A course in computers for absolute beginners that fits the City and Guilds iTQ qualification.

2.  Sessions 1 to 5: Computer Basics
◦ Session 1 - Hardware and Software
◦ Session 2 – Inside a Computer and Word Processing
◦ Session 3 – Operating Systems and Multimedia
◦ Session 4 – Networks and Peripherals
◦ Session 5 – Recap and Test

4.  Hardware is anything to do with computers
that you can actually touch

5.  In front of you right now you should find…

6.  Turn on your computer by pressing the power
button on the base unit…
It will probably take a
few minutes to start
up – be patient…

7.  After a few minutes of booting, the monitor
should display something like this:

8.  Let’s look at the keyboard…

9. Command Keys
Function Keys
Navigation Keys
Special Keys

10.  You need to press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete
keys together…

11.  You should then see this screen:

12.  A computer keyboard has all the letters of the
alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9
 It also has special keys including the Shift
key…

13.  The Shift key will change any letters you type
on the keyboard to capital letters (sometimes
called upper case):
 Without Shift: With Shift:
a, b, c ,d…. A, B, C, D…

14.  To use a computer you will have to log in
 This usually involves typing in:
◦ a user name
◦ …and a password
 These need to be carefully typed in using
upper case (capitals) and lower case letters

15.  You should have already have a use name
 Type it on the keyboard, it should appear in
the top box on your screen:

16.  The next special key you are going to use is
the Tab key
 It can be found two keys above the Shift key:
Press the Tab key
once…

17.  The Tab key moves the cursor (the flashing
line where your typing appears) to the next
box…
 Now type your password into the lower box.

18.  Press the Enter key (sometimes called the
Return key)…

21.  The mouse is used to point at things on the
screen

22.  A mouse also lets you select things on the
screen
The LEFT
mouse button

23.  Everything that your particular computer can
do is found in the Start Menu

24.  Using the mouse, click on the Start Menu
button

26.  You are now going to use the Start Menu to
start the Calculator program

27. / means divide by
* means multiply or ‘times’
C clears or resets
 Work out:
◦ 7 * 5
◦ 197 – 28
◦ 12 + 32 + 17
◦ 78 + 33 – 14
◦ 77 / 11

28. /
*
C
 Work out:
◦ 7 * 5 = 35
◦ 197 – 28 = 169
◦ 12 + 32 + 17 = 61
◦ 78 + 33 – 14 = 97
◦ 77 / 11 = 11

29.  You are now going to use the Start Menu to
start a program called Paint

31. For a blank canvas:
File >>>
New >>>
Save >>>
Type in a name >>> Save

32.  Take 15 minutes
 It’s good (and healthy) to get away from the
computer every so often

36.  It’s the stuff you can’t physically touch
 Instructions that make hardware work
 Sometimes called:
◦ Programs
◦ Applications (or Apps for short)
Video on next slide…

37.  Word Processor
 Spreadsheet
 Database – used to store your data
 PowerPoint – what your watching now
…and many, many, many more!

38.  When you’ve finished using a program (such
as Paint) you need to put it away or close it

40. More on this in future sessions…

41.  When you’ve finished working on a computer
you need to turn it off
 Oddly this is done on the Start Menu…

42.  Next Week:
◦ Laptops vs Desktops
◦ What goes on inside the base unit
◦ Using the keyboard
◦ Intro to word processing