|
Learning Outcomes:
|
Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to:
Hardware
Computer System Overview
identify, name and describe basic components of a computer system:
- system unit
- memory and secondary storage devices
- input and output devices
System Unit Components
identify, name and describe basic components of a computer system unit:
- motherboard
- expansion slots and buses
- Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- memory (RAM)
- peripheral connections (parallel, serial, SCSI, USB, firewire)
Memory and Secondary Storage
identify, name and describe secondary storage devices, including:
- hard disks (fixed and removable)
- USB devices (e.g. flash drives and USB hard drives)
- memory cards (e.g. SD, SC)
- online storage
- optical and magneto-optical storage devices (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD)
recognize and use capacity descriptors (KB, MB, GB, TB);
distinguish between and describe the function of RAM, ROM and BIOS.
Input and Output
identify, name, describe, and distinguish among input and output devices (and associated software):
- keyboard, pointing devices, scanners
- video adapters and displays (CRT, LCD)
- printers (various types)
- voice
- describe how various input and output devices can be used to assist people with disabilities
- digital camera
Operating a Computer
distinguish between system software, utility software and application software and describe the purpose of an operating system;
differentiate among various commonly used operating systems;
employ operating system(s) to perform basic operations of disk and file management:
- assign meaningful file and folder names
- employ wildcard characters in file management
- organize files on storage devices and designate drives, folders and files
- perform management functions to locate, list, display properties of, copy,
rename, move, (un)delete folders and files
- describe disc formatting (sectors, tracks, index) and defragment a disc
- recognize a variety of common program and data file types and their associated extension
describe the problem of computer viruses and spyware, and methods to detect and remove them;demonstrate care, maintenance, and protection of computer equipment;demonstrate the ability to back up data to a CD or other media; andoption - identify workspace ergonomics conditions.
Computers in Society
identify the effects of computers on their everyday lives (e.g. databases-subscription lists, ATMs, the Internet, computer record systems, income tax);give examples of how computers are affecting career opportunities;trace the history of computer technology and identify current trends;state the purchasing considerations from the perspective of an informed consumer (e.g. warranty, service, licensing, needs assessment, market trends); and provide examples of ethical issues involving computers in society, such as protection of privacy, social networking sites, identity theft, phishing sites, spam and copyright.
Word Processing
create a word processing document and save it to a specified location and directory;select any amount of text and format the character attributes;format the indentation, the alignment, and the spacing of lines and paragraphs;identify non-printing characters (space, tab, new line, new paragraph) as displayed on the screen;move, copy, and delete text;insert a page break and section break into a document;insert, format and manipulate a table; use bulleted and numbered lists;use footnotes/endnotes; apply lines, shading and colour to a document;use the find and the replace functions;use the spell checker/thesaurus;insert a graphic into a document;set page margins;use headers and footers (including page numbering, filename, and date codes) with multiple sections;preview and print a document;differentiate between document output devices (printers and faxes);recognize that file formats from different word processors or versions may be incompatible, requiring file conversion routines; and save as a web document.
Spreadsheets
perform basic spreadsheet operations;enter and format data (numbers, text, data series);create simple formulas (using basic operators and functions); copy or move data and/or formulas, utilizing absolute and relative cell addresses and ranges;change cell characteristics (column widths, alignments, fonts, etc.);control page layout such as orientation, scaling, grid lines;use a spreadsheet to predict outcomes based on specific parameters (e.g. mortgages, investments, financial forecasting and planning);create several kinds of charts based on spreadsheet data; andsave as a web document.
Internet
describe the basic structure and functioning of the Internet and define current terminology such as URL, ISP, WWW;describe the implementation of online commerce, including ATM cards, online banking, online shopping and online auctions;describe the various options for computer connectivity (e.g. cable modems, ISDN, XDSL, routers, wireless, 3G, 4G(LTE);send and receive Email (including attachments) using proper etiquette;use a web browser to access and navigate through a website;use search engines to locate and bookmark information;save text and graphical information from a website;describe how business is conducted on the Internet, including security issues;identify security problems associated with Internet use (e.g. spyware, viruses, spam, firewall); andunderstanding how the Internet was developed and how it functions.
Optional
Databases
• describe the structure of a database: tables, records, fields, primary keys and foreign keys;
• perform simple database procedures:
o design a form
o enter, edit and format data
o examine, manipulate records in different views; delete and insert records; sort
records in different ways
o design database tables and fields
o design, create, and print a report consisting of selected fields; and
• search and query a database for information based on specified parameters.
Computer Programming
• create simple programs in a given programming language such as BASIC or Visual Basic;
• describe the purpose of compilers and/or interpreters;
• create and make use of computer designs or algorithms; and
• write basic input, processing and output instructions.
Keyboarding
• significantly increase their typing speed; and
• demonstrate proper keyboarding techniques.
Presentation Software
• create, manipulate and deliver a presentation.
Graphics Applications
• create and manipulate a graphic image (e.g. Paintbrush, Draw); and
• differentiate between various bit-mapped and vector- based graphic file formats (e.g. BMP, JPG and WMG).
|