Computer management

1 Information and communication technology

  • Information and communications technology (ICT) is the field of study related to computers and telephone networks.
  • ICT includes audiovisual processing and broadcasting, such as film production and digital television.
  • Digital technologies represent text, numbers, images, sounds and videos as binary digits so that computers can interpret and use them.

1.1 ICT systems in everyday life

  • An ICT system integrates communication and information tasks into a single management system.
  • This allows managers to have up-to-date information about subsystems, such as the production line, equipment performance and security.

2 Data and information

  • Data is not another word for information.
  • Data are the raw materials that are processed to produce information.
  • Information is the end result of data processing. In other words, information is processed data presented in a usable form.
  • Accurate and relevant data are essential for producing usable information.
  • Managers rely on usable information to make sensible decisions.
  • The information processing cycle changes data into information. It consists of:
    • input – the data that goes into a computer
    • processing – the act of manipulating data with a computer to change it into information
    • output – the information that a computer produces as a result of processing, usually in the form of an on-screen display or printout
    • storage – computers may store data before or during the processing and generally store the information produced.

3 General model of a computer

  • A computer is an electronic device that accepts and processes data, stores information and data, and outputs either information for people to use or data for other computers to use.
  • Computers consist of hardware and software.
  • Hardware is the physical parts of a computer system, In other words, the devices, circuit boards and peripherals that make up a computer system.
  • Software is the intangible parts of a computer system, such as the application programs you will use. A program is a list of coded instructions that tell a computer what it must do and how it must do it.

4 Types of computers

  • A personal computer (PC) is a small computer that uses a microprocessor as its central processing unit (CPU). Desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers and personal digital assistants (PDA) are different forms of the PC.

4.1 Workstations

  • Originally, a workstation was a powerful computer used for complex and specialised tasks, such as computer-aided design (CAD). Today, workstation is a term used to describe a terminal connected to a mainframe or any PC connected to a computer network.

4.2 Servers

  • Server is the common term for a fileserver. A server is usually a computer that is more powerful than a PC, but it could also be a PC with additional hardware and devices added to help it perform specialised tasks.
  • Servers are used in computer networks for centralised file storage.
  • One of the main functions of the server is to manage the file handling for all the computers connected to the network.

4.3 Mainframes

  • A mainframe is a fast, powerful computer that performs huge tasks, such as bulk data processing.
  • Mainframes can support the processing requirements of hundreds of users and can handle many powerful peripheral devices.

4.4 Supercomputers

  • A supercomputer is faster and more powerful than a mainframe, and is used for processor intensive calculations and complex modelling scenarios, such as weather pattern forecasts or the behaviour of molecules.

4.5 Dedicated computers

  • Dedicated computers are computers designed for one specific task, rather than for general use. Examples of dedicated computers are:
  • video game consoles
  • automatic teller machines (ATMs)
  • embedded computers in household appliances, such as television sets, dishwashers and microwave ovens.

5 The role of computers

  • ICT devices have become smaller, cheaper and faster, which has made computers available to more people worldwide.
  • Computers in our homes are commonplace and are used for tasks such as household budgets, schoolwork, research, entertainment and communication.
  • Computers in banking and business are not new, but people can now:
    • withdraw or deposit money at ATMs
    • use cell phone or Internet banking
    • buy goods and services over the Internet.
  • Computers are used in education, both at schools and at home.
  • Computers in the health sector play a vital role in complicated medical operations and can assist medical researchers in their quest for new knowledge.
  • Computers have enabled new forms of communication such as:
    • short message service (SMS)
    • e-mail messages
    • social networks on the Internet that are designed to allow people to socialise and communicate.

5.1 Advantages of computers

  • Speed – modern computers are incredibly fast and can save enormous amounts of time. An example of this is calculating the income tax for hundreds of people on a payroll system, a task that would take days of work for a person.
  • Durability – most components in a computer are electronic, rather than mechanical, thus increasing the length of time between component failure because of reduced wear and tear.
  • Consistency and accuracy – computers, given the correct data, will consistently produce the same result to a high degree of accuracy.
  • Storage – computers have the capacity to store large volumes of data on a single storage medium, thus saving physical space and improving information security.
  • Communication – by sharing data and information between computers, people are able to communicate ideas and concepts with greater ease.

5.2 Disadvantages of computers

  • Health risks – long periods of computer use with the body in an incorrect posture may result in repetitive strain injuries and could cause damage to the eyes.
  • No face-to-face interaction with other people could result in anti-social behaviour.
  • Violation of privacy – criminals are able to access your computer via the internet unless you take appropriate precautions.
  • Public safety – criminals involved in industrial espionage may use computers to access trade secrets or other private information.
  • Impact on employment – some people may lose their jobs when companies automate certain procedures and tasks.
  • Impact on the environment – the manufacturing process and the irresponsible disposal of computers affects the environment negatively.

6 Social implications

  • Social implications look at the positive and negative effects that using computer technology may have on everyday life.

6.1 Economic benefits of computers

  • Saving paper – individuals and companies can save paper and the storage costs of filing their documents.
  • Saving labour – by computerising, businesses are able to reduce their labour costs through increased efficiency and accuracy.
  • Saving communication costs – businesses that use the Internet to communicate with customers are able to reduce postage and telephone costs. In addition they can:
  • use the Internet and social networking to create product awareness
  • use video conferencing to reduce travel and accommodation costs.
  • Efficiency – unlike people, computers do not require lunch breaks or annual leave. Computers work 24 hours per day, seven days per week, do not require salaries and benefits and can usually do the job in less time, more efficiently and more accurately.
  • Accuracy – computers perform their work more accurately than people do, as long as the operator correctly inputs accurate data.
  • Reliability – computers are reliable because they do what they are programmed to do, unless there is a mechanical or electrical fault.

6.2 The ethical use of computers

  • Ethics relates to your values about what is morally right or wrong.
  • We have all heard of criminals who use computer technology to trick people into giving out details about their bank accounts. The criminals use the details to withdraw money from the account of the victim.
  • Other unethical computer use includes:
    • making pirated copies of music, films and computer software
    • cyber-bullying and spreading gossip over the Internet
    • using computer facilities at school or at work for private business
    • forwarding inappropriate or offensive material to other computer users
    • taking text, pictures, ideas or inventions from the Internet and passing it off as your own work – this is called plagiarism.

1 Basic software concepts

  • A program is a list of instructions in computer code, which tells a computer what it must do and how it must do it.
  • An application consists of a set programs that work together to enable users to perform tasks.

1.1 The operating system and the GUI

  • The operating system is a large set of programs that is in charge of all the functions on your computer.
  • It co-ordinates the activities of the system software, runs application software and controls the hardware devices.
  • The operating system provides the graphical user interface (GUI), which makes it easier for humans to use the computer and find their way around the computer environment.
  • The Microsoft Windows operating system has three main elements, each with its own specific features:
    • the desktop – the main screen of the GUI
    • Windows – rectangular frames that appear on the desktop each time an application, file or folder is opened
    • dialogue boxes – rectangular boxes that appear when an application needs to give you information or wants you to do something, such as provide additional information.

2 Starting up the computer

  • To switch on the computer, press the power switch.
  • The computer will begin the boot up procedure.
  • Booting is the start-up procedure, during which the computer loads the operating system and checks that all its parts are working correctly.
  • After the booting process, the log-on screen appears.
  • Logging on is the process of gaining access to the computer.

2.1 Social implications – basic security concepts

  • The computer uses your username and password to authenticate your identity.
  • This helps to prevent unauthorised access to the information on your computer.
  • It protects your information from people who may want to invade your privacy, or who might want to steal or delete information.

3 Using the mouse

The mouse is the most common input device for interacting with the GUI. You can use a mouse in different ways:

  • hover – hold the pointer over an object without clicking a mouse button
  • click – press the left-hand mouse button
  • double-click – press the left-hand mouse button twice in quick succession
  • right-click – press the right-hand mouse button
  • drag – press and hold in the left-hand mouse button while moving the mouse
  • roll the wheel – you can roll the mouse wheel to perform certain tasks, such as scrolling through a document.

4 The desktop

  • The desktop is the main screen of the Microsoft Windows interface.
  • The main features of the desktop are the Start button, the taskbar, and the icons.
  • An icon is a small picture on the computer that represents an application, a folder or a file.
  • Double-click an icon to start a program or to open a file.

4.1 The Start button

  • The Start button, in the bottom left-hand corner of the desktop, allows you to launch applications, or to open folders and files.
  • Clicking the Start button brings up the Start menu.
  • The Start menu contains options which allow you to:
    • change settings
    • open recently used documents and files
    • launch applications that are not on the Desktop.

4.2 The taskbar

  • The taskbar, usually the bottom line on the screen, displays each open application, folder or file.
  • The taskbar will also contain the notification tray, usually on the right-hand side of the screen.
  • When you click a taskbar button, the application, folder or file associated with that button becomes the active window.
  • The active window is the window in which you are currently working.
  • Click the taskbar buttons to switch between open applications, folders or files.

4.3 My Computer, My Documents and Recycle bin icons

  • By clicking the My Computer, My Documents or Recycle Bin icon, a folder opens in a window on the desktop.
  • The My Computer folder gives you information about storage disks, files, folders and external devices connected to your computer.
  • The My Documents folder a special folder on the computer that is used for storing documents, such as music, pictures, videos and other files, each in their own folder within My Documents.
  • The Recycle bin is where deleted objects are stored. The Recycle bin allows you to:
    • restore deleted files and folders if they were deleted in error
    • permanently delete a file or folder by deleting it from the Recycle bin.

5 Working with windows

5.1 Opening and closing windows

  • To open Notepad, click the Start button.
  • Select All Programs from the Start menu.
  • Move the mouse pointer onto the All Programs menu and click Accessories.
  • Move the mouse pointer onto the Accessories menu and select Notepad.

5.2 Typical features of a window

  • The title bar is at the top of the window and usually contains the title of the open file.
  • Because we haven’t opened an existing file or created and saved a file, the title bar shows Untitled – Notepad.
  • The Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons are on the right-hand side of the title bar.
  • the Minimize button makes the window disappear, but the application is still open, as can be seen from the Notepad button on the taskbar
  • the Maximize button enlarges the window to fill the entire screen
  • the Close button closes Notepad.

5.3 Entering and saving data

  • Type a few lines of text – press Enter if you want to move the cursor to a new line.
  • To save a file, select File from the menu bar.
  • Select Save or Save As from the drop-down menu.
  • Save will save the file with its original name but, for a new file, Notepad prompts you to type in a file name.
  • Save As allows you to save your file with a different file name and/or to a different folder.

5.4 Printing a file

  • open an existing file, or create a new file in Notepad.
  • To Print the file:
  • select File from the menu bar
  • select Print from the drop-down menu
  • the Print dialogue box will be displayed – see Figure 3.

5.6 Editing and formatting text

  • When you edit text, you change the contents of the text.
  • Editing changes existing letters and words to make corrections, or adds new lines, sentences and paragraphs.
  • When you format text, you change the appearance of the text.
  • Formatting includes making text bold or italic or underlined. It also allows you to change:
    • the font, which is the way the letters are shaped
    • the font size or colour.

5.7 Alternative ways of performing tasks

  • Most applications allow more than one way to do things. Instead of selecting options from the menu bar in the application, you can use shortcut keys. Shortcut keys are a combination of letter pressed while holding down the Ctrl key.
  • For example, use Ctrl+N to create a new file (hold down the Ctrl key and press the N key).
    • Crtl+O opens a file
    • Ctrl+S saves a file
    • Ctrl+P prints a file
    • Ctrl+C to copy a marked file or marked text
    • Ctrl+X to cut a marked file or marked text
    • Ctrl+V to paste the file or text most recently cut or copied.

6 Introduction to keyboard and keys

The mouse is suitable for interacting with the GUI, but the keyboard is the best way for entering text or numbers.

6.1 Keyboard and keys

  • The standard keyboard layout is known as the QWERTY layout, taken from the first six letters on the left-hand side of the keyboard. The important control and navigation keys are:
  • Enter – starts a new paragraph.
  • Shift – changes the letter typed from lower case to capitals, or allows the upper character on a key to be typed
  • Caps Lock – toggles between lower case and upper case each time it is pressed
  • Tab – used to align text in a column or, within a table, moves the cursor to the next cell
  • Backspace – deletes the character to the left of the cursor
  • Delete – deletes the character to the right of the cursor
  • Insert – toggles overtype mode on or off each time it is pressed
  • Home and End – moves the cursor to the beginning of the line or the end of the line respectively
  • Page Up and Page Down – moves the cursor one page up or one page down
  • Arrow keys – moves the cursor one line up or one line down, one space left or one space right.

6.2 Typing tutor

  • A typing tutor is an interactive computer program that will teach you to type or help you to improve your typing skills. A typing tutor will usually give you:
  • step-by step lessons
  • statistical reports on your progress, to show you how accurately or how fast you type.

6.3 Correct fingers and the correct keys

  • You must be able to use the correct fingers on the correct keys.
  • The home row is the A, S, D, and F keys for the left hand and the J, K, L and ; keys for the right hand.

6.4 Posture

The correct posture in front of a computer helps you to type accurately and productively.

  • Your back should be straight, relaxed but comfortable. The body should not be slumped.
  • Knees and hips should form a 90° angle.
  • Feet should be flat on the floor or on a footrest.
  • Eyes should be focussed on the text that you keying in on the screen.
  • Arms should be in an L-shape, so that the relationship of the forearm to the elbow is 90°.
  • Your fingers should hover above the home row.
  • You should aim at getting your ears, shoulder, elbows and hip bones in one vertical line

6.5 Social implications – Correct typing posture

  • You could find yourself suffering from eyestrain or getting backache or a pain in the neck if you spend long hours in front of a computer. Common posture problems are caused by:
    • sitting too far from or too close to the computer
    • setting the chair too high or too low
    • working at a desk that is too low or too high
    • sitting with the elbows too far from the body.
  • Ergonomics is the study of designing tools and equipment to be better suit the human body and encourage correct posture. Ergonomic equipment may include:
    • chairs that support the spine
    • desks that have variable heights
    • computer monitors that can be adjusted
    • a computer mouse that fit snugly into the palm of the hand
    • keyboards that allow for easy use by the human hand.

1 File structure

  • File management on a computer is similar to storing documents in a filing cabinet.
  • On a computer, we files are stored in a folder.
  • Folders can contain other folders, called subfolders, as well as files.

2 File path

  • The file path is the complete address of where that file will be found.
  • The address is similar to a street address for a person – for example, 24 New Road, My suburb, Best City, South Africa. The file path though, is specified in the format: drive\folder\subfolder\file. For example: C:\Documents\Schoolwork\Timetable.doc
  • Note that you need to use the backslash character to separate the parts of a file path.

3 File naming conventions

  • You may use letters, numbers and a few special characters in a filename.
  • The characters that you must not use are: < > : “ / \ | ? *

4 File properties

File properties include the file name, file location, file type, file size, date last modified, title, and author.

4.1 File type

  • The file type is determined by the file extension. These are the characters that follow the dot, or full stop, in the filename.
  • A file extension is usually three or more characters, such as exe, ppt, xls, doc or docx.
  • In the filename Timetable.docx, docx indicates that this is a Microsoft Word 2007 file.

4.2 File size

  • File sizes are measured in bytes. When the file size is:
  • greater than 1 024 bytes, it is measured in kilobytes (KB)
  • greater than 1 024 000 bytes, it is measured in megabytes (MB).
  • One byte is needed to store a single character.

5 File organisation

  • File organisation starts with deciding how your folders and subfolders will be structured.
  • You can assign folders by criteria such as topic or file type, or by criteria such as current work and completed work.

6 Using a file manager (My Computer)

  • A file manager is an application that helps you manage the file system on a computer.

6.1 Performing file management tasks

  • To create a folder on the desktop, right-click in a blank area on the desktop.
  • Select New, Folder from the context menu that appears on the desktop – see Figure 4.
  • Type a name for the folder in the space provided and press Enter.
  • To open the new folder on the desktop, double-click on it. The folder will have no files or subfolders in it because it is a new folder.

6.2 Viewing and sorting files and folders

  • To change the way files are viewed in a folder, you can either:
  • select View from the menu bar and choose a viewing option, or
  • right-click a blank space in the folder, select View from the menu that appears, then select one of the viewing options.
  • The Details viewing option displays the name, size, type, and date and time last modified for each listed object.

1 Creating shortcuts

  • A shortcut is an icon that is linked to a specific program, folder or file. Doubleclicking the shortcut opens the associated program, file or folder.
  • To create a shortcut to a file, right-click on the desktop or in a blank space in the folder where you want to create the shortcut.
  • From the context menu that appears, select New – Shortcut. Figure 5 illustrates the menus.
  • This opens the Create Shortcut wizard. See Figure 6.
  • The wizard guides you through the process of creating a shortcut.

2 Taking screenshots

  • A screenshot is an image or picture of your computer screen as it looks at the moment you made the screenshot.
  • To take a screenshot, press the Prt Scr (or Print Screen) key on the keyboard.
  • The image of the screen is saved to the clipboard.
  • The clipboard is a space in memory where the computer temporarily stores copied or cut data.
  • To save the screenshot, you need to paste in into a graphics program, such as Paint.

3 Compressing files and folders

  • To compress files, you need a file compression utility, such as Winzip or WinRAR, to be installed on your computer.
  • To compress a file or a folder, right-click it and select Send To – Compressed (zipped) Folder from the context menu that appears.
  • The file compression utility will then guide you through the rest of the process.

4 Print management

  • Print management enables you to install, view, and manage the printer.

4.1 Installing a new printer

  • The easiest way to install a new printer is insert the CD that came with the printer and to follow the prompts on the screen.
  • You can also install a printer by selecting Control Panel – Printers and Faxes – Add printer from the Start menu.
  • This opens the Add Printer wizard, which guides you through the process of installing a printer. See Figure 7

4.2 Changing the default printer

  • To specify a default printer, select Control Panel – Printers and Faxes from the Start menu.
  • Right-click the printer that you want as the default printer and select Set as Default Printer on the context menu.
  • The default printer’s icon will now have a small circle with a tick in it, indicating that it is the default printer.

4.3 Printer queues

  • To check your print jobs, select Control Panel – Printers and Faxes from the Start menu and double-click on the printer.
  • The printer window shows the documents in the order that they will be printed.
  • To cancel or pause a print job, right-click it and then select the appropriate option on the context menu.
Hardware and software

1 Identifying Hardware

  • Basic hardware components that should be present for a personal computer to work are a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse and a system unit.
  • Optional components include a CD or DVD drive, speakers, a scanner and a printer.
  • Hardware configuration is the term used to describe the combination of hardware components in a computer system.

1.1 Ports and connectors

  • The connector is the plug at the end of the cable. The connector will fit into a specific port, or socket, on the computer.
  • On desktop PCs, ports are usually at the back of the system unit.
  • On laptop and notebook computers, the ports are also on the sides and front of the computer.
  • Examples of ports and connectors include:
    • PS/2 is a serial port, usually for a mouse or a keyboard
    • USB ports (universal serial bus) can connect up to 127 devices per port
    • a firewire port is a high speed port used for digital video cameras and devices needing high speed access
    • a network port is used to connect your computer to a network
    • connectors only fit into specific types of port – for example, a USB connector can only fit into a USB port.

2 Input and common input devices

2.1 Input

  • Input is data or instructions entered into the computer.
  • Input can be in the form of text, numbers, static or video images, or sound.

2.2 Common input devices

  • Keyboards can be separate devices, such as those found on desktop computers, or an integral part of the computer, as with laptops.
  • Touch screen devices, such as tablet computers or cell phones, use virtual keyboards on the screen.
  • A mouse used to have a ball to transfer information about its movement. The newer optical mouse uses a light emitting diode (LED) to detect movement.
  • A wireless mouse uses infra-red light or Bluetooth to connect to the computer

3.1 Output

  • Output is data or instructions that the computer produces after processing input.
  • Output can be in the form of either hardcopy or softcopy.
  • Softcopy is text or graphics displayed in an electronic format, usually on the monitor.
  • Hardcopy is text or graphics printed out on paper.

3.2 Common output devices

    Monitors:

    • The advantages of LCD monitors are that they:
    • take up less desk space
    • produce less heat
    • use less electricity.
    • Monitors using light emitting diodes (LED) are now replacing LCD monitors.
    • LED monitors are even thinner and use less electricity than LCD monitors.
    • Monitor size is measured diagonally across the monitor’s display area.
    • Images are produced by small coloured dots called pixels. Pixels is short for picture elements.
    • The resolution of a monitor is measured in dots per inch (dpi). Resolution is determined by the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen.

    Printers:

    • Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of ink on the paper to form an image.
    • A laser printer magnetises parts of the drum to form a mirror image of what is being printed. The drum picks up toner, which sticks to the magnetised parts only, and places the toner on the paper. The paper is heated to form a permanent bond between the paper and toner.
    • Printer resolution is measured in dpi (dots per inch). The higher the dpi, the smaller and more numerous the dots. This results in a better quality printout.
    • Inkjet printers compared to laser printers:
      • buying an inkjet printer is cheaper than buying a laser printer
      • inkjet printers produce better quality colour printouts
      • laser printers produce better quality monochrome printouts
      • laser printers are faster than inkjet printers
      • laser printer costs per page printed are cheaper than inkjet printer costs per page.

    3.3 Social implications

    • Practice green computing and use less paper.
    • print on both sides of the paper
    • send documents electronically instead of printing everything
    • send paper to be recycled
    • use recycled paper if possible
    • dispose of old printer cartridges in a responsible way.

1 Pointing devices

  • Pointing devices are input devices that allow a user to control the cursor on the computer screen.
  • Examples of pointing devices include:
    • touch pad – a small, rectangular pad that is sensitive to pressure and movement
    • trackball – a fixed pointing device with a movable ball on top or on the side of the keyboard
    • pointing stick – a pressure sensitive device that you push with your finger
    • touch screen – a touch sensitive screen that is touched by a finger or stylus
    • stylus – used directly on a touch screen.

2 Digital cameras

  • Digital cameras store pictures on memory cards instead of film.

3 Video cameras and webcams

  • Video cameras are designed to record video and audio.
  • Webcams are designed to record and broadcast low quality video over the Internet.

4 Scanning and reading devices

4.1 Scanners

  • A scanner will make a digital image on your computer of a hardcopy document or image.
  • Scanners digitise the image scanned by converting the image into a grid of pixels.
  • The three types of scanners are flatbed scanners, sheet-feed scanners and handheld scanners.

4.2 Specialised scanning and reading devices

  • Scanning technology is applied in various fields.
  • RFID (radio frequency identification) uses electronic markers that can be scanned for information in the same way as a barcode.
  • A magnetic stripe reader reads information contained on the magnetic stripe on the back of bank cards.
  • MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) devices read text printed with magnetic ink. An example is the special characters printed on the bottom of cheques.
  • OMR (optical mark recognition) scanners identify and record certain marks made on paper. Machines that read lottery tickets use this technology.
  • OCR (optical character recognition) software enables computers to recognise text characters on a scanned image and convert them into an electronic file.

5 Audio input devices

  • Some computing devices can recognise sound and use it as input.
  • A microphone is needed to record the audio signal.
  • Voice recognition software translates the sound to a format that the computer can understand and process.

6 Biometric input

  • Biometric input is a process that allows a unique biological feature of a person to be used as a password or in access control.
  • Examples are fingerprints, handprints, voice recognition and scanning the iris of your eye.

7 More about output devices

7.1 Headsets and speakers

  • Speakers are used by computers to allow audio output to be heard by the user.
  • A headset is a type of speaker worn over the ears so only the user can hear the sound.

7.2 Fax machines and fax modems

  • A fax machine is used to scan a document and send it over a telephone line to another fax machine which reproduces a copy of the document.
  • A fax modem is a device that allows a computer to send and receive faxes.

7.3 Data projector

  • Used to project the image on a computer monitor to a larger surface, such as a wall. The data projector uses a combination of processors, lenses, strong light and colour filters to project the image.
  • The two basic types of data projectors are the liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, and the digital light processing (DLP) projector.

8 Multifunctional devices

  • A multifunction device is able to perform the function of more than one separate device, such as a scanner, printer, copier and fax machine, but only takes up the space of a single device.

9 Storage and storage media

  • Storage media are used to save data and/or information for later use.
  • Storage space is measured in bytes or, more commonly, in multiples of bytes, such as megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB).
  • A storage device is any device that offers permanent storage of data. It is important that data can be written to and retrieved from the storage device.

10 Common storage media

10.1 Hard disk

  • Most data on a computer are stored in a hard disk that is built into the computer.
  • A hard disk is a non-volatile storage method, in that the contents of the media are not lost when power is switched off.
  • An external hard disk is a hard disk that has its own power supply outlet and is plugged into a port on the computer.

10.2 CDs, DVDs and BDs

  • CDs, DVDs and BDs are optical disks used to store data. They are called optical disks because they do not rely on a magnetic surface to record data – rather they use laser technology.
    • CD – compact disk
    • DVD – originally digital video disk, now digital versatile disk
    • BD – Blu-ray disk.
  • Advantages of CDs and DVDs:
    • relatively cheap
    • have a large storage space.
  • DVD drives are backwards compatible with CDs.
  • BDs have more storage space than CDs and DVDs so are used for high definition video.

10.3 USB flash drives

  • USB flash drives are an electronic storage medium that plugs into a USB port.
  • They can store large amounts of data.

10.4 Memory cards

  • Memory cards are compact form of storage popular for digital cameras and cell phones.
  • Memory cards have no moving parts, which makes them ideal for devices that are portable, such as digital cameras and cellular phones.

11 Care for storage devices

  • Optical disks must not be scratched.
  • Magnets will damage data on a hard disk but, as a sealed unit, they should be safe from water and humidity.
  • Some USB flash drives are water resistant, others are waterproof, none are damaged by magnetism. To be safe, keep them out of direct sunlight or away from any other potentially damaging environment.
  • Hard drives are relatively robust, but you should not drop them.

12 Determining available storage space

  • Double click the My Computer/Computer icon.
  • Right-click on the disk you are interested in. For instance, Local disk C: – see Figure 8.
  • Click on properties on the context menu.
  • The size of the drive and the available space will be displayed on the dialogue box that opens

13 Processing devices

The motherboard is the main circuit board of the computer. This is where all of the components of a computer are interconnected.

13.1 Central processing unit (CPU)

  • The CPU executes the instructions given to the computer and does the processing.
  • The CPU receives and sends instructions to and from other components.
  • Speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz).

13.2 Random access memory (RAM)

  • RAM temporarily stores data while it is being processed by the CPU.
  • RAM is a volatile memory in that data contained in RAM is lost when the supply of electricity is lost.
  • RAM is regarded as the primary memory of a computer.
  • Access to RAM by the CPU is much faster than it is to storage media such as hard drives.

13.3 Read only memory (ROM)

  • ROM is non-volatile memory.
  • Information on a ROM chip cannot be changed without a special device.
  • ROM is used to store essential start-up information for the computer.

Software is the intangible parts of a computer system, such as the programs and data.

  • A program is a list of instructions in computer code, which tells a computer what tasks it must perform.
  • The three types of software are:
    • System software, or the software that provides your interface with a computer.
    • Application software, or the software that lets you perform a specific type of activity.
    • Data files generated by applications, such as a saved document.

1 Accessories

  • An operating system usually includes programs that perform specific tasks such as:
  • Calculator
  • Paint
  • Snipping tool.

2 Application software

  • Application software is not designed for controlling, maintaining and securing the operation of the computer.
  • Types of application software include word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, accounting, gaming, communication, graphics, design, and entertainment packages.
  • Examples of application software include, Microsoft Office, Open Office, Pastel, Turbocash Mozilla Firefox, Photoshop, Picasso, AutoCAD, TurboCAD and Winamp.
  • A multimedia program uses a combination of text, images, audio and video to interact with the user.

3 System software

  • System software coordinates the activities of your computer.
  • System software includes operating systems, drivers and utility programs.

3.1 The operating system and the GUI

  • A GUI (Graphical user interface) uses text and graphics to provide the user with an interface for input.
  • An application is generally designed for specific operating systems and are incompatible with other operating systems.
  • Examples of operating systems used on personal computers are Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS and Unix.
  • Mobile operating systems use less storage and memory space and are designed for devices such as cellular phones.
  • Examples of mobile operating systems include Symbian, Windows Phone, Android and Apple iOS

3.2 Social implications – administering security

  • Operating systems provide the user with an authentication process.
  • Without the proper authentication, such as username and password, the user cannot use the computer or device.

1 Classification of software

1.1 Stand-alone versus integrated software

  • A stand-alone operating system is a complete operating system installed on a personal computer.
  • Examples of stand-alone operating systems are Linux, Windows and Mac OS.
  • Application software may be provided as stand-alone or as an integrated package.
  • An integrated package means that more than one application is bundled together and sold as a set.
  • An office suite, or productivity suite, usually includes a word processor, a spreadsheet application and a slide presentation application.
  • Advantages of an office suite are:
    • the user interface is the same for all the integrated applications
    • the applications are installed as a unit
    • it is generally cheaper to buy an integrated package than buy the applications separately
    • data can easily be exchanged between the applications.
    • Examples of an office suite are Microsoft Office and Open Office.

1.2 Freeware versus Shareware

  • Both freeware and shareware are provided free of charge.
  • Freeware software is protected by copyright, but supplied free of charge. The full version of the software, including all functions, is supplied.
  • Shareware software is generally limited in that it is not the full version of the software. Shareware software can be limited by:
    • certain features not being available
    • the period of time that it will work
    • the number of times it can be opened and used.

1.3 Proprietary versus Open-source software

  • Proprietary software is software that you pay for.
  • You do not own the software, but pay for the right to use it.
  • The developer retains the copyright to the program and ownership of the software.
  • The source code for the program is never released.
  • The use of the software, such as the number of computers it can be used on, is restricted through a licence agreement.
  • Open-source software:
    • is free to use
    • has no copyright restrictions
    • has no restriction as to the number of computers it can be used on
    • source code is available for free and may be edited
    • may be distributed in a changed form, subject to the original licence agreement terms.
  • Disadvantages of open-source software:
    • little assistance or support to users from the distributor
    • relatively few books or training available.

2 Software licensing and licence agreements

  • When buying and installing software the user agrees to the terms and conditions contained in the licence agreement, which may include:
    • the software may not be installed on more than one machine
    • no copies of the software may be made and/or sold
    • no changes may be made to the software.
  • The three types of End User Licence Agreements (EULA):
    • Single-user licence – only on one computer at a time
    • Multi-user licence – more than one computer at a time, as stipulated in the licence agreement
    • Site licence – any number of computers, as long as the computers are owned by the same company.
  • Piracy is the act of making illegal copies of movies, music and software, usually on CDs and DVDs, and selling them.
  • Creative commons copyright agreements allow for copyrighted material to be used free of charge under certain circumstances.

3 Drivers and utilities

  • Drivers are small programs that act as a translator between the operating system and a specific hardware device.
  • Utility programs, or utilities, enable a user to carry out specific tasks.
  • Examples of utility programs are:
    • disk cleanup, a program that automatically deletes files and folders that are not needed
    • compression programs, such as Winzip, used to reduce the size of files to save storage space
    • backup programs make copies of data for safe, off-site storage.

1 Networks and network concepts

  • Computer network – two or more computers or computing devices that are connected to each other.
  • Networks allow communication between networked devices.
  • Communication channel – the link, either cable or wireless, through which communication takes place.
  • Examples of communication channels:
    • wires and cables, such as twisted pairs of copper wire or fibre optic cable.
    • wireless connections, such as Bluetooth.
  • Examples of networks:
    • two computers connected with a cable to play games
    • a cellular phone with a wireless connection to a computer.
  • Large networks have computers that are connected to a central computer, called a network server or fileserver.
  • The computers connected to the network are called network clients in a client-server network.
  • The network server is the main computer that controls communication and functions such as central file storage.
  • A network administrator oversees network operations.
  • Administrator tasks include:
    • adding users, computers and devices to the network
    • removing users when required
    • allocating access rights or access restrictions to certain files/folders.
  • Client-server networks:
    • one or more powerful computers control the network
    • less powerful computers connect and use the network.
  • Peer-to-peer networks:
    • Smaller networks – often limited to four or five computers
    • no network server
    • all users and computers have the same level of control.

2 Aims and objectives of a network

  • Easily share data and resources.
  • Provide connection between computing devices.
  • Safe working environment to store, receive and send data from one computer to another.
  • Sharing devices, such as printers, to save costs.
  • Provide a way in which people in different places can communicate with each other.

3 Advantages and disadvantages of networks

3.1 Advantages of networks

  • Easier communications – users can easily communicate with one another via the network.
  • Data and information transfer – users can transfer or copy data directly from one computer to another.
  • Electronic funds transfer (EFT) – users connected to the Internet can transfer money from one account to another.
  • Device sharing – users can share devices, such as printers and scanners.
  • Centralised storage – users can store and access data stored in one central location.
  • Increased security – the network administrator can determine who has what rights to what data.
  • Program installation and updates – software applications can be upgraded or installed from one central location.
  • Easier backups – with data in a central location, backups are easy to do.

3.2 Disadvantages of networks

  • Management – a network specialist is needed to install the network and a network administrator required to administer and control usage.
  • Viruses can spread rapidly on networks because the computers are connected.
  • A computer virus is a computer program designed to spread to other computers. The purpose of a virus is to disrupt the normal operation of infected computers.
  • Viruses may be spread through CDs, DVDs, flash drives, networks, online services and the Internet.
  • Security – since computers are interconnected, users may try to access sensitive or restricted information through the network.

3.3 Social implications

  • Precautions should be taken against the spread of viruses. These include:
    • installing an anti-virus program
    • keeping the anti-virus program up to date.
  • Licensing:
    • to share software on a network you need a network licence that allows more than one user to use the software
    • the licence fee is based on the number of computers attached to the network
    • a site licence is a legal agreement that allows users to install the software on multiple computers.
  • Ownership of electronic material:
    • accessing data that is not your own property is against the law
    • copyright – you may not copy information from the Internet and use it without permission.
  • An acceptable computer usage policy (AUP) outlines the rules for the use of computer equipment and procedures to prevent unauthorised access to data on the network.
  • Examples of rules in an acceptable usage policy (AUP) may include:
    • no private work on the computers without permission
    • no personal e-mail or Internet surfing
    • e-mail must contain a disclaimer stating that the company does not accept responsibility for the content of unofficial e-mail
    • may not access a computer that is used by a fellow worker
    • may not install company software on their private computers
    • may not install unauthorised software on the company computers.

1 Types of networks

  • A personal area network (PAN) or home area network (HAN) is limited to a small area, such as a small office or a home.
  • A local area network (LAN) or wireless local area network (WLAN) is generally a larger network, but still limited to one building, such as an office building.
  • A wide area network (WAN) is a number of LANs in different buildings or cities connected into one network.
  • The Internet is the largest network in the world, joining private networks and computers all around the world by satellite and telephone into one, huge network.

2 Personal area and home area networks

  • A Pan is a network created by connecting personal computing devices, such as cellular phones or PDAs.
  • A PAN will extend to within only a few metres of the user.
  • A HAN is a network connecting two or more computing devices within a home. A HAN will allow shared access to the Internet or to printers and scanners.
  • To create a PAN or a HAN you need:
  • at least two computing devices
  • a channel of communication, such as cables or Bluetooth.

Advantages of PANs and HANs

  • Share a single high-speed Internet connection.
  • Access files and programs on other computers on the network.
  • Share other hardware devices such as a printer or a scanner.
  • Play computer games against each other.
  • Use the network connection for voice conversations.
  • Transfer pictures, music or other data from one device to another.
  • Synchronise data between two devices.

Disadvantages of using a PAN or a HAN may include:

  • security risks, especially when a wireless connection is used.
  • the need to ensure that network devices are compatible with one another.
  • the costs for setting up a PAN or a HAN.

3 Network devices

You will require specific hardware devices to create a network and to connect to the Internet.

3.1 Modem

  • A modem enables computers to send and receive data via a telephone line.
  • Modem stands for modulator demodulator.
  • A modem translates digital signals from the computer into analogue signals for transmission over a telephone line, and analogue signals into digital signals for use by another computer.

3.2 Router

  • Forwards data from one network to another along the most efficient route.
  • In small networks, such as a HAN, it is used to connect to the Internet.

3.3 Switch

  • A hardware device that links multiple computers together in a network.
  • A switch analyses the data received and passes it on to its destination.

4 Connecting to the Internet

4.1 Software requirements

  • An operating system that supports Internet connectivity.
  • A web browser is needed to display web pages and websites.

4.2 Hardware requirements

  • A computing device, such as a computer or a smartphone.
  • A communications channel, such as a telephone line or ADSL line.
  • A modem if you use a telephone line, or a router if you use an ADSL line, to connect your computing device to the Internet.

4.3 Internet service provider (ISP)

You will need an account with an ISP to connect to the Internet.

  • An ISP is a company that has a permanent, fast connection to the Internet.
  • users connect to the Internet through the ISP.
  • ISPs prefer to charge a monthly fee for the connection, but prepaid packages are available.
Electronic communication

1 The Internet and the World Wide Web

  • The Internet is a worldwide network of computers that access one another through servers and global telecommunication systems.
  • The Internet is a form of electronic communication (e-communication).
  • It is used for communication, such as e-mail, and access to information or entertainment,.
  • The Internet is not under central control.
  • Communication is enabled through the use of a network of cables, telephone lines and communication satellites.
  • The Internet is also known as the net, the web or cyberspace.
  • Internet access is possible from home, work, Internet cafés, libraries and hotspots.
  • A hotspot is wireless Internet connectivity in a public area, such as an airport. Users can access the Internet using mobile devices such as laptops.

1.1 The World Wide Web

  • The World Wide Web (WWW) is the multimedia section of the Internet. It provides access to files from a huge collection of documents on computers all across the world.
  • A web server is a computer that hosts a website.
  • A website is a set of related webpages.
  • A Homepage is the main page of a website. Generally, it is the first page displayed when the website is accessed.
  • Webpages have the ability to display a combination of text, images and audiovisual files. This combination of data is called multimedia.
  • A hyperlink is an electronic shortcut that, when you click it, takes you somewhere else. It may take you to another part of that webpage, to another webpage, or to a different website.
  • Links can take the form of:
    • blue underlined text
    • text that is not underlined but in bold or in a different font colour
    • images, such as photos or logos
    • items in a menu list.
  • Hyperlinks can also be found in documents other than a webpage. They may link to a different part of the document, to another document or to a website.
  • To remove a link from a document, right-click the link, click on Remove hyperlink.

1.2 HTML

  • Hypertext markup language (HTML) is used to create webpages.
  • HTML is a system of computer coding to specify the layout and appearance of webpages.
  • Internet documents that are not encoded in HTML are not webpages.
  • It is HTML that enables a webpage to display multimedia and to use hyperlinks.

1.3 Internet addresses

  • URL stands for uniform resource locator and is a unique Internet address for each webpage/website.
  • For example, in the URL: http://www.education.gov.za
  • http – hypertext transfer protocol, which is the set of rules used for transmitting web pages.
  • www indicates that this is a webpage, or part of the World Wide Web.
  • education – is the domain name, a word or phrase that an Internet site has registered as the name of its Internet address.
    • gov – this is a government site. Other of examples Internet sites are:
    • .com – commercial
    • .ac – academic, such as universities
    • .co – company
    • .org – non-profit organisations.
    • za – Country code, in this case, South Africa. Other examples of country codes are:
    • .au – Australia
    • .uk – United Kingdom
    • .de – Germany.

2 Using the Internet

  • To access the Internet, you need a telephone line or ADSL line, a computing device, a web browser, and an ISP.

2.1 Web browsers and search engines

A web browser is an application that displays webpages on your computing device. Examples of web browsers are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera.

  • Browsing the web means that you are accessing, looking at, and reading webpages.
  • A search engine is a website that searches the Internet for information based on a word or phrase that you enter. The search engine displays links to websites that contain the word or phrase you entered.
  • Examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo, Ananzi and Aardvark (South African).
  • Some search engines are specialised and designed for a specific purpose. For example: www.ask.com gives answers framed in simple language, www.blinkx.com specialises in video searches, www.kidsclick.org – created by librarians for children.
  • The following buttons can be used in a web browser (see Figure 10):
    • back – returns you to the previous page opened
    • forward – takes you to the next page, if you had been on another page in that session
    • refresh/reload – refreshes the display of the webpage
    • stop – stops loading the webpage.
  • Using a web browser:
  • Click on you web browser icon, for example, Internet Explorer
  • Type a URL, such as www.education.gov.za, in the address bar and press the Enter key.
  • The website for the Department of Education should open.
  • Using a search engine:
  • Type a search engine name into the address bar, for instance, www.google.co.za and press enter.
  • Type your search word or phrase into the search box.
  • Click on Search.
  • Click on the links displayed to open the websites found.

2.2 Browsing and searching techniques

  • Search query – used to search for information on a topic that you specify.
  • Search techniques:
    • be short and specific, use single keywords or short phrases instead of a full sentence
    • use pre-defined search keywords, such as, define URL to get a definition, or Presidents 1994…2002 for data in a specific data range
    • use quotation marks to force the search to look for an exact phrase
    • include capitalised OR to look for more than one term, but not both, as in “cats OR dogs”
    • use search operators such as the plus sign (+) to include specific words
    • use the minus sign (-) to exclude specific items, such as, cricket - insect, to get data on the sport only.

2.3 Tabbed browsing

  • A tabbed browsing interface (TBI) allows you to have several pages open on one browser window.
  • A TBI:
    • makes it easy to switch between pages
    • keeps a specific page open while opening a link on a new tab
    • allows you to go back to a previous webpage without using the back button.

3 Downloading and uploading

  • Download transfers files from a web server to your computer.
  • Upload transfers files from your computer to a web server.
  • To download an image from a webpage:
    • right-click the image
    • select Save Picture As
    • Type a name in the Filename field
    • Click Save.

4 Types of websites

  • Websites can be categorised by:
    • purpose
    • contents
    • commercial or non-commercial.

    Examples of website classification categories:

    • Portal websites, such as Google and Yahoo, provides lists of links to other websites.
    • News websites, such as News24, contain articles on current affairs, sport, weather, etc.
    • Information websites, such as Wikipedia, contain factual information used for research.
    • Business and commercial websites, such as Flysaa and Kalahari.net, market services or products.
    • Personal websites are created by individuals to promote or showcase their interests or hobbies.
    • Blog (from web + log) is an online diary, such as somethoughts.blogspot.com
    • Online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, enable people to stay in touch around the world or interact with special interest groups.
    • Entertainment websites offer online entertainment such as movies, games, etc.
    • Advocacy websites present the ideas and opinions of particular groups, such as Greenpeace.
    • Content aggregators, such as popurls.com and blogpulse.com, are search engines that collect content on a specific topic from various online sources and present it at a single location.

E-mail, or electronic mail, is a method of communication where messages are exchanged between computing devices.

  • An e-mail application is a program used to send, receive and manage e-mails.
  • An attachment is a file, such as a photo or text document, sent with an e-mail

1 E-mail addresses

  • E-mail addresses are recognised by the @ symbol.
  • An e-mail address is made up of different parts, called its taxonomy.
  • For example: brains@mweb.co.za, where:
    • brains is the user name, which is chosen by the user
    • @ the symbol indicating an e-mail address
    • mweb is the domain name of the ISP
    • .co is the type of organisation
    • .za is the geographic location.

2 ISP-based versus web-based e-mail

2.1 ISP-based e-mail

  • When you enter into a contract with an ISP, you receive an e-mail account, password and a mailbox.
  • All e-mails to you are stored by the ISP on their system until you retrieve them.
  • E-mail is retrieved by using an e-mail application such as Windows Mail.

2.2 Web-based e-mail

  • Web-based e-mail (or webmail) is a free e-mail service such as Hotmail or Gmail.
  • It can be accessed via a webpage anywhere in the world.

2.3 Disadvantages of webmail

  • You have to be online while reading and writing e-mail messages.
  • You cannot edit a message while you are working offline, unless you cut and paste the text into a word processor.

3 E-mail software features

  • E-mail applications allow you to:
    • send and receive messages and reply to received messages
    • forward received messages to other people
    • attach files to any e-mail, or receive attached files
    • receive notification when your e-mails cannot be delivered
    • set up and manage an address book with all the particulars of your contacts
    • automatically file incoming e-mail messages so that you can manage them easily.

4 Using an e-mail application

4.1 Composing new e-mail messages

  • Procedure may vary, depending on the application you use, but should follow steps such as:
    • click on Compose a message, New Message or Create Mail depending on your application
    • enter an e-mail address in the To field – this should be the address of the person to whom you are writing
    • enter a heading in the Subject field
    • type the e-mail message in the message field
    • cc (carbon copy) field – address of someone who should receive a copy of the e-mail
    • bcc (blind carbon copy) field – address of someone that should receive a copy without other receivers knowing this
    • click the Send button to send the message.

4.2 Replying to, forwarding and deleting e-mail messages

  • To reply to an e-mail, open the message.
  • Click the Reply or the Reply to All button
  • the Reply button only replies to the sender of the message
  • the Reply to All button replies to all the recipients of the message.
  • Click on the Forward button if you want to send the e-mail to a recipient other than those who have already received the e-mail.
  • Add your reply, or comments to a forwarded e-mail, as you would with any other e-mail.
  • Click Send when you are finished.
  • To delete a message that you no longer need, right-click that message and select Delete.
  • Depending on your application settings, the deleted e-mail should go to a Deleted items folder.

4.3 Attaching files to e-mail messages

  • In the opened e-mail, click the Attach button. On some applications this is indicated with a paperclip as an icon.
  • In the Insert attachment dialogue box, select the file to be attached and click attach.

4.4 Checking the spelling in an e-mail message

  • Many email applications give you tools to correct spelling mistakes.
  • Some applications underline errors and allow you to right click and choose the correct words.
  • Other applications allow you to run a spell check tool.

5 Social implications

5.1 Appropriate communication etiquette

Netiquette is short for Internet etiquette. It defines the manners and standards that should be applied when using the Internet and in e-mail communication.

  • Examples of netiquette include:
    • do not send other users e-mails such as chain letters or unsolicited advertising mails
    • e-mail messages should be clear, without spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
    • do not type in capital letters as this is the equivalent of shouting online
    • use an anti-virus program to check your e-mails
    • use a clear and meaningful subject in the subject line
    • compress large files before sending them
    • do not use the Reply to All option unless it is necessary to do so.

5.2 Disadvantages of using e-mail

  • Recipient needs to have access to the Internet to receive e-mail.
  • You have no assurance that the e-mail will be read until the user logs on and checks the mail.
  • E-mail is not absolutely private.
  • Unwanted spam or junk mail are an on-going problem.
  • Employees may spend too much time reading and replying to their private e-mail.
  • E-mail messages can spread viruses.
  • Human interaction is lost if we only rely on e-mail to communicate.

5.3 E-mail threats, issues and remedies

  • Malicious software is called malware. It includes computer viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware.
  • worm – a program that copies itself repeatedly in the computer’s memory or on a network
  • Trojan – a program that hides within a genuine program or disguises itself
  • spyware collects information about a user without their knowledge.
  • Possible symptoms of malware infection:
  • unusual messages or images
  • strange programs or files appear unexpectedly
  • programs or files disappear
  • programs stop working correctly
  • the computer becomes slower to operate.
  • Hoax – an e-mail that attempts to deceive you into believing something that isn’t true.
  • Spam – unwanted electronic junk mail.
  • E-mail spoofing – uses a fake identity to pose as somebody else in order to gain access to a system.
  • Phishing – a fraudulent process of trying to gain access to your username, password, and/or bank details.
  • Pharming – similar to phishing, it redirects users from a legitimate website to a fake website.

5.4 Avoiding viruses and security risks

  • Delete any spam mail.
  • Do not click on ‘Unsubscribe’ links in spam that you receive. This will simply confirm that your e-mail account is active.
  • Update your anti-virus software frequently.
  • Never respond to e-mails that ask you to verify any personal details.

The Internet offers a number of e-communication services. These are classified as either real-time communication or delayed-time communication.

  • Real-time communication means that responses or replies are immediate. Examples are video conferencing and chat-rooms.
  • Delayed-time communication means that the response is not immediate, such as with message boards and e-mail.

1 Real-time e-communication services

  • Chat-room – a website where users type messages in real-time to communicate with other people in the chat-room. Some chat-rooms support voice and video chats.
  • Instant messaging (IM) – notifies a user when another user is online. It allows the exchange of messages and files.
  • VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) – voice transmission over the Internet. You need a high-speed Internet connection, VoIP software and a microphone.
  • Video conference – an online conference or meeting using a network or the Internet to transmit video and audio data.

2 Delayed-time e-communication services

  • Newsgroups – an online area where users can write about specific subjects. A newsreader application is needed to access the information.
  • Message boards – web-based discussion groups.
  • Mailing lists – group of e-mail addresses of people with the same interest. Sending an e-mail to the mailing list distributes the mail to all the addresses on the list.
  • Fax-to-email facilities – a faxed document will be converted to an electronic document and sent to the receiver as an attachment to an e-mail.
Word processing

1 Word processing applications and their uses

A word processing application is a computer program that lets you create electronic documents that contain text and graphics. Some word processors let you add animations to a document. Uses for word processing applications include:

  • Writing text documents, such as letters, reports and book manuscripts.
  • Preparing documents with text and graphics, such as brochures and posters.
  • Doing basic desktop publishing (DTP) which includes preparing publications and doing page layouts, such as newspaper columns, on a computer.
  • Writing material for the Internet and saving the documents in a suitable format for use as webpages.

2 Workspace

The Microsoft Office 2007 suite and later versions, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, use the Fluent User Interface.

2.1 Fluent User Interface

This interface is usually found in applications that run on the Microsoft Windows operating system. Some features of the Fluent User Interface are:

  • The ribbon – a panel across the width of the window, just below the title bar.
  • Ribbon tabs are the row of tabs between the title bar and the ribbon itself.
  • Contextual ribbons are not visible unless you select a specific object in the document.
  • Groups – each ribbon is divided into groups. In Figure 13, the Home ribbon has groups for Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles and Editing.
  • Drop-down menus and dialogue boxes, which are accessed from the small, downpointing arrows.
  • Office button.
  • Quick Access toolbar.
  • Mini toolbar.

3 File and view options

In Word 2007, you click the Office button to open the menu with file commands. In Word 2010, these commands appear on the File ribbon tab.

3.1 Opening and closing a document

To open new files and close existing opened files in Word:

  • To open a New Word document, select New from the Office button menu.
  • To close a document, click the Office button and select Close from the menu.
  • To open a saved Word document, select Open from the Office button menu, navigate to the folder that contains the file, and double-click the file.

3.2 Saving documents and Save as

  • When you select Save As, the Save As dialogue box appears.
  • In the dialogue box, you specify the filename and the folder where you want to store the file.

3.3 Print a document

There are three options for printing documents:

  • Print – Use this option to specify settings for printing the document.
  • Quick Print – This option sends the document directly to the printer.
  • Print Preview – Enables you to view and change the layout of pages.

3.4 View options

  • In the Document Views group of the View ribbon tab, you can click options to view a document in different ways.
  • The Print Layout view is similar to Print Preview and enables you to view the document as it would look when printed.
  • In the Print Layout view you can still work on the document as usual.

4 Inserting and deleting text

  • You insert text to the right of the cursor.
  • To insert text, type on the keyboard or paste text into the document.
  • Press the Backspace key to delete text to the left of cursor or the Delete key to delete text to the right of the cursor
  • To move the cursor, click at the spot where you want the cursor to be positioned.

4.1 Punctuation and formatting marks

  • When you insert text, you need to use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
  • Insert only one space after all punctuation marks.
  • This rule applies also to the full stop.
  • You can turn on formatting marks to see the spaces after a punctuation mark.
  • To display (show) or hide formatting marks, click the button with the ¶ sign in the Paragraph group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • Formatting marks are hidden symbols that indicate the positions of non-printing characters, such as spaces (∙), tab spaces , line breaks and paragraph breaks (¶).

5 Selecting text

  • To perform a task that applies to a specific part of the text such as a letter, word or paragraph, you need to select that part of the text first.
  • This tells the application which part of the text it needs to work on.

5.1 Selecting text with the mouse

  • When you click and drag the mouse over a section of text, you select that section of text.
  • You can also select text by clicking or double-clicking:
    • to select a single word, double-click the word
    • to select an entire line, click in the left margin next to the line
    • to select a paragraph, double-click in the margin next to the paragraph
    • to select the entire document, triple-click anywhere in the left margin
    • to select more than one part of text, select the first part, then press and hold down the Ctrl key while you select the next part.

5.2 Selecting text with the keyboard

  • Pressing the F8 function key turns on Extend Selection mode. This is indicated by the letters EXT in the status bar.
  • Pressing the ESC key turns off this mode.
  • In Extend Selection mode, you can use the arrow keys and the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys to select more text.
  • Click in the text to select everything between the cursor and the point where you click.

6 Editing text

  • Editing involves changing the text in a document to correct errors and to make the text as clear and as accurate as possible.
  • In practice, you constantly make changes to your own work as you add text to a document.

6.1 Undo and redo

  • The Undo and Redo buttons on the Quick Access toolbar are often used to change text.
  • If, for example, you have deleted text but want to restore the deleted text, you can click the Undo button instead of retyping the text.
  • If you decide to delete the text after all, you can click the Redo button, instead of selecting and deleting the text again.

6.2 Cut, copy and paste

  • The Cut, Copy and Paste buttons are in the Clipboard group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • These options are also available on the Mini toolbar, which appears when you select text, and on the context menu which appears when you right-click the selected text.

6.3 Find and replace

  • In the Editing group of the Home ribbon tab, click the Find button which will bring up the Find and Replace dialogue box. See Figure 15.
  • On the Find tabbed page of the Find and Replace dialogue box, type ‘discover’ in the Find what field and then click the Find Next button.
  • The program searches through the document until it finds the word or phrase that you have specified.
  • Then click Find Next again to find the next occurrence of ‘discover’, or click Cancel to stop the search.

7 Formatting text

To format text is to change its appearance. You can format the fonts, paragraphs, and the borders and shading of text in a document.

7.1 Font formatting

  • A font is a set of characters of a similar design.
  • You can format a font by using the buttons in the Font group of the Home Ribbon tab.

7.2 Paragraph formatting

  • Paragraph formatting works almost the same as font formatting.
  • However, you need to select one or more paragraphs and use the buttons in the Paragraph group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • Paragraph alignment, spacing and indentation:
    • alignment involves arranging lines of text in a straight line
    • indentation determines the distance of a paragraph from the margins
    • specify the spacing before and after paragraphs in the Before and After revolving list box, or in the Line spacing drop-down menu.
  • Borders and shading:
    • click the Borders or the Shading button in the Paragraph group of the Home ribbon tab to open the Borders and Shading dialogue box
    • borders can be applied to a paragraph on the Borders tabbed page
    • shading can be applied to a paragraph on the Shading tabbed page
  • Formatting paragraphs with Quick Styles:
  • Quick Styles are predefined styles that you can apply to documents
  • select Quick Styles from the Styles group of the Home ribbon tab
  • paragraph style can be applied to all paragraphs of a particular type in a document to give the document a uniform look.

8 Reviewing and proofreading

  • Reviewing is the last stage of checking a document, during which you make some final changes and inspect the document for any errors.
  • Proofreading is part of the reviewing process, and involves checking a document for factual, spelling and grammatical errors.

8.1 The AutoCorrect feature

  • This feature recognises common typing errors and corrects them automatically.
  • If you type the word dont, AutoCorrect will automatically change it to don’t as soon as you type a space after the misspelled word.

8.2 Spelling and grammar

  • To run the spellchecker, click the Spelling & Grammar button in the Proofing group of the Review ribbon tab.
  • The spellchecker runs in the Spelling and Grammar dialogue box. It shows possible errors and provides suggestions for corrected spelling and grammar.

9 Page and document layout

  • Page layout refers to the design of the page.
  • Document layout refers to the design of the document. It involves tasks such as inserting page numbers and page breaks.
  • Use the buttons on the Page Layout ribbon tab for page layout tasks.
  • Options include adjusting the page margins, page orientation, paper size, and formatting page borders.

9.1 Page layout

  • Page margins are the blank spaces around the edges of the page.
  • Page orientation can be either portrait or landscape.
  • In portrait orientation, pages are upright, so each page is taller than it is wide.
  • In landscape orientation, pages are turned sideways.
  • Page size settings will depend on the size of the paper that you use for printing
  • Page borders are similar to text or paragraph borders, but apply to the whole page.

9.2 Document layout

  • Page numbers can be added, formatted or removed.
  • To add page numbers, click the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • Page Breaks mark the point at which one page ends and the next page begins.
  • Page Breaks can be inserted or deleted at any point in your document.

10 Inserting WordArt

  • WordArt is decorative text that you can insert into a Word document.
  • Click the WordArt button in the Text group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • You can resize, move, edit and format WordArt text, or add special effects, from the Format ribbon tab of contextual WordArt Tools ribbon.

11 Inserting and manipulating illustrations

To insert illustrations, click one of the five buttons in the Illustrations group of the Insert ribbon tab. The buttons in the Illustrations group are Pictures, Clip art, Shapes, SmartArt and Charts.

11.1 Pictures

  • Click the Picture button in the Illustrations group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • Select a picture from the Sample Pictures folder, or navigate to another folder where pictures are stored on your computer.
  • Double-click a picture to insert it into the document.

11.2 Manipulating pictures

  • When you select a picture in a document, sizing handles appear on the corners and edges of the picture.
  • Sizing handles are tiny circles or squares and are used to change the size of the picture.
  • You can click and drag a picture to another position. You can click and drag the sizing handles to resize the picture.
  • As with selected text, you can cut, copy and paste pictures by right-clicking them and selecting the appropriate options from the context menu. The Format ribbon tab on the Picture Tools ribbon (see Figure 19) includes options for:
  • adjusting the brightness, contrast and colour of pictures
  • applying different styles and formatting effects to pictures
  • rotating pictures or setting text wrapping options
  • resizing and cropping pictures.
  • The settings for text wrapping determine the way in which text flows around a picture. It also determines whether text will be in front of the picture or behind it.
  • Cropping a picture involves cutting off edges of the picture to retain only part of the picture. When you crop a picture, the full size of the picture remains in the document, but the cropped parts are hidden.

11.3 Clip art

  • Clip art is a collection of pictures that you can insert into documents.
  • To use, click Clip Art in the Illustrations group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • This opens the Clip Art task pane on the right-hand side of the document page.

11.4 Shapes

  • To insert a shape, click Shapes in the Illustrations group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • You can format shapes on the Format ribbon tab of the Drawing Tools contextual ribbon.
  • Formatting shapes includes rotating or resizing them.

11.5 Charts (graphs)

  • You insert a chart by clicking Chart in the Illustrations group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • In the Insert Chart dialogue box, select the type of chart that you want to use and click OK.

11.6 SmartArt

  • SmartArt is a collection of graphics that you can use to communicate information visually.

Graphics range from graphical lists and diagrams to complex graphics, such as organisation charts.


1 Bulleted and numbered lists

  • Lists in documents are usually in the form of a bulleted or a numbered list.
  • The items in lists are separate paragraphs that can be formatted.
  • Formatting is applied the same way as for other paragraph formatting and includes aspects such as spacing, left-aligned or justified text.
  • To format existing paragraphs as bulleted or numbered list items:
  • select the paragraphs
  • click the Bulleted button or the Numbered button in the Paragraph section of the Home ribbon tab.

1.1 Formatting bullets and numbers

  • To specify the bullet style that you want to use, select the paragraphs that you want to format.
  • Click the down-pointing arrow next to the Bullet button in the Paragraph section of the Home ribbon tab to open the bullet library. See Figure 20.
  • Select a bullet style from the options in the library.
  • Follow the same procedure to change the numbering style in a numbered list, except click the down-pointing arrow next to the Number button.

1.2 Using hanging indents and tabs with lists

  • The automatic numbering feature sometimes makes wrong assumptions about which paragraphs to number. Instead, use paragraphs with a hanging indent and number the list items manually.
  • In a paragraph with a hanging indent, all the lines are indented except for the first line.
  • When you press Enter, the next paragraph is automatically formatted in the same way as the previous paragraph.
  • Enter the item number, press Tab, and type the relevant text.

2 Inserting tabs

  • A tab stop is an invisible position placed at regular intervals across the width of a document.
  • Tab stops mark the invisible line for alignment of a column of text.
  • Each time you press the Tab key, the cursor moves to the next tab position in the document.
  • There are four types of tab stops:
  • left tab stops align text along a line to the left of a column
  • right tab stops align text along a line to the right of a column
  • centre tab stops centre text in the middle of a column
  • decimal tab stops align the decimal point in a column of numbers.

2.1 Specifying tab stops on the horizontal ruler

  • You can specify tab stops on the horizontal ruler above the document page.
  • Click the tab selector left of the ruler until it displays the type of tab that you want to use.
  • Next, click on the ruler where you want the tab stop to be set.
  • You can move tabs stops by dragging them left or right on the ruler.
  • Delete tab stops by dragging them off the ruler. When you release the mouse button, the tab stop will disappear.

2.2 Setting tabs in the Tabs dialogue box

  • The Tabs dialogue box shows you the exact measurement of the tab stops that you have set.
  • You can use the Tabs dialogue box to insert a specific character between tabs, or to set the size of default tab stops.

3 Tables

Tables are organisers that help you to arrange your text into columns and rows. Tables add emphasis to the document layout and make important information stand out.

3.1 Inserting tables

  • To insert a table, click the Table button in the Tables group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • This opens the Insert Table drop-down menu.

3.2 Table tools

  • When you click in the table, Word will activate the Table Tools contextual ribbon.
  • The Table Tools contextual ribbon provides several formatting options to improve the appearance of the table.
  • The two important tabs on this ribbon are Table design options and Table layout options.

3.3 Table design options

  • The Table Styles group of the Design ribbon tab contains various built-in table styles.
  • Mouse over the table styles to see what each table will look like.
  • To see more styles, click the More drop-down button. This is found to the left of the Borders button.
  • Borders and Shading:
  • the Table Styles group of the Design ribbon tab contains buttons for Borders and Shading
  • applying table borders and shading is similar to the process for text and paragraphs.

3.4 Table layout options

  • In the Rows & Columns group of the Layout ribbon tab you can:
  • delete cells, columns or the entire table
  • insert a new row directly above or below the selected row
  • insert a new column to the left or the right of the selected column
  • launch the Insert Cells dialogue box.
  • To repeat the header rows of a table that runs over to the next page:
    • place the cursor in the row or rows that contains the headers
    • select the Rows button in the Data group of the Layout ribbon tab
    • select Repeat Header.
  • A table cell is where a column and a row intersect.
    • each block in a table is called a cell
    • columns run vertically down the page
    • rows run horizontally across the page
    • move within a cell by using the mouse and the Arrow keys
    • using the Enter key in a table creates a new line in the cell.

    Text alignment and direction:

    • In the Alignment group of the Layout ribbon tab, you can position text at the top, bottom, left, right or centre of the cell.
    • Click on the Text Direction button to change the text direction in the selected cells. You can click this button several times to toggle through the available directions.

3.5 Table properties

  • Click the Properties button in the Table group of the Layout ribbon tab of the Table tools Ribbon to open the Table Properties dialogue box.
  • This dialogue box is used to change advanced table properties such as indentation and text wrapping options.

2.3.6 Other commands on the Layout ribbon tab

  • The View Gridlines button in the Table group shows or hides the cell borders.
  • Gridlines are nonprinting dotted lines that show the boundaries of cells when borders have been removed.
  • The Merge Cells button in the Merge group combines selected cells into a single cell.
  • The Split Cells button divides the selected cell into more than one cell.
  • The AutoFit button in the Cell Size group automatically resizes the column widths based on the text in the column.
  • The Height and Width buttons in the Cell Size group set the row height or the column width of selected cells.
  • The Distribute Rows and Distribute Columns buttons in the Cell Size group distribute the height of selected rows equally between the rows, or distribute the width of selected columns equally between the columns.

3.7 Working with data

Three buttons in the Data group of the Layout tab can be used when working with data in a table.

  • Click the Sort button to arrange data in numerical or alphabetical order.
  • Click the Convert to Text button to change a selected table to regular text. You must specify a character to separate the columns of text. For example, paragraph mark, tab or comma.
  • Click the Formula button to add a formula to a cell. Formulas allow you to perform simple calculations, such as AVERAGE, SUM or COUNT.

4 Document views

  • Select a document view option in the Document Views group of the View ribbon tab.
  • In Draft View, the document is displayed as a draft, so that you can edit the text quickly. Certain elements, such as headers and footers, are not visible in this view.
  • In Full Screen Reading View, you maximise the space for displaying the document.

5 Viewing documents and windows

  • The operating system displays each open application in a separate window.
  • Each open document of an application is also displayed in a separate window.
  • Each window has its own button on the Windows taskbar.
  • You can view each document by clicking the relevant button in the taskbar.

5.1 Work with multiple documents or windows

  • If you have many open applications or documents, you might not be able to see them all.
  • Right-click the taskbar and select an option from the context menu to cascade or tile the open windows.
  • When you cascade open windows, they are arranged on top of one another in such a way that parts of all the windows are visible.
  • When you tile open windows, they are arranged next to each other and reduced in size to fit onto the screen.
  • The Window group of the View ribbon tab has options for displaying and switching between multiple documents.
  • Switch Windows displays a list of all open document windows and allows you to switch between them.
  • Arrange All displays all the open documents on the screen at the same time, arranged side by side.
  • View Side by Side opens the Compare Side by Side dialogue box, where you specify which documents you want to compare. In this view, click the Synchronous Scrolling button to scroll through the two documents at the same time. Click the Restore button in the dialogue box to take the document back to its original window

5.2 Splitting a window

  • You can split the current window to view different sections of a document at the same time.
  • You can switch between split windows by clicking them, and scroll to different parts of the document in each window.
  • Remove the split by clicking the Remove Split button.

5.3 Zooming

  • There are various zooming options to choose from in the Zoom group of the View ribbon tab.
  • You can also use the Zoom Slider on the Status bar of the window to zoom in on a document, or to zoom out.
  • Alternatively, hold down the Ctrl key and use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out.

6 Page and document layout (continued)

You can customise the margins of a document and add headers and footers.

6.1 Customising margins

  • Open the Page Setup dialogue box by selecting the Page Settings group on the Page Layout ribbon. Use this dialogue box to change the margin settings and page orientation.
  • To permanently change the default margin settings, click the Default button at the bottom of the Page Setup dialogue box.
  • Your current settings will become the default settings and will be applied to all new documents.

6.1 Headers and footers

  • A header is text that is repeated in the top margin of each page in a document.
  • A footers is text that is repeated in the bottom margin of each page.
  • To insert a header or a footer, click the Header or Footer button in the Header & Footer group of the Insert ribbon tab.
  • When a header or footer is inserted, the Header and Footer Tools contextual ribbon appears

1 Reviewing

  • The word processor offers advanced reviewing features to help you to review your documents.
  • The aim is to improve the draft until eventually you have a professional-looking final document.
  • Use the buttons on the Review ribbon tab for reviewing tasks such as, running a spell check, adding comments to draft documents and protecting documents to prevent unauthorised changes.

1.1 Comments

  • Using comments in a document is an easy way to add notes and reminders to a draft document.
  • You can use comments in a document to share ideas and opinions with others.
  • This saves paper by eliminating the need for making notes on hardcopies of the document.

1.2 Protect a document

  • By default, a document has unrestricted access.
  • This means that anyone can read and change the document.
  • Protecting a document restricts the access that other users have to a document.
  • Protection settings usually allows other users to see the document but restricts how they can access it and work in it.
  • For instance, protection settings may prevent other users from making any changes to the text, but still allow them to make comments.
  • The settings can be password protected so only certain people can open and read the document.
  • You can specify document protection settings in the Protect group of the Review ribbon page.

2 Page and document layout (continued)

You can improve the document layout by displaying text in columns and by adding watermarks and colours to the pages.

2.1 Columns

  • Columns help to separate sections of a document on one page.
  • Columns work especially well in the design of a newsletter or brochure.
  • Specify columns settings in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout ribbon tab

2.2 Hyphenation

  • When text is laid out in columns, it may result in gaps where it is not possible to fit a long word at the end of a line.
  • If the text is justified, these awkward gaps may occur between words in a line.
  • To eliminate these gaps, you can format the text to hyphenate words.
  • Words that cannot fit in at the end of a line will be split into two parts with a hyphen in between.
  • You can choose to use automatic or manual hyphenation.
  • With automatic hyphenation, the program automatically inserts hyphens where needed and grammatically correct.
  • With manual hyphenation, the program searches for words that can be hyphenated and then asks whether you want hyphenate the word.

2.3 Watermarks

  • A watermark is a faded image, either text or picture, that appears behind the text.
  • You can only see watermarks in Print Layout view, Full Screen Reading view or in a printed document.
  • If you use a picture as a watermark, format the picture so that it does not obscure your document text.
  • You can insert a watermark from the watermark gallery or you can type and format your own watermark text.

2.4 Page Colour

You can use the Page Color button in the Page Background group of the Page Layout ribbon tab to apply a colour to the background of a page.

3 Hyperlinks (integration)

Integration involves exchanging information between different but compatible applications, such as those that form part of the same office suite.

2.3 Hyperlinks

  • A hyperlink is a word, image or symbol, that you can click to take you to another place in the same document or to a different document.
  • A hyperlink must contain the path that takes you to its destination.
  • To insert a hyperlink, select the object, such as the word, image or symbol, that you want to format as a hyperlink.
  • Click the Hyperlink button in the Links group of the Insert ribbon tab to open the dialogue box, and select the link

1 Templates

  • Instead of creating the structure of a document, you can use one of the preformatted templates provided by the word processor.
  • A template is a file with a page layout, font, margins and styles that are suitable for a specific type of document.
  • The content controls of a template enable you to insert specific types of content. For example, the date section has a drop-down list control where you can choose a date.
  • The file type of a template is DOTX.
  • When you open a template, it creates a copy of itself.

1.1 Templates based on existing documents

  • When you save the document as a DOCX file, your document is saved separately from the template.
  • To create templates based on existing documents:
  • select New from the Office button menu
  • select the New from existing option at the templates group.

4.2 Integration techniques

Besides hyperlinks that link documents created by different applications, you can use cut and paste to exchange information between applications.

2.1 Copy and paste

You can, for example, cut data from a Word document and paste it into an Excel document.

  • Select and copy data in a Word document.
  • Switch to the Excel document where you want to paste it.
  • Right-click in a cell and select Paste from the context menu.

2.2 Paste special

  • The OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) feature of your word processor allows information to be shared between different applications.
  • An OLE object maintains a connection to the application that created it.
  • A linked object will be updated whenever the original source is updated.
  • However, the source file needs to be on the same computer as the object that links to it.
  • To paste a link that will update if the source file is updated, use the Paste Special command.
  • Access this command by clicking the down-pointing arrow under the Paste button in the Clipboard group of the Home ribbon tab. See Figure 26 for the Paste Link option.

3 Accessing offline help

The Help feature will help you understand the tools that you need to improve your computer skills.

3.1 Accessing offline help

  • The Help feature of Word provides both online and offline sources from which to get help.
  • By default, Word uses the Online Help feature:
  • open the Help window by pressing the F1 key on the keyboard
  • type a topic, command name or question in the search box of the Help window
  • click Search to browse through the list of results that appear
  • click on a topic that you want help on and follow the step-by-step instructions.

3.2 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  • FAQs are questions that are often asked by new users.
  • Various information sources, such as the Internet and printed media, provide lists of FAQs on specific topics.
  • A FAQ page is usually written in a question and answer format.

4 Solve problems using the word processor

  • The Help and Support option at the Start menu provides help topics, troubleshooting tips, tutorials, and other support services.
  • Other support services include Windows Basics where topics, such as parts of a computer, can be found.
  • Security and Maintenance contains information on topics such as firewalls, malicious software, virus, worms and spyware.

4.1 Tutorials

  • A tutorial is a computer program that gives instructions on how to use a software program.
  • To help users learn more on their own, some programs, such as the Windows operating system have built-in tutorials.

5 Troubleshooting

  • Troubleshooting is the process of analysing the cause of a computer problem.
  • A good tip is to start with the most obvious possible cause of the problem and narrow it down, by a process of elimination, to something specific.
  • The troubleshooting command on the Help and Support menu will offer you help on specific types of problems.
Spreadsheets

1 Spreadsheets and their uses

  • The main strength of a spreadsheet is its ability to perform numerical calculations.
  • It can display different kinds of data, such as text, graphics and numbers.
  • A spreadsheet can represent one or more series of numbers in the form of a graph or chart.
  • Charts are updated automatically when you make changes to the numbers in them.
  • You can enter formulas into the cells of a spreadsheet to perform various calculations.
  • Formulas are not displayed in the cells after you have entered them, only the results of the calculations are displayed.
  • If any of the numbers used in the calculations change, the results are automatically recalculated and displayed.

1.1 Uses of spreadsheets

The many uses of spreadsheets include:

  • creating a budget and performing accounting tasks
  • creating an invoice that calculates all values, such as VAT and totals
  • calculating the term marks of learners in a class, and the class average
  • using visual aids, such as graphs, to compare sets of data.

2 Workspace

  • A spreadsheet file is called a workbook. A workbook consists of one or more worksheets.
  • Sheet1 is the default sheet displayed for a new spreadsheet. However, for spreadsheets that already exist, the active sheet when the file was last saved is the default sheet.
  • To change to another worksheet, for example, Sheet2, click its tab.
  • The worksheet is divided by gridlines into columns and rows. See Figure 27.
  • Columns are identified by letters (A, B, C, etc) and the rows are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.

3 Cell references and cell ranges

  • We refer to a particular cell by combining the letter of the column and the number of the row for that particular cell.
  • This is called the cell reference, or the cell address.
  • For example, if the selected cell is in column F and in row 9, the cell reference is F9. The selected cell is called the active cell.
  • The cell reference of the active cell is displayed in the Name box to the left of the Formula bar above the column letters.
  • A cell range is a group of adjacent cells.
  • To select a cell range, you click and drag the mouse from the first to the last cell in the range, or vice versa.
  • To select a range, for example, containing cells D3, D4, D5, E3, E4 and E5, click and drag from cell D3 to cell E5.
  • We write this cell range as D3:E5.

Data types

When you enter data into cells, an appropriate data type needs to be assigned to each cell. In most cases, the program recognises the data as you enter it, and will assign the correct data type.

General Any text or numerical value

Text Numbers not to be used in calculations

Number Numbers which are to be used in calculations

Time Displayed in a format that you specify

Date Displayed in a format that you specify

Currency A numerical value, such as 5.70, shown in a currency of your choice

5 Format cells

  • The basic formatting tool for Excel is the Format Cells dialogue box.
  • To open this dialogue box, select Format Cells from the drop-down menu under the Format button in the Cells group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • Alternatively, right-click the selected cells and select Format cells from the context menu that appears.
  • For some formatting tasks, you can also click the appropriate button on Home ribbon tab.

5.1 Format number (changing the data type)

  • To change the data type of selected cells, open the Format Cells dialogue box and click the Number tab.
  • Select the appropriate data type from the Category list box on the Number tabbed page.
  • Click OK to confirm your selection and assign the new data type to the selected cells.

5.2 Format borders and shading

  • You can give a cell, or a range of cells, a border of your choice. To do so:
    • select the cells that you want to format
    • open the Format Cells dialogue box
    • click the Border tab
    • choose the style of the border line from the Style list box
    • choose the colour of the border line from the Colour drop-down menu
    • indicate the positions of the lines in the box in the Border pane.

5.3 Format alignment

  • You can also change the alignment of the text or numbers in a cell in the Format Cells dialogue box. To do so:
    • select the cells that you want to format
    • open the Format Cells dialogue box
    • click the Alignment tab of the Format Cells dialogue box
    • specify the horizontal or vertical alignment in the Text alignment pane
    • select a checkbox in the Text control pane to wrap the text, shrink text to fit, or merge cells
    • set the direction of the text in the Orientation pane by dragging the text orientation line, or by typing or adjusting the number of degrees in the revolving combo box.

6 Resize, hide, add or delete rows and columns

You can add, delete and format rows and columns in various ways.

6.1 Resize row height and column width

  • To change the height of rows, select one or more row and right-click.
  • On the context menu that appears, select Row Height.
  • In the Row Height dialogue box, type a new value in the Row height field.
  • Click OK, or press the Enter key, to confirm the new row height.
  • Adjusting the column width works the same as adjusting the row height, except that you select and right-click one or more columns, select Column Width from the context menu, type in a new value in the Column Width field.

6.2 Hide and unhide columns or rows

  • To hide columns and rows, select them and right-click.
  • Select Hide from the context menu.
  • To display hidden columns, select the columns on either side of the hidden columns.
  • Right-click and select Unhide from the context menu.
  • Follow the same procedures to display hidden rows.

6.3 Insert or delete columns or rows

  • To insert a column or row, you need to select the column or row after the column where you want to insert it. If you want to insert a new column after column F, select column G.
  • Select the column by right-clicking the column letter.
  • Select Insert from the context menu.
  • To delete one or more columns or rows, select them, right-click and select Delete from the context menu.
  • If you accidentally inserted or deleted the wrong column or row, you can click the Undo button to undo your mistake.

7 Insert or delete worksheets

  • To insert a new worksheet in a workbook, right-click a tab at the bottom of the worksheet.
  • On the context menu that appears, click the Insert option.
  • The Insert dialogue box should appear. On the General tab of the Insert dialogue box, select the Worksheet icon and click OK.
  • To delete a worksheet, right-click its tab and select Delete from the context menu.
  • Once a worksheet has been deleted, you cannot restore the worksheet.
  • Take care and check that a worksheet does not contain important data before you delete it.

8 File options (open, save, print and preview)

  • You open, save, and print spreadsheet files in the same way as you do for other Microsoft Office applications.
  • If you do not save your spreadsheet files, you could lose valuable data that took you hours to compile.
  • To preview how a worksheet will be split between pages during printing, select Print – Print Preview from the Office button menu.
  • The Print Preview feature provides Next and Previous buttons for previewing each page separately.
  • The Setup and Margins buttons lets you adjust page layouts and margins so that more or fewer columns and rows will fit onto a page.

9 Reinforce common concepts and skills

  • As with Word, Excel enables you to do formatting, editing and proofing tasks.
  • You can do page layout and insert illustrations as you would in Word.

10 Basic calculations and operators

  • Spreadsheets perform calculations similar to those that we do in mathematics, but there are two differences that you need to know about.
  • In mathematics, we use the operators + (add), - (subtract), × (multiply) and ÷ (divide). Spreadsheets use two different symbols. These are: * for multiply, and / for divide.
  • A spreadsheet formula always starts with = (the equals sign). This is how spreadsheet applications recognise formulas.

10.1 Basic calculations

  • In mathematics, you would, for example, write 45 + 25 = 70 but in a spreadsheet, you would enter =45+25 in the cell where you want the answer to appear.
  • As in mathematics, brackets are used to specify which part of a calculation should be done first.
  • In the calculation =(45+15)*2, the numbers 45 and 15 are added first, and the result of that calculation is multiplied by 2.

10.2 AutoFill

  • Inserting a formula in a single cell is easy. Inserting that same formula into a column containing 100 cells will take a long time.
  • With the AutoFill function, you can add the formula to the first cell and copy it automatically to the rest of the column.
  • Click on the cell containing the formula.
  • Then click on the AutoFill handle and drag it down to the last cell in the range

10.3 Basic operators

  • Basic calculations in a spreadsheet work the same as in normal mathematical calculations.
  • The only differences are that the = sign will move to the front and we can use cell references.
  • If you want to add the values in cells A2 and B2 and put the result in cell C2, it is best to use the cell references for cells A2 and B2. So, in cell C2, enter: =A2+B2
  • If you need to change a value in either of the cells A2 or B2, you do not need to change the formula in cell C2.

10.4 Order of calculation

  • In any formula, operators will be dealt with in the following order:
  • brackets, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction.
  • It is important to do the calculations involving these operators in the correct order.
  • Look at the example below:
  • 5 * 5 + 5 / 5 = 26
  • It will make quite a difference if you add brackets, as shown below:
  • 5 * (5 + 5) / 5 = 10
  • Brackets are usually used to separate two parts of a formula.
  • In this way, you can force the program to work out a certain part of the formula first before calculating the rest.
  • In the next example we can see this in practice: = (C5 + D5) * 2
  • The formula will add the values in cells C5 and D5 first, before multiplying by 2.
  • If there had been no brackets, the multiplication would have been done first, giving a different answer.

A function is a predefined spreadsheet formula that performs a calculation. The spreadsheet automatically recognises the function name and performs the calculation associated with that particular function.

1 Formulas versus functions

  • A formula in a spreadsheet is an equation which does calculations and displays the result in the cell in which it was entered.
  • For example, you can use the formula: =C2+D2+E2+F2 or you can use a the function: =SUM(C2:F2).
  • The function in the example above is shorter than the formula because it refers to a cell range, instead of using cell references for each separate cell.
  • Using functions can save you time, especially if you need to calculate a large range of cells.
  • Functions also reduce the chances of typing errors because they eliminate the need for typing long, complicated formulas.

2 Basic functions

  • Most functions consist of an equals sign, the function name and the cell range on which the function needs to perform a calculation.
  • The cell range is always enclosed in brackets.
  • For example the function : =SUM(C2:F2)
  • can also be written as: =().
  • The words between angled brackets, and the angled brackets themselves, will be replaced by the appropriate function name or cell range.
  • SUM Calculates the total value of a range of cells =SUM(A3:A8)

    AVERAGE Calculates the average of the numbers in the specified cell range =AVERAGE(A3:A8)

    MIN Finds the smallest value in the specified cell range =MIN(A3:A8)

    MAX Finds the highest value in the specified cell range =MAX(A3:A8)

    COUNT Finds the total number of cells that contain a numerical value in the specified cell range =COUNT(A3:A8)

    TODAY Returns the current date, as set on the computer =TODAY()

    RAND Generates a random number each time the function is calculated =RAND()

    MODE Returns the value that occurs most often in the specified cell range =MODE(A3:A8)

    MEDIAN Returns the middle value of the values in the specified cell range =MEDIAN(A3:A8)

  • The SUM, MIN, MAX, and AVERAGE functions are the most commonly used functions in a spreadsheet

1.1 Using functions

  • To insert a function, click the cell where you want to insert the function and select the Formulas ribbon tab.
  • From the Function Library group, choose the type of function you need, for example a text function or date function.
  • Click on the type and then choose the function that you need.
  • This inserts the function and a pair of brackets into the selected cell.
  • Finally, specify a cell range by typing the range between the brackets and press the Enter key.
  • It is good practice for you to enter the functions manually.
  • This teaches you the correct syntax to use for functions and the sequence in which the elements must be entered.

1.2 The COUNTIF function and relational operators

  • Whereas the COUNT function counts all the cells in the specified cell range, the COUNTIF function counts only those cells that meet a certain condition.
  • If we use the COUNT function to count the cells in the range A1:A7, the function returns a value of 7 because there are 7 cells in the cell range.
  • We can use the COUNTIF function to specify that, in the same range, only cells with a value of 50 must be counted: =COUNTIF(A1:A7,50)
  • We can also use the COUNTIF function to count the cells in a range that contain a certain text value, such as the word ‘Car’. =COUNTIF(A1:A7,”Car”)

2.1 Relational operators

  • You can also use the COUNTIF function to find all the numbers that are higher than a certain number or lower than a certain number.
  • For this you need to use relational operators.
  • There are six relational operators that we can use in spreadsheet functions: > (greater than) < (less than) = (equal to) <= (less than or equal to) >= (greater than or equal to) <> (less or greater than, but not equal to)
  • With a relational operator, we can, for example, change =COUNTIF(A1:A7,50) so that Excel will count only the cells in the cell range that contain numbers greater than 50.
  • To do so, the function would read:

    =COUNTIF(A1:A7,“>50”)

2 Rounding numbers with cell formatting

  • Sometimes you need to round off your numbers to the nearest decimal point or nearest whole number.
  • Select the relevant cells and right-click them.
  • Select the Format Cells option on the context menu to open the Format Cells dialogue box.
  • On the Number tabbed page of the dialogue box, specify the number of decimal places in the Decimal Places revolving list box and click OK.
  • To round the amount to the nearest whole number, change this value to 0.

3 Renaming sheets

  • You can change the default worksheet names (Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3) to more descriptive names.
  • Right-click the tab that you want to rename and select Rename from the context menu.
  • Then type the new worksheet name directly onto the tab and press Enter.

4 Sorting

  • When sorting data on a spreadsheet, first select the data to sort.
  • Click Sort & Filter in the Editing group of the Home ribbon tab, click Custom Sort to open the Sort dialogue box.
  • Select the criterion by which you would like to sort the table, usually this will be Values, then select the order, either ascending or descending.
  • If you need to sort the table by more than one column, click the Add level button, and repeat the above steps.

2.5 Headers and footers

  • To access the header and footer menu, click the Insert ribbon tab, then click Header and Footer in the Text group.
  • Type a header into the Header field.
  • To insert a footer, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Click to add footer.
  • Keep in mind that any changes to the header or the footer will affect all the pages of the spreadsheet when you print them.

1 Introduction to graphs

  • Pie charts represent a series of data as percentages that add up to 100%.
  • The data are shown as slices of the circle.
  • Bar, column and line charts all represent one or more series of data graphically.
  • In this way, it is easier for the reader to see any change in a data series.
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1.1 Creating a chart

  • Step 1 – select the data required for the chart.
  • Step 2 – select the Insert ribbon tab, and click on the type of chart that you would like to insert from the Charts group.
  • Step 3 – select which subtype of the chart you want to use.

1.2 Formatting a graph

  • Every part of a chart can be edited.
  • If you select the chart by clicking it, the Chart Tools contextual ribbon becomes available.
  • The Chart Styles group on the Design ribbon tab lets you change the style of the chart.
  • On the Layout ribbon tab of the Chart Tools contextual ribbon, you can add:
  • a title to the chart
  • data labels for each data section
  • axis names to the vertical and horizontal axes
  • position a legend
  • show or hide gridlines.

2 Basic integration

Spreadsheets can be integrated with other applications in different ways. Integration is using data from one program in another program. We briefly look at ways of doing this.

  • Copying and pasting a table from a spreadsheet to a word processing document.
  • Copying and pasting a graph from a spreadsheet to a word processing document.
  • Importing data from a different data source, such as a table in a word processing document.
  • When you import data from a text file, you need to remember a few points.
  • Every row in the text file will represent a row in the spreadsheet.
  • Each value in the row of the text file should be separated from other values by a delimiter, such as a comma.
  • The delimiter indicates when to stop putting data into one cell and start putting it into the next cell.
  • You start the import function by clicking the From Text option in the Get External Data group on the Data ribbon tab.
  • External data are data that come from a document created by an application other than Excel.

3 Troubleshooting spreadsheets

  • When spreadsheets are created, errors may occur.
  • In cases such as these, it is important to be able to find the problems and correct them.
  • This process is called troubleshooting.
  • Not all errors will necessarily show up as error messages.
  • In many cases, formulas will appear to work, but the range may be incorrect or the function not fully specified.
  • It is important to always check your formulas before finalising a spreadsheet.
Presentations

A presentation program is an application that is used to compile an electronic presentation in the form of a slide show. A presentation program enables you to:

  • insert and format text
  • insert and manipulate graphic images
  • present a slide show.

1 Presentation programs and their uses

  • A slide show, or a presentation, consists of a collection of slides that are shown to an audience.
  • This information can take the form of text, images, tables, diagrams, maps and multimedia.
  • The combination of audio and visual functions makes it easier for the audience to understand a slide show.

1.1Guidelines for creating an effective presentation

  • Keep it short and simple.
  • Use a clear layout.
  • Limit punctuation, capital letters and fancy fonts.
  • Use contrasting colours.
  • Rather use fewer slides.
  • Use illustrations effectively.

1.2 Uses of presentation programs

  • Presentation programs are used for information, advertisements, learning and training, business and marketing meetings, and sales gatherings.
  • You can present slide shows on a computer screen or use a data projector for larger meetings.
  • Slide shows are sometimes also used in webcasts.

2 Opening, saving and printing files

  • To open PowerPoint from the Start menu, select: All programs, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
  • Alternatively, click the PowerPoint desktop icon if it is available.
  • Opening PowerPoint opens a blank PowerPoint file.
  • To save a PowerPoint file, click the Office button and select Save.
  • If this is the first time that you save the file, the Save As dialogue box will open.
  • Select the folder in which you want to save the file, specify a filename in the File name field and a file type in the Save as type field, and click Save.

2.1 Opening and saving files

  • Click the Office button and select New, Blank Presentation.
  • Alternatively, select New, select one of the predefined templates, click the Create button.
  • To open a saved PowerPoint file, click the Office button, select Open,
  • To save a PowerPoint file, click the Office button and select Save.
  • Specify a filename in the File name field and a file type in the Save as type field, and click Save.
  • You can save a PowerPoint files as either a PPTX or a PPSX file type.
  • A PPTX file is the default PowerPoint file, which enables you to make changes to the file.
  • A PPSX file is a finished file, which automatically runs the slide show when it is opened.

2.2 Printing files

  • In the Print dialogue box, specify your print preferences.
  • To print the notes in the Notes pane as handouts, select Handouts from the Print what drop-down menu.
  • When you have specified your print options, click OK.

3 Workspace

  • The current slide in the Presentation pane is the slide that you are currently working on.
  • Use the background of the Presentation pane to temporarily store illustrations and textboxes while designing a slide.
  • The Slide tab displays miniature images, called thumbnails, of the slides in the presentation.
  • Click on a thumbnail to change a current slide, or drag it to change the order of the slides.
  • The Notes pane enables you to enter notes about what you need to say to the audience.
  • You can also print out these notes to use as a handout for audience members at a presentation.

4 Slide views, layouts and designs

  • Switch between these views in the Presentation Views group of the View ribbon tab.
  • Alternatively, click the view buttons on the status bar to switch between Normal view, Slide Sorter view and Slide Show view.

4.1 Slide views

  • Normal view enables you to see, edit and format one slide at a time.
  • Slide Sorter view displays all the slides in a slide show at the same time. You can navigate between slides in this view, or delete or move slides.
  • Slide Show view presents the slide show in full-screen mode, as it appears when you are making a presentation.
  • Press the ESC key on the keyboard to exit full-screen mode and end the slide show.
  • Notes Page view enables you to view your notes and work with them in full page format. In this view, you can edit the speaker notes.

4.2 Inserting and deleting slides and applying layout styles

  • In the Slides group of the Home ribbon tab, click the More button under the New Slide icon.
  • This opens several layout styles that you can use to specify the layout.
  • You can also change the layout of an existing slide that you have selected in PowerPoint.
  • Click the Layout button in the Slides group of the Home ribbon tab and select a new layout from the available layout styles.
  • To delete a slide, right-click it and select Delete from the context menu.

4.2 Inserting headers and footers and slide numbers

  • Click the Insert ribbon tab, and then Header & Footer in the Text group. This opens the Header and Footer dialogue box.
  • Specify the information for the slide footer on the Slide tabbed page of the dialogue box.
  • Select the checkboxes for Date and time and Slide number if you want to include this information in your footer.
  • Select the Footer checkbox and type the footer text.
  • Click the Apply button to use the footer only on the selected slide, or the Apply to all button to use the footer on all the slides.

4.3 Applying themes

  • A theme in PowerPoint is a uniform design that you can apply to all the slides in a slide show. It gives your presentation a professional appearance.
  • Click the Design ribbon tab and select a theme from the Themes group.
  • If you want more themes to choose from, click the More button, to the left of the Effects button to open the Themes Gallery.

4.4 Page layout and slide orientation

  • Click the Design ribbon tab. In the Page Setup group, click either the Page Setup button or the Slide Orientation button to specify the settings that you want.

5 Text formatting, editing and reviewing

  • Click in a placeholder and type or paste text into it.
  • If your text exceeds the size of the placeholder, the program reduces the font size and line spacing as you type, to make the text fit.

5.1 Formatting text

  • Select the text that you want to format.
  • Click the Home ribbon tab. You can apply paragraph formatting by clicking the appropriate buttons in the Paragraph group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • To apply font formatting, click the appropriate buttons in the Font group of the Home ribbon tab.
  • Alternatively, click the appropriate buttons on the Mini Toolbar that appears when you select text.

5.2 Editing and reviewing text

  • Edit text by clicking in a placeholder that contains the text that you want to change.
  • Add or delete text, as required. You can use keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V) to cut, copy or paste text.
  • Use the buttons in the Editing group of the Home ribbon tab such as Find and Replace to perform editing functions.
  • Find and replace text in PowerPoint works the same way as it does in Word and Excel.
  • To review the text in a presentation, click the Review ribbon tab.

6 Inserting tables and illustrations

  • Specify the table or type of illustration that you want to insert by clicking the appropriate icon for tables, charts, SmartArt graphics, pictures, clip art and media.
  • The placeholders on slides are either textboxes for inserting text or content placeholders for inserting tables and illustrations.

1.6.1 Inserting Tables (integration with Excel or Word)

  • You can create a table directly in PowerPoint.
  • To do so, select the slide where you want to insert the table.
  • Click the Insert ribbon tab and click Table in the Tables group.
  • Specify the number of rows and columns in the Insert table dialogue box and click OK.
  • Alternatively, drag the mouse to specify the number of rows and columns in the Insert Table feature.
  • This creates a table on the PowerPoint Slide. Add text to the table as you would do in Excel or a Word table.

6.2 Inserting charts (integration with spreadsheets)

  • Insert a chart by clicking the Chart icon in a placeholder on a slide.
  • Alternatively, click the Insert ribbon tab and click Chart in the Illustrations group.
  • In the Insert Chart dialogue box, select the type of chart that you want to use.
  • Click OK. An Excel spreadsheet with sample data opens in a split window.
  • Click each cell on the worksheet and replace the sample data with the actual data that you want to represent in the chart.
  • Click OK to close the spreadsheet and display the amended chart.

6.3 Inserting pictures

  • Insert a picture by clicking the Pictures icon in a content placeholder on a slide.
  • Click the Insert ribbon tab and click Picture in the Illustrations group.
  • Navigate to the folder where your pictures are stored and double-click to open the folder.
  • Double-click the picture to insert it in the slide.

6.4 Inserting clip art

  • Double-click the picture to insert it in the slide.
  • Insert clip art by clicking the Clip Art icon in a content placeholder on a slide.
  • Click the Insert ribbon tab and click Clip Art in the Illustrations group.
  • This opens the Clip Art task pane on the right-hand side of the Presentation pane.
  • In the Clip Art task pane, enter a keyword, for example ‘school’ in the Search for field and click Go.
  • This displays images related to the keyword that you specified.
  • Select the image that you want, then drag it onto your open slide.
  • Alternatively, select Insert from the drop-down menu that appears if you click the down-pointing arrow next to the selected image.

6.5 Inserting SmartArt graphics

  • To insert a SmartArt graphic, click the Insert ribbon tab and click SmartArt in the Illustrations group.
  • This brings up the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialogue box.
  • Select the SmartArt graphic of your choice and drag your mouse across the slide to draw the shape.
  • To add text to a SmartArt Graphic, click in the graphic and type or paste text into it.

6.6 Inserting shapes

  • To insert a shape, click the Insert ribbon tab and click Shapes in the Illustrations group.
  • Add text to shapes by right-clicking the shape and selecting Add Text from the context menu.
  • Type or paste the text that you want to enter into the shape.
  • Text added to a shape becomes part of that shape and moves and rotates with the shape

7 Custom animations and slide transitions

  • Click the Animations ribbon tab to apply special effects to text and objects, and to specify settings for slide transitions. See Figure 38.
  • Slide transitions are the movements that you see in Slide Show view when you change from one slide to another.
  • Click the Custom Animation button in the Animations group of the Animation ribbon tab, to open the Custom Animation task pane.
  • The Custom Animation pane opens on the right-hand side of the presentation pane.
  • Select an element such as a textbox or an illustration and then click the Add Effect button.
  • Specify the settings for the entrance, emphasis or exit of the element by selecting effects from the drop-down menu that appears.

8 Setting up and running a slide show

  • Click the Slide Show ribbon tab.
  • In the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show icon.
  • This brings up the Set Up Show dialogue box, where you can specify various settings.
  • When you have specified all the required settings, click OK.
  • To run the slide show on your computer, switch to Slide Show view by clicking the Slide Show icon on the status bar.
Information management

Information management is the process of gathering, selecting, organising and interpreting information, and presenting it to a target audience. When data is processed, it becomes information that conveys meaning and is useful to people.

1 Overview of practical assessment task (PAT)

  • The practical assessment task (PAT) for Computer Applications Technology is a research project. In the PAT you need to demonstrate your information management skills and your ability to produce quality outputs by using the applications which you have studied during the year.
  • The PAT is an important part of your CAT course because it makes up 25 per cent of your final promotion mark (year mark).
  • You need to complete and submit this project before you start your end-of-year examinations.
  • If you don’t submit your PAT in time, your marks will be incomplete.
  • This will have a negative effect on your results and your promotion to the next grade.

2 Information management techniques

Techniques related to the information management process include identifying the task requirements, possible sources of information and the problems associated with the topic.

2.1 Understanding the task requirements

  • Before you attempt a research project such as the PAT, you need to understand exactly what is expected of you.
  • The PAT will define the task to some extent, so you need to study and follow the PAT instructions carefully.
  • Write a task definition in your own words.
  • Expand the task statement with bulleted lists or a mind map to plan your course of action.

2.2 Identifying problems associated with the topic

  • After defining the task, you need to take the process further by deciding how you will approach the task.
  • The best way of finding out what information you need, is to ask questions. These include:
    • questions that lead to factual information and usually start with words such as, What? When, Where? Why?
    • questions that explore and begin with Why? or How?
    • questions that predict are questions that start with If? or what If?
    • questions that help make judgments.

2.3 Possible sources of information

You need to consult a variety of sources of information in order to be well informed about the subject.

  • Publications, such as books, newspaper articles, magazines, brochures.
  • Electronic media, such as the Internet, including encyclopaedias and social networks, other electronic resources on disk, if available.
  • Interviews are a direct source of information and people are often happy to share what they know. Interviews are also useful for getting referrals to other people who might have some knowledge about your subject.
  • Surveys are useful tools to find out more about the attitudes and circumstances of people. You will need to prepare a questionnaire with questions that respondents can complete in a short time.

1 Practical assessment task (PAT) – Phase 1

  • Phase 1 of the practical assessment task (PAT) involves the inputs of the information management process. This phase consists of three parts:
  • define the task
  • ask questions
  • gather and summarise information.
  • The PAT will contain a scenario for a task or a problem, such as:
  • organising a field trip for your class
  • living a healthy and balanced lifestyle
  • the dangers facing users of ICT
  • security and ethical issues relating to computers
  • a proposal about a community garden to your school governing body.

1.1 Create a folder and file structure

  • You need to create a suitable file structure for saving all your PAT files.
  • One way of doing this is to create folders.
  • Follow instructions about the folder structure exactly.
  • Remember, always keep a backup of all your saved work.

1.2 Write a task definition and ask questions

  • To show that you understand why you are doing this research project, you need to write a task definition in your own words.
  • Use the following questions to help you write your task definition:
    • why are you doing the research?
    • what needs to be done?
    • what information do you need to find?
    • where will you find the information you need?
    • who is the information for?
    • how must your information be presented?
    • when must the task be completed?

1.3 Gather and summarise information

  • You will need data and information to write the report and finalise the presentation at the end.
  • You could brainstorm a variety of ways to source data and information on your own. You could also do this in a group to find possible and realistic ways of solving any of the problems

1.4 Information versus knowledge

  • Keep in mind that the data and information that you will be accessing is aimed at increasing knowledge.
  • Information is items of knowledge.
  • Knowledge is an understanding of a topic, and you will gain understanding through experience and by looking for information.

1.5 How to evaluate a website

  • Not all information on websites is reliable. Some websites contain biased or onesided information.
  • It is good to access more than one source of information so that you are able to compare the information found.
  • Use the following criteria to help you assess the reliability of websites.
  • The type of Internet site – academic or educational and government websites are usually reliable because much of their information has been researched.
  • The author – you can use a search engine to look for more information on the author or the company that publishes the website.
  • Regular updating – many web-pages show when they were created and when they were last revised.

1.6 Saving a webpage or part of it

  • You can save a webpage by selecting File from the menu bar in your Web browser and select Save Page As.
  • In the Save As Type drop-down list, you can choose to save as:
  • webpage, complete – this will save the whole webpage, together with its images, but you may not be able to access the links
  • webpage, HTML – this will save the original page without pictures and enable you to access links on the webpage
  • text files – this will save the original page as a text file, which you can open in a text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad, with access to links.

1.7 Sifting information

  • You will find that the websites and the other sources that you have identified contain more information than you are able to use.
  • You will have to go through the available information and select the most relevant aspects.
  • This process is called sifting the information

1.8 Role of surveys and questionnaires

  • The PAT usually includes instructions for a survey that you need to conduct by asking people to respond to questions in questionnaires.
  • The completed questionnaires that you have collected from the respondents form an important part of the information that you need for completing the PAT.

.1 Analyse and summarise questionnaire results

Capture statistics from the questionnaire in a spreadsheet and use the COUNTIF function to count how many responses meet a certain criterion.

1.1 Manipulating information

You need to manipulate the information that you have collected.

  • Identify the most important aspects of the information that you have gathered.
  • Summarise it in your own words and add your own insights.
  • Use clear language and logical arguments.
  • Add graphs, tables and illustrations to make the material more understandable.

1.2 Processing data with a spreadsheet

  • The results obtained from the survey questionnaire are a small data sample compared to the responses that you would have analyse in a real-life situation.
  • While you could manually analyse the sample of responses you received in your survey, you must capture and analyse them in a spreadsheet.
  • If the sample were larger, such as hundreds or thousands of data items, you could not do it manually.
  • In your PAT, you use a small sample of data items to demonstrate that you understand the principles and methods needed to process larger samples.

1.3 Write a report

When you are asked to write a report, you will be expected to:

  • analyse information that you are given
  • find more information by consulting with people, reading books, visiting websites or consulting other sources relevant to the investigation
  • draw conclusions from facts, make recommendations, persuade or give an opinion
  • end with a conclusion.
  • The structure of a report is usually as follows:
    • Cover or title page: the topic of the report, include the author’s name and the date on which the report was prepared
    • Table of Contents: use the References feature of your word processor to generate and update an automatic table of contents
    • Introduction: outlines the task definition and the reason for the investigation.
    • Body paragraphs: use main headings and subheadings to organise central themes in the report, and present the information in a logical way
    • Recommendations or findings: suggest how the problem could be solved or how the situation can be improved, recommendations about what action should be taken
  • Conclusion: end the report with a conclusion where you draw all the main points together to present an overview
  • Bibliography or list of references: use one method consistently and correctly to cite your references

1.4 Create a slide show presentation

  • The slide presentation that you compile for the PAT must cover the same information as the report, fact sheet or proposal.
  • The presentation deals with the information more briefly than the report does.
  • Select only the main points of the report for inclusion in your presentation.

1.5 Declaration of authenticity

  • It is important that the work you hand in is your own work.
  • Submit a declaration of authenticity to state that you have not copied from any other learner and that you have not plagiarised in any way.

1.6 Referencing

  • It is important to reference all the work that you are using in your report.
  • This provides evidence of where the information came from, how up-to-date the information is, the extent of your research and how many sources you have used.
  • Authentic work is important. In other words, do not plagiarise. Plagiarism is when you take the thoughts, writing and work of another person and pass them off as you own.
  • A reference list is a list of sources that are quoted in the document.
  • A bibliography is a list of all the sources used, some of which are quoted in your document.

1.7 Final check

Before you hand in your work:

  • Check against the marking checklist that you have done everything you were meant to do.
  • Proofread your work carefully.
  • Correct any spelling and grammar errors.
  • Check the visual appeal of your documents. In other words, check the layout, font styles, colour, artwork and graphics.
  • Check that all sources have been acknowledged correctly.
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