TriSail Enterprises self-guided basic computer skills course (about 3 hours) modified(2005/2/8)

  • Learn about your computer:
    sit down at a computer and turn it on, turn it off, turn it back on
    • what is communicated at "boot" time
      (what operating system, how many users)
    • What kind of processor does the computer have? How much processor memory?
    • How big is the hard disk, how much memory does it have?
    • How many megabytes or giga-bytes of the hard-drive are in use?
    • What other drives (disk, floppy, CD, DVD) does the computer have?
  • Learn about creating and saving files and selecting (left-button) with the mouse
    find a paint program and use it to create a "stained glass picture"
    • save your picture
    • close the program
    • reactivate the program 2 different ways and load your picture
    • modify and save your picture under a new name
    • create a place for you on the hard drive and move your files to this place
  • learn the functions of the "window" control boxes and mouse actions: click, double-click, right click, drag and drop, menu behavior (whatever menus are applicable)
    • resize a window
    • use "iconize" or "iconify" and restore
    • move the entire window
    • how's double click different from single click ...
    • what does right click do?
  • find a word processing program
    • open it and create a short document, 3 sentences
    • with 2 different fonts and at least one centered sentence
    • save this document in your folder / directory
    • select text in different ways, click, double click, shift/command click, ctrl click
    • cut and paste from one section of your document to another
    • open or create a longer document and use the scroll bars
    • in one click, scroll: one line, one window(page), to the top or bottom of the document
  • find a game or program and explore / play with it.
    • use it's help system to get answers
  • develop printer expertise
    • change it's ribbon / cartridge
    • load paper (single sheet, continuous form, envelopes, special paper like letterhead)
    • print something
  • switch between 2 different programs (multi-process)
  • copy / move files between logical and physical drives
    • create another (besides your own) directory on the hard drive
    • insert a "floppy" disk
    • move and copy files between the 2 directories and the floppy
  • extra credit
    • clean up your desktop;
      • create new folder(s) and move stuff to this folder
      • create a folder for you and move your stuff there
      • add a short cut on the desk top that to access your new folder or a program you access frequently