COMPUTER
APPLICATIONS IN
EDUCATION
(CAP15Q1)
NOTES ADAPTED FROM THE APPLIED INFORMATICS
AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
MODULE 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ICT...........................................................................................................4
1.1. Understanding the Basic Concepts of IT...........................................................................................4
Information Society.............................................................................................................................4
1.1.1 What is a Computer?..................................................................................................................4
A computer System..............................................................................................................................5
Components of a computer System.....................................................................................................5
1.2 TYPES OF COMPUTERS.......................................................................................................................5
Mainframe...........................................................................................................................................5
Minicomputers....................................................................................................................................6
Personal Computer..............................................................................................................................6
Network Computer (NC)......................................................................................................................6
Portable Computers (laptops, notebooks, palmtops and tablets).......................................................7
1.3 ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER..............................................................................................................7
1.3.1 Categories of Computer Hardware.............................................................................................7
Category A: Input Devices....................................................................................................................7
Category B: Central Processing Unit (processing device).....................................................................8
Components of a CPU..........................................................................................................................9
Category C: Memory (Primary Storage)...............................................................................................9
Category D: Storage Devices (secondary storage).............................................................................10
Examples of storage devices:.............................................................................................................10
Frequent Savings and Backups...........................................................................................................10
Category E: Output Devices...............................................................................................................11
Category F: Communication Hardware..............................................................................................12
Categories of Computer Software......................................................................................................12
Functions of operating software system............................................................................................12
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)...................................................................................................13
Software Development......................................................................................................................14
1.4. NETWORKS.....................................................................................................................................15
1.4.1 Telecommunications.................................................................................................................17
1.4.2 Internet.....................................................................................................................................18
Page 1
, Connecting to the Internet................................................................................................................18
Search Engines...................................................................................................................................19
E-commerce.......................................................................................................................................19
Email..................................................................................................................................................19
1.5. Computer in Everyday Life..............................................................................................................19
Computers at Home...........................................................................................................................19
Computers in Business.......................................................................................................................20
Computers in Education.....................................................................................................................20
Computers in Industry.......................................................................................................................20
Computers in Government................................................................................................................21
Computers in Healthcare...................................................................................................................21
1.6. Information Security.......................................................................................................................21
1.7. Computer Viruses...........................................................................................................................22
Types of Viruses.................................................................................................................................22
Spread of Computer Viruses..............................................................................................................23
Protection against Viruses.................................................................................................................23
Measures You Can Take To Protect Yourself from Viruses:...............................................................23
1.8. Copyright and Law..........................................................................................................................24
Health and Safety...............................................................................................................................24
MODULE 2: USING COMPUTERS AND MANAGING FILES...........................................................................27
2.1 Advantages of Using Windows.........................................................................................................27
Working Environment........................................................................................................................27
2.2 Mouse Actions.................................................................................................................................28
2.3 The Keyboard...................................................................................................................................28
2.4 Elements of a Window.....................................................................................................................30
Components of a Dialog Box..............................................................................................................31
2.5 General Rules for Naming a File.......................................................................................................32
When naming a file the following characters may be used:..............................................................32
You may not use the following when naming a file:..........................................................................32
Examples of File Extensions...............................................................................................................33
2.6 Folders (Directories)........................................................................................................................33
Creating a Folder................................................................................................................................34
Page 2
, How to Create a Folder on Desktop...................................................................................................34
How to Create a Folder within another Folder..................................................................................35
Creating a Folder on the Hard Drive (Local Disk C :)...........................................................................35
How to Rename a File or Folder.........................................................................................................35
The Command Cut, Copy and Paste...................................................................................................35
How Does The Cut, Copy and Paste Commands Work?.....................................................................35
Deleting File or Folder........................................................................................................................36
Formatting a Disk...............................................................................................................................36
Page 3
APPLICATIONS IN
EDUCATION
(CAP15Q1)
NOTES ADAPTED FROM THE APPLIED INFORMATICS
AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
MODULE 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ICT...........................................................................................................4
1.1. Understanding the Basic Concepts of IT...........................................................................................4
Information Society.............................................................................................................................4
1.1.1 What is a Computer?..................................................................................................................4
A computer System..............................................................................................................................5
Components of a computer System.....................................................................................................5
1.2 TYPES OF COMPUTERS.......................................................................................................................5
Mainframe...........................................................................................................................................5
Minicomputers....................................................................................................................................6
Personal Computer..............................................................................................................................6
Network Computer (NC)......................................................................................................................6
Portable Computers (laptops, notebooks, palmtops and tablets).......................................................7
1.3 ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER..............................................................................................................7
1.3.1 Categories of Computer Hardware.............................................................................................7
Category A: Input Devices....................................................................................................................7
Category B: Central Processing Unit (processing device).....................................................................8
Components of a CPU..........................................................................................................................9
Category C: Memory (Primary Storage)...............................................................................................9
Category D: Storage Devices (secondary storage).............................................................................10
Examples of storage devices:.............................................................................................................10
Frequent Savings and Backups...........................................................................................................10
Category E: Output Devices...............................................................................................................11
Category F: Communication Hardware..............................................................................................12
Categories of Computer Software......................................................................................................12
Functions of operating software system............................................................................................12
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)...................................................................................................13
Software Development......................................................................................................................14
1.4. NETWORKS.....................................................................................................................................15
1.4.1 Telecommunications.................................................................................................................17
1.4.2 Internet.....................................................................................................................................18
Page 1
, Connecting to the Internet................................................................................................................18
Search Engines...................................................................................................................................19
E-commerce.......................................................................................................................................19
Email..................................................................................................................................................19
1.5. Computer in Everyday Life..............................................................................................................19
Computers at Home...........................................................................................................................19
Computers in Business.......................................................................................................................20
Computers in Education.....................................................................................................................20
Computers in Industry.......................................................................................................................20
Computers in Government................................................................................................................21
Computers in Healthcare...................................................................................................................21
1.6. Information Security.......................................................................................................................21
1.7. Computer Viruses...........................................................................................................................22
Types of Viruses.................................................................................................................................22
Spread of Computer Viruses..............................................................................................................23
Protection against Viruses.................................................................................................................23
Measures You Can Take To Protect Yourself from Viruses:...............................................................23
1.8. Copyright and Law..........................................................................................................................24
Health and Safety...............................................................................................................................24
MODULE 2: USING COMPUTERS AND MANAGING FILES...........................................................................27
2.1 Advantages of Using Windows.........................................................................................................27
Working Environment........................................................................................................................27
2.2 Mouse Actions.................................................................................................................................28
2.3 The Keyboard...................................................................................................................................28
2.4 Elements of a Window.....................................................................................................................30
Components of a Dialog Box..............................................................................................................31
2.5 General Rules for Naming a File.......................................................................................................32
When naming a file the following characters may be used:..............................................................32
You may not use the following when naming a file:..........................................................................32
Examples of File Extensions...............................................................................................................33
2.6 Folders (Directories)........................................................................................................................33
Creating a Folder................................................................................................................................34
Page 2
, How to Create a Folder on Desktop...................................................................................................34
How to Create a Folder within another Folder..................................................................................35
Creating a Folder on the Hard Drive (Local Disk C :)...........................................................................35
How to Rename a File or Folder.........................................................................................................35
The Command Cut, Copy and Paste...................................................................................................35
How Does The Cut, Copy and Paste Commands Work?.....................................................................35
Deleting File or Folder........................................................................................................................36
Formatting a Disk...............................................................................................................................36
Page 3
