Study Guide for Computer Apps Competency.

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STUDY GUIDE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

Basic Computer Knowledge

I n f o r m a t i o n i s d a t a that is organized, has meaning, and is useful. A computer has a variety of components that work together
to accept data, manipulate data, edit data, produce results and store data. As the world of computers advances, it is essential that you
gain some level of computer literacy; that is, you should have a knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses.
C o m p u t e r h a r d w a r e includes input devices, output devices, a system unit, storage devices, and communications devices.
When a collection of computers and devices are connected together via communications media with cables, telephone lines, modems,
or other means it is called a n e t w o r k.
I n p u t d e v i c e s allow information to be placed in the computer memory. Six commonly used input devices are the keyboard,
mouse, microphone, scanner, digital camera, and PC camera. A scanner i s an input device that can capture an entire page of text
electronically. Pointing devices used with computers include mouse, trackball and a joystick. The device used to control the movement
of the pointer on the screen and make selections from the screen is the mouse.
O u t p u t d e v i c e s pass information from the computer such a s a printer, a monitor and speakers. Digitized music, speech, or
other sound stored and produced by a computer i s defined a s audio information. The monitor i s an output device that displays text,
graphics, and video information visually and is housed in a plastic or metal case.
S o f t w a r e i s the series of instructions that tell the hardware how to perform tasks. The central processing unit interprets and
carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. The instructions that cause software to perform specific actions are
commands. The small piece of semi-conducting material (usually no bigger than one-half inch square) i s called a chip. This i s an
electronic device with many microscopic pathways. Both the processor and memory consist of chips that carry electrical current and can
be attached to a motherboard or other circuit board.
S t o r a g e d e v i c e s include CD-ROM drives, floppy disk drives, and hard disk drives. The initials in ROM stand for read-only
memory. Storage holds data, instructions and information for future use. Storage differs from memory because storage can hold items
permanently while memory holds items temporarily while the processor interprets and executes them. Computers have volatile memory,
meaning that its contents are lost when the power is turned off. This type of memory is called random access memory.
A s i n g l e c h a r a c t e r in the computer such a s numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet are represented by
eight bits of information grouped together a s a unit called a byte. A megabyte i s approximately one million bytes and a gigabyte i s
approximately one billion bytes.
T h e s t a n d a r d s that determine whether an action is good or bad are known as ethics. With any powerful technology, computers
can be used for both good and bad actions. Computer ethics are the moral guidelines for the use of computers and information
systems.

WORD Computer Literacy

There are many computer software programs but an example of one is WORD (a word processing program) one of the most widely used
types of application software. It allows users to create and manipulate documents that contain text and graphics. Display buttons to
access common features and commands, such as saving, opening, and printing a file can be found on the standard toolbar. There are
many toolbars but the icons used for these functions are together on the standard toolbar.
This computer program allows the user sets of characters with a specific typeface and style known as fonts. Text may be arranged with a
smooth left edge known as left justified or centered such as the title of this study guide. The position of text in relation to the left and
right page margins is called horizontal alignment. Horizontal alignment is used to enhance documents but if you want a file available
for future use you must SAVE it. Vertical alignment could be top, center, justified or bottom.
Another feature is a dot or symbol that marks an important line of information or designates items in a list, which is a bullet.
There are a variety of bullets available in word processing programs. Lists can be sorted alphabetically using the sort command found
under the Table menu. This feature is often used when member lists are started or updated.
The arrangement of text on a page i s called FORMAT. A style of business letter will include a return address, date, and
salutation a s well a s the inside address and closing. Generally the body of a business letter i s single-spaced. The salutation of the
letter may vary but i s generally begun with Dear. The salutation i s the beginning of the letter and the closing of a business letter
references the correspondent the person sending the letter. Another format would be for reports, which are generally double-spaced.
Word processing programs generally have a spelling and grammar feature and errors in grammar, style rule, and spelling can be
investigated using it. Word wrap is the feature that causes text to move automatically from the end of one line to the beginning of the
next line. A hard return is used when you change to the next line using the enter key. The mouse can be used for an action called drag
and drop. The mouse is used to dray a selection from its original location and drop it in a new location. Other actions utilized are cut
and paste or copy and paste. Scroll bars are used with a mouse to shift the on-screen displays up and down or left and right. The user is
able to see the remainder of a screen utilizing this function.
P r o o f r e a d i n g is an important function of any computer user. Symbols written on a printed document indicating where revisions
are required have been standardized in many ways and are referred to a s Proofreaders marks. These marks allow for common
understanding between the proofreader and the person making the revisions.
Also Read: Proofreading Tips & Tools for Content Writers

DATABASE KNOWLEDGE
A database is a collection of related information that is organized into separate tables and is used mainly to organize fields. A

database allows you to add new information, change incorrect information and delete out of date or unnecessary information. The first
step in creating a database is always planning its form or structure.
A field is one category of information and a record is a group of fields. If you were to create a database containing students first,
middle, and last names it would be best to set up three separate fields for the three names. If you wanted to organize a database of
students from oldest to youngest, the function you would want to use would be SORT. It is possible to sort a database alphabetically,
numerically from largest to smallest and numerically from smallest to largest. When you sort records in ascending order records will
go from lowest to highest number or from A to Z. Sometimes the most efficient way to gather information from a table is to isolate only
those records that satisfy a specific set of conditions. This is a filter. A filter cannot be saved but a query can.
TEXT i s a type of data field that stores data that consists of letters, numbers, or special keyboard characters. Each individual
piece of information is a field. A field might be a memo, number or text. A QUERY is a combined set of commands and directions you
create. You can specify which data the query retrieves by identifying criteria, which are restrictions the data must meet. The criteria
>=$35.00 will find anything equal to or over $35.00. A wildcard is a symbol used in a search value to substitute for unknown characters
but keywords can be stipulated to place restrictions that the data retrieved must meet.
When you want to organize, summarize, and print all or part of a database data, you create a report.

Spreadsheet Knowledge
Another application widely used i s spreadsheet software that organizes data in rows and columns. With your information in a
worksheet, you can perform calculations, create, edit and format. Editing will allow the user to insert both rows (horizontal) and
columns (vertical). A spreadsheet can be called a computerized calculator.
In a spreadsheet the intersection of a column and a row is called a c e l l. There are three types of information that can be in a
cell including label, value and formula. If a spreadsheet user wants to use a range of cells that includes rows 1,2, & 3 for columns G, H,
I, and J, the range specified would be G1:J3.
F u n c t i o n i s a preprogrammed formula in a spreadsheet. The Auto Sum icon allows the user to insert an automatic addition
function. To write a correct formula for average the user would enter =(A1+B1+C1)/3.
Tools, Options you can eliminate gridlines on a spreadsheet
Format, Column, Width change the width of a column
Right click the worksheet tab, Rename name or change the name of the worksheet
View, Header/Footer insert a header/footer into a worksheet
Insert, Column inserts a column (insert, row to insert a row)
Insert, Comment insert a comment into your worksheet for additional information
Control + A selects the entire worksheet
####### - error message indicating the number value calculated or entered is too large for the cell width
Select worksheet data, select chart wizard create a chart in a spreadsheet

Telecommunications Knowledge
Telecommunications is sending and receiving information over phone lines, satellite links, or TV cable. The Internet was first conceived
in the early 60s under the leadership of the Department of Defenses Advanced Research Project Agency. Some most popular uk brands
who have made a mark in telecommunications are Sky, Vodafone & Virgin Media.
It grew from paper architecture into a small network (ARPANET) intended to promote the sharing of super-computers among researchers
in the United States.
URL (Internet address) is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator and consists of protocol, domain name and path.

A complete address of a site on the Internet uses this format - http://www.fixithere.net

Whereas,
An internal page or also called deep link for above url would be - http://www.fixithere.net/sky-customer-service/
Ethical concerns regarding office and school computer use includes
A. Security and privacy of data
B. Employee and student loyalty
C. Copyrights of computer software
C o p y r i g h t e d means protected from duplication; sharing copyrighted data is wrong.
E - m a i l is a system used to exchange messages among users on the Internet. A user creating e-mail must follow net ethics by not being
rude, crude or disrespectful.
F a c s i m i l e ( FAX) is a machine that can send and receive documents over regular telephone lines.
F a v o r i t e s (from the Menu Bar) is chosen to select a special section to view while using the Internet.
G r a p h i c a l u s e r i n t e r f a c e ( G U I ) is the use of pictures or icons to communicate commands from the user to the software.
H a c k i n g is a term used to describe the activity of computer enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge of breaking computer security.
H i s t o r y feature stores a log of the dates and times you long on to the Internet.
H o m e p a g e is the starting page of a Web site, example: http://www.fixithere.net
H y p e r l i n k is clicked to take the user to another location on the Internet. When the mouse pointer hovers over a hyperlink the pointer
changes to a hand with a pointing finger. Click Here For Demo
I c o n is a symbol for a file or operation.
I n t e r n e t S e r v i c e P r o v i d e r s ( I S P ) examples are AOL, BT and AT&T.
M o d e m is the equipment used to send/receive data over a phone line.

N e w s g r o u p is a worldwide electronic discussion group that allows users to exchange ideas and information.
P a s s w o r d protects computer/data from unauthorized user.
Te l e c o n f e r e n c e is a call that takes place among three or more people in different locations.
Web browser is a program that accesses Web sites on the Internet.
WWW means W o r l d W i d e W e b .

Tasks to do:
Search for: What is the World Wide Web definition?
Search for: Who invented the Internet CERN?
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