Course Content
1. Hardware and Software
This section will deal with computers (and other peripherals) and their components. It is imperative that we understand what constitutes a computer in order to understand how to work with them. Understanding the parts that make up a computer will lead to an understanding of how a computer works as a whole. In this section, we will "demystify" the inner workings of a computer, which we usually don't fully understand. Once you have deconstructed the inside of the computer in its entirety, you will feel more confident to continue your quest for digital skills because you will understand the so-called "tangible" parts of the machine and will be able to better locate the different operations on one's computer or other devices. This section will not deal with the inner workings of all the different electronic devices that exist (smartphones, tablets, games consoles etc.) as there are too many of them. However, they all have very similar components and functions to a computer. In this section, we will introduce the basics of hardware and software as well as the basics of connectivity.
2. The basics of problem-solving
This part deals with the basic tasks to be done with a computer to avoid issues or to solve basic problems we can encounter when using a computer: searching for space (disk) on the computer, making sure the computer's software is updated… These topics combined will enable you to use the computer independently and with confidence.
3. Business Tool: Microsoft Office
How can we talk about the basics of ICT without mentioning the Microsoft Office Suite! Microsoft Office is a set of office applications tools. It can be used on a computer, tablet or mobile. Among these tools, it offers several possibilities, each with its own use and particularities: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note or Outlook. This software allows you to work faster and more efficiently on your business tasks and to improve your own documents. In the field of “office” tools, Microsoft Office is the must-have suite for most companies or home users, even if we have to pay for it. However, there are other free alternatives such as Open Office (including LibreOffice) which can also be a solution for beginners. But, later on, using this free option may create compatibility problems between certain document formats. In addition, the functions are limited compared to Microsoft Office. The Google collaborative tool (GoogleDoc, GoogleSheet…) is also one of those free alternatives that can be a good compromise between the two. By the way, if you want to know more about this last tool, it will be developed in another module!
Final Quiz
References
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5.1
1.2 Software
What is software?
Software is a bunch of programs and files that together tell the hardware what to do and how to do to provide tools for users.
There are several categories of software: operating systems, games, office software such as the Microsoft Office Suite that we will talk about later in this module, etc. There is a wide range of concepts related to software and its engineering.
When talking about software, we can see some notions like programs and files, but what is it exactly?
A computer program is a series of instructions for the processor to execute. Instructions can be used to read data from the storage memory/disk, request input from the keyboard or display images on the screen. When these instructions are organised in a logical sequence for a particular purpose (calculating, playing, etc), we call this sequence a computer program.
As you already know, the processor is the brain of a computer and is responsible for carrying out all the tasks requested in the program. Programs are coded (programmed) by programmers in different languages (programming languages) that are understood by the machine and by humans.
A file () is a sequence of information on the storage memory or disk that is given a name. For example, some files contain images, others contain text. A program can read a file from the disk and do something with the information it contains.
A directory/folder () is a special file; the information it contains is actually other files. Indeed, a directory is like a folder in which we store sheets. Several files are stored in the directory, which allows us to classify (and find) our files quickly.
When we talk about a computer we use the term “PC” for personal computers. Although this term is not associated with a brand but with functioning, “PC” is now associated with a computer running Microsoft Windows as opposed to “Mac”, the Apple Macintosh computer. Originally, however, the term “PC” covered all personal computers, including Apple-branded computers.
The software that is undoubtedly the most important is the operating system.
An operating system is software that manages the resources of the computer (hardware and software) and provides the user with a general interface to communicate with the computer.
It would be far too complex to communicate with the computer in its own language! So you have to use the operating system’s features. To better understand what the operating system really is, it is good to see the machine as a structure with layers. The first layer at the bottom would be the hardware. Just above that is the operating system, which takes care of communicating with the hardware for you. Then come the ordinary applications like games, office software, etc.
Nowadays there are many different operating systems available, the three most popular being Windows, MacOS and Linux.
Examples of Operating Systems