What is this section about?
This section will help you learn how to use a basic IT system.
What will I...
An IT system is a tool to help you do your work. It has two main parts: hardware and software.
The hardware is the...
Software is the name given to different kinds of programs. A program is just a list of instructions which tell the...
Software only works when it is loaded into your computer's memory.
When software is not in use, it is stored on...
Check your knowledge of an IT system by completing this activity.
...
Print off this checklist of basic ICT skills. Tick the box of the skills you already have and work through the others....
If you are unsure about how to start the system you are using, watch this animation. Click the right arrow to start.
...
The IT system that you will use in this part will have been set up for you. All the hardware will have been correctly...
Here are some common questions and answers that may help you get started.
Problem
Solution
...
What you see on the screen is called the desktop.
Just as in real life, not all desktops look the same. It depends...
Only do this activity if you have never used a mouse before.
...
This animation shows how to select a program using the menus.
Now try this yourself on your own...
Play the animation to find out how to open a program.
You now know how to find and launch an...
This time click on the TextEdit icon in the Dock (it looks like a piece of paper and a pen).
This will take...
Let's practise double-clicking first. Double-clicking is not two separate clicks. It needs two clicks close...
There is a correct way to close down the system. Never simply switch a computer off, as you may damage...
Just think how messy an actual desk would be if it were covered with papers containing all the information stored in...
You already know what a folder icon looks like. Play the animation to see how to create a new one....
Watch this simulation to find out how to locate your folder.
...
A file is electronic information saved on a storage device such as a hard disk or a CD-ROM. A file may be a program or...
You now have two copies of Clown.
It is good practice to give a copy of a file a slightly different name. For...
To see how to rename a file, play the animation.
You can rename folders in exactly the same way....
To find out how to open up a data file, play the animation below.
You can now find and open a data file....
You won't need the file Clown2 again so you can use it to learn how to delete files.
You can delete folders...
