Using the Computer and Managing Files requires the candidate to demonstrate knowledge and competence in using the common functions of a personal computer and its operating system. The candidate will be able to adjust main settings, use the built-in help features and deal with a non-responding application. He or she will be able to operate effectively within the desktop environment and work with desktop icons and windows. The candidate will be able to manage and organise files and directories/folders, know how to duplicate, move and delete files and directories/folders and compress and extract files. The candidate will also understand what a computer virus is and be able to use virus-scanning software. The candidate will demonstrate the ability to use simple editing tools and print management facilities available within the operating system.
The Computer
This module begins with instructions about how to turn on the computer. From this starting point you will progress through descriptions of the various ways of working with the computer. You will learn how to manage and manipulate what you see on the screen. The purpose of this module is not just to assist you in getting around the computer environment, but to provide you with the skills to be in control, to know where you are going and what you are doing when you interact with the computer.
In computer terms, this module will provide you with the operational skills and knowledge to work effectively with the Microsoft XP operating system.
Files and Filing
In a traditional office, all your work is produced on paper and can be seen, stored, filed and retrieved relatively easily. The computer can be thought of as storing files in exactly the same way as traditional office filing systems, except that it does this electronically.
But where are all your documents? How are they stored? Will you be able to find them again the next time you switch on the computer? The work you have produced with the computer and the information you have stored in it may also be retrieved. When you need it again, the computer locates the stored information that you wish to use and places it on the screen for viewing.
It is important to understand where and how the computer stores the information so that you can access it with the same ease and facility you have with paper files. In this module you will learn to relate electronic files to ‘real world’ files so that you can organise and use them efficiently.
