Your Computer

How to start and log on to your computer How to use a mouse and keyboard About storing information in a filing system How to find your way around the computing environment

In this section you will learn

Now that youve learnt a little about what your computer is and what it can do, lets have a go at turning it on and finding out how it works. This is where the fun begins.

Starting your computer is very simple; but first, if you have just bought a new computer and this is the first time you are switching it on, make sure you have followed the instructions that came with the machine to ensure everything is plugged in securely and safely. Some things to check include

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the back of the monitor. surge protected power board. Now you are ready to start computing!

Ensure the monitor lead is properly secure in both the back of the system box and Ensure both your mouse and keyboard are securely connected. Ensure you have safely plugged the power cord into your system box and into a

When all is checked, turn the power on at the wall socket /power board.

Practice Exercise

Looking at the front of your system box, locate the power button. This will be the biggest button on the front of your machine and it will usually light up when pressed. Just push this button in and release. Your computer will start. This action is called a boot.

The first thing that happens when you boot your computer is that it will load an Operating System. This will most likely be Microsoft Windows (which you will be using in this course and is outlined in this guide). The boot process will be finished when Windows appears on your monitor screen in a few minutes. Be patient.

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STARTING YOUR COMPUTER

Starting your computer

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First Steps In Computing -1

Pointing, clicking and dragging

While moving your mouse around, you will need to use the mouse buttons to activate and move objects on your screen. Initially this can be a little difficult to master but with a little practice you will soon pick it up. Listed below are the different actions you can perform with your mouse.

Action
Pointing (Hover)

Description
Moving your cursor over an icon or screen button will enable a hint box to appear telling you what it is for. Move your cursor over an icon or button and gently press the left mouse button once.

Uses
This is very useful for finding out what something does.

Click & Drag (Drag & Drop)

Move your cursor over an icon and gently press the left mouse button and hold. Then move the cursor to another location and release the left button. Move your cursor over an icon or screen location and gently press the right mouse button once.

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Right Click

Practice Exercise

Holding the mouse in your right hand, move your mouse over the Recycle Bin or other icon on your desktop. Watch for the hint box to appear. Now double-click the icon to see what happens... A Window opens. Click the close button (X) on the top right of the window to close it. Lastly, right- click the recycle bin icon. A context menu appears which provides specific options for the area, object or item you have right-clicked. Use the left mouse button to select an option or simply left click outside the context menu to close it.

Using the scroll wheel

Scrolling is the action of moving a page up and down or sideways to reveal other parts of the active Window. The scroll wheel on the mouse can be used to scroll through documents and web pages by rolling the wheel with your index finger backward and forward.

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USING THE MOUSE BUTTONS

Double Click (Left)

Move your cursor over an icon and gently press the left mouse button twice.

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By double clicking an icon you will activate it and the file or folder will open. This is used to move a file from one folder to another by click & dragging the icon. In some programs you will be able to move objects like text and pictures around the screen. This will provide an options menu which will be different depending on what you have clicked on.
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Click (Left Click)

Left click a screen button to activate it. Left click an icon such as a file or folder to select it.

Working with Your Computer

Customising your mouse

The mouse is an ergonomic device with settings that can be customised to suit the user. If you are left-handed, the function of the left and right mouse button can be changed to suit. Other settings include changing the speed of the cursor as it moves across the screen and changing the double click speed. If you have trouble with the speed of a double click you may want to slow this down to suit. Well be looking at how you can change your mouse settings later on.

Working with your keyboard

While the mouse provides an easy way to interact with our computer, the keyboard is the main method we use to enter information into the computer. You can also use the keyboard to control your computer and perform basic functions such as printing a document or deleting an item. These are called keyboard shortcuts. There is a list of keyboard shortcuts at the end of this guide. Keyboards can be a little confusing to start but it is well worth spending some time practicing and learning where all the keys are and what some of the special ones do. Taking a touch typing course will greatly enhance your keyboard speed and enjoyment of computing.

How the keys are organised

The keys on your keyboard are divided into several groups based on their particular function:

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Typing (alphanumeric) keys Control keys
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Note: Your keyboard may look a little different, but the layout should basically be the same. (See Resource Disc > Crazy Mice & Keyboards.)

These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.

These keys are used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain actions. The most frequently used control keys are the CTRL and ALT keys.

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The Documents library window

This is why Microsoft Windows is called Windows. Everything opens in a window. From here you can open, copy, move and delete your files, open and move other folders, navigate to other places on your computer and change the window settings.

Address

Window Title

Search bar

Minimise, maximise and close the window

Back & Forward

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Navigation Pane

Window Title

The Title Bar will always contain the name of the folder being displayed. When you open a file, the Title Bar will contain the name of the file and program you are using. By click & dragging this bar you can move the window around. This is handy if you would like two windows open at the same time

Tool Bar

The Tool Bar contains common tasks and will change its available options according to where you are within the file system and what is currently selected.

Address Bar

The Address Bar displays the string of folders or pathway to the folder currently open. You can return to any previous folder simply by clicking a location in the string.

Window Buttons
These three buttons at the top right corner of the window will minimise the window down to the task bar, maximise the window to fill the whole screen or close the window completely.

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Click New Folder and then name it to create folders for all your different files

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Scroll bar Click & Drag the Window Frame corner to resize the window sideways and up and down

Tool Bar

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Working with Your Computer

Action Points for Working With Your Computer

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Ensure all the computer cables are correctly connected before switching the power on. As a safety precaution, use a surge protected power board to prevent electrical damage to your equipment. Dont be afraid to explore your computers desktop and document libraries. Keep your work area uncluttered so that you are able to use the mouse and keyboard effectively. You will find all your programs in the Start Menu by clicking the Start button. Explore the Right mouse button at different locations to see what it can do. You can move windows files and other objects on your screen by clicking and dragging. Practice using all ten fingers on your keyboard and try to keep your left and right hands on their respective sides of the keyboard. Use the numeric keypad for entering a lot of numbers. Take regular rest and exercise breaks.

Notes

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Getting Started With Word

Getting Started With Word

How to start the program and open a document How to change basic page settings How to select and format text How to save and print a document

In this section you will learn

Sending a letter meant folding it into an envelope and sending it off on a road journey to its destination, often taking days. Today we call this snail mail as things are quite different now. Its easy to quickly create professional documents and send them via email to anywhere in the world within seconds.

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Lets take a look.

Word processors are able to incorporate graphics such as photographs and clip art, which are small graphics used to enhance a word document. Apart from letters and reports, you can also create flyers, pamphlets, notices, certificates and lots more using word processing and print your work onto just about anything from ordinary paper and labels to fridge magnets and transfers. One of the most common word processing software programs in use today is Microsoft Word.

Practice Exercise

As we discovered earlier, to start a program, you click on the Start button to open the Start Menu. Your computer may be set up so that Word appears in the commonly used programs list in the Start menu. If not, follow this path to open Word. Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office >Microsoft Word 2010

The program will open in its own window. Click the Maximise button (top right of the window) to expand the window to fill the whole screen.

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OPENING THE MS WORD PROGRAM

Before computers were in common use, letters were typed on bulky typewriters and mistakes and corrections were common. The computing technology of today now enables us to manage and control the production and output of multiple office documents in minute detail as well as easily correct mistakes automatically. A word processor will fulfil the same functions as a typewriter plus a whole lot more in less time!

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First Steps In Computing -1

A look around the Word window

File Tab Backstage View Quick Access Toolbar Ribbon Tabs The Scroll Bar

Ribbon

The Page

Status bar

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File Tab Quick Access Toolbar Ribbon Tabs Ribbon
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Inside the File Tab is the Backstage Menu and all the functions for managing a document or file such as Save, Print, Open another document or create a new one. It also has a list of your recently opened documents so you can resume your work easily and quickly. You will also find the program settings in here but that will be for another course.

This little bar contains buttons to quickly access some of the more common functions inside the Office menu, such as Save and a very handy Undo. You can add or delete these functions by right-clicking on any of the buttons on this bar.

When you click on a Ribbon Tab in Word and in some other Microsoft Office 2007 programs, it opens a new Ribbon containing its own set of functions relating to each tab group.

The Ribbon contains all the functions for specific tasks organised into work categories under each Tab. For example, all the functions and tools to adjust your layout are in the Layout Ribbon when you select the Layout tab. You can also customise the way your document displays on screen by clicking the View tab to activate the View Ribbon and change any of the display settings.

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Change Views Zoom control

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Insertion Point

First Steps In Computing -1

Practice Exercise

SELECTING & FORMATTING TEXT

Use your mouse to select a paragraph of text in the open document. Open the Ribbon at the Home menu tab. In there youll find all the tools for formatting your text in the Font section. Try these tasks. 1. 2. 3. 4. Change the font style to Arial Change the font size to 16 Bold your selected text Change the colour of your text to RED

After each change, deselect the text to see the effect.

Editing text

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Cut, Copy and Paste
OR

When you Cut or Copy a section of text or an object such as a picture, the information about that selection is stored on an electronic Clipboard. This makes it available for you to paste back into the same document or into another document. When you Paste, the stored information will be inserted at the point where your Insertion Point has been placed. You will notice a small icon of a clipboard appear under the pasted selection. Sometimes this gets in the way but it will disappear after a short time. If you click on this it will give you some options for pasting the text.

There a few ways you can perform these functions and they are all fairly simple. Dont forget to select your text first.

Use your cursor to select the cut, copy or paste buttons on the Home Ribbon. If there is nothing selected or there is nothing on the clipboard then the buttons will be greyed out and unavailable.
After you have selected your text, use your cursor to select the cut, copy or paste buttons on the Home Ribbon.

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Click here to open the Clipboard task pane where you will be able to see everything you have cut and copied.

The Clipboard

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Hint
A Cut is different to using the DELETE key. If you use the DELETE key the selected text is gone. Using the Cut function saves a copy of the text in memory so that you can Paste it somewhere else.

Another useful task with selected text is cut, copy and paste. This is useful if you want to remove larger sections of text or you need to move text to another part of the document or to a completely different document. If you are typing something that is repetitive, you can copy the text and paste it as you work.

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Managing Your Files

Managing Your Files

About file types, file size and how this relates to your computer memory How to set up and manage your filing system How to search for a missing file About how to protect your files from loss

In this section you will learn

Windows 7 provides some folders by default for you to store your files. These are called Libraries and include Documents, Pictures and Music. Windows will recognise a file type by an extension to the file name. This is normally a three or four letter abbreviation of the document type such as .doc or .docx for MS Word document files. There are many file format types. Here is a list of some of the more commonly used ones youll come to know.

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Icon
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File Description
Microsoft Word Document Word processed documents such as letters and reports. Microsoft Excel Document Spreadsheet file used to perform both simple and complex calculations.

To ensure that your files are not misplaced or lost or your computer doesnt become clogged with unnecessary files, it is good housekeeping practice to keep them organised into categories and to delete any redundant files. As it is so easy to copy files, we often end up with copies of copies which can get a little confusing if it gets out of hand.

A photograph file used by cameras and scanners. This is an open format (non proprietary). A music file used by computers as well as portable devices such as an iPod This is an open format (non proprietary). A video file used by computers as well as DVD players and iPods This is an open format (non proprietary).

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Exploring the Control Panel

Exploring the Control Panel

How to customise the appearance of your screen Change basic settings for some of your hardware How to customise your start menu and task bar How to create a personal user account

In this section you will learn

As you can imagine, your computer is a very complex piece of machinery and as with all machinery it has controls. These are located in the Control Panel. The Control Panel is opened from the Start Menu.

Changing the appearance of your screen

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Change the Desktop

The Control Panel will open in a Window as shown below. From the Control Panel main window you can access all parts of the computers controls. Some of these you wont need to touch but other settings will be very useful. As you can see, settings are grouped into common functions. For example, all the controls and settings to change the appearance are grouped under Appearance and Personalisation. In here you can apply themes, pictures and colours to personalise your Desktop to suit yourself.

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Set up a User Account

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Exploring the Control Panel

Click OK when you have finished or press ENTER

Open the Taskbar tab to view and change taskbar settings.

If you would like the clock to be displayed in the System Tray then check Show clock.

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Select Date and time settings Select Change date and time
Double-click the time and date

Change the date and time

Although you can change the date and time from the Control Panel, it is easier to access from the notification area on the Task bar. First, make sure the date and time are set to display from the Start and Taskbar properties settings as above. Double-click the clock in the Notification Area Make sure the correct time zone is set - (UTC+10) Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne Alter the date and time settings from the options

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6. Select date and time
Select hour or minutes and change

Click the Customise button to change the icon size and the number of items you would like on the Start program list. You can also check Internet and Email options and choose the program you would like to use for these. They will be displayed on your Start Menu.

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First Steps In Computing -1

Glossary of computing terms

ADSL (DSL)
Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
The technology used to transmit broadband data over a normal telephone line for Internet service.

Boot
The start-up process that begins by turning on the computer's power. Essential systems are loaded into the computers memory to prepare it for the processing of tasks.

Anti-virus Software
AV
Software used to detect, isolate or delete any malware such as viruses, worms, scripts and trojans that attempt to infect a computer.

Broadband
High speed internet
The provision of high-speed data transmission service between users and the Internet. Broadband is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Apple
Apple Mac
Apple is the name of the company that makes Macintosh computers.

Application
See Software

Back-up
Backup (n.)

The process of making a copy of all your files so that in the event of a malfunction or other loss of data, your files can be restored. This is a standard practice in computing.

Binary
Binary code

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A 2 digit numerical system used by computers to perform computing functions and store data. Humans use a 10 digit numerical system (decimal).

Bit

Symbol - b

A single digit number in binary code, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of data.

Bitmap (.bmp)
BMP

Relating to a digital picture, a bitmap is a map of dots or bits consisting of shades of colours, including black and white, which form an image. Common bitmap file types include BMP, JPEG, GIF, PICT, PCX, and TIFF.

Blog
Web Log
A blog is a journal or diary that is available on the web. Short for Web Log, this term refers to a list of journal entries posted on a Web page. Updating a blog is called blogging and someone who keeps a blog is a blogger.

Bookmark
See Favourites.

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Burn
Write

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Web Browser
A software program that displays web pages on your computer enabling the user to browse the Internet. Examples include Internet Explorer (Microsoft), FireFox (Mozilla) and Opera (Mac). The process of writing data to a DVD or CD disc. The DVD/CD writer will burn data onto the disc using a laser.

Browser

Byte

Symbol - B

A byte is a set of 8 bits that represent a single character in the computer's memory. While bits are often used to measure data transfer speeds, bytes are used to measure file sizes, hard disk space, and computer memory. Larger amounts of data are measured in units such as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes.

Cache
Pronounced cash
A temporary storage area typically in Random Access Memory (RAM), where data can be quickly accessed when repeatedly needed. This function speeds up the processing of data.

CD

Compact Disc
A durable plastic optical disc used to store digital data such as audio recordings, computer software and personal data. These discs are read using a laser in your Disc Drive. The storage capacity of a CD is 700MB.

CD-R
Compact Disc Recordable
A blank CD that can record data written by a CD burner. The data burned onto a CD-R is permanent and cannot be rewritten or erased. See also CD

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