N4 Computer Practice
Petro de Villiers
Topic 1: Theory
INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPTS OF ICTs, THE DIGITAL WORLD
AND DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
ICT is an abbreviation for Information and Communication Technologies. It is
the processing of data using computer hardware and software and
distribution of information in digital form using telecommunications. These
are the technologies that help us record, store, process, retrieve, transfer,
and receive information electronically in a digital form.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
WHAT A PERSONAL COMPUTER IS AND HOW IT IS USED
Personal computers are any general-purpose computers such as desktop
models, laptops, notebooks and tablet PCs – some designed for mobile use.
A personal computer mainly consists of hardware, software, memory and
storage (hard drive).
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
STARTING UP AND SHUTTING DOWN AN OPERATING SYSTEM
The moment a computer is switched on, the operating system program is
loaded into the RAM of the computer. The operating system will then take
care of loading other software as needed. Turn on the computer by pressing
the ON switch. To switch off the computer, click Start / Power / Shut Down.
The computer will then automatically switch off.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
EXPLORING THE FILE MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS OF THE
OPERATING SYSTEM
Files, organised in related groups, are stored in folders on the hard drive.
Use the File Explorer to list these folders and files.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
PURPOSE OF USING WORD PROCESSING APPLICATIONS
Word processing is the process of creating, editing, formatting and
manipulating text to produce a professional document to print and distribute.
A word processing program allows users to type a document, edit and modify
it, store it electronically, display it on the screen, and print it for distribution.
Documents created by using a word processing program can also be sent
via email as attachments or shared by using collaboration tools.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
USE BASIC FEATURES TO CREATE AND EDIT AND FORMAT A
DOCUMENT
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
USING THE INSERT FUNCTIONS TO CREATE AND EDIT A DOCUMENT
• Edit a document
• Use insert functions and functionality
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
SPREADSHEET APPLICATIONS
Spreadsheet processing is the manipulation, sorting, and arranging of data
and the calculating of numeric data by using a spreadsheet program. A
spreadsheet program, e.g. Excel, is an application that is used to create
spreadsheets or worksheets where data appear in tabular form. A
spreadsheet consists of rows and columns, which appear on the screen on
which tables can be created and calculations be done. Each cell may contain
one of the following data types: numbers, text, dates or formulas.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
USE FORMULAS TO PERFORM BASIC CALCULATIONS IN A
SPREADSHEET
Formulas are used to do calculations. A formula in Excel always begins with
an equal sign (=). The equal sign tells Excel that the characters that follow
constitute a formula. After this equal sign, there can be a series of elements
to be calculated (the operands), which are separated by calculation
operators.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
PURPOSE OF USING PRESENTATION SOFTWARE
A presentation program is a software package used to display information,
that addresses a certain topic, in the form of a slide show. The slide show is
used to give a visual presentation. Each slide has one or more object of a
different type, e.g. text, graphics, organisational charts, tables, sounds,
videos and sounds. Animation, sounds and time settings can be added to
each slide to make the presentation more interesting.
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Topic 1: Theory (continued)
USE BASIC FEATURES TO CREATE, EDIT AND FORMAT A
PRESENTATION
The purpose of the presentation should specify why you want to
give a presentation. The formulation of the purpose will help you to
design an interesting presentation with relevant data which will
inform the audience about a specific topic. The presentation should
complement the message.
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Topic 2: Networking
HARDWARE COMPONENTS THAT CONSTITUTE A NETWORK
A network is a collection of devices connected through data communication
links. The nodes can be computers, servers, mainframes, network devices,
peripherals, terminals, telephones, printers, or any other device capable of
sending and receiving data. The purpose of a network is to allow the sharing
of data and resources such as printers.
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Topic 3: Introduction to the Internet
INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET
The Internet is an interconnected collection of independently operated
networks. The main purpose of the Internet is to provide information and
communication facilities. The World Wide Web is a collection of documents
or websites and is simply a piece of the Internet. Access to the WWW is
obtained by using the Internet and a Web Browser (like Windows Explorer,
Windows 10 Edge or Google Chrome).
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Topic 3: Introduction to the Internet (continued)
OVERVIEW OF THE WWW
The World Wide Web (WWW) is an information system composed of
websites and is part of the Internet. The Web gives users access to a vast
array of documents that are connected to each other by means of hypertext
or hypermedia links, i.e. hyperlinks. The software to view the documents on
the WWW is called a web browser. One also needs a connection to the
Internet.
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Topic 3: Introduction to the Internet (continued)
OBTAINING INFORMATION AND USING THE WWW
Browsing is scanning the worldwide web through links from one website to
another or one web page to another. It refers to visiting a website without any
prior aim or target. The web address is known or a link is found after
searching a topic by using a search engine. Searching on the other hand
refers to looking for specific pieces of information in search engines. The web
address is unknown so therefore use a search engine to find the right web
address.
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Topic 4: Legal issues relating to the use of ICT
LEGAL ISSUES RELATING TO THE USE OF ICT
Copyright means whatever content an author, person or company created, is
their intellectual property and cannot be used or published by anyone else
without the consent of the creator. Software piracy is the illegal copying and
distribution of copyright software that does not legally belong to you.
Intellectual property refers to the ownership of an idea or design by a person
or company.
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Topic 4: Legal issues relating to the use of ICT (continued)
ICT’S AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) can play a critical role
in improving health care for individuals and communities, for example
through health apps, fitness trackers and ICT gadgets. ICTs can negatively
impact a person too, for example a person can suffer from repetitive strain
injury, back, neck pain and headaches.
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Topic 4: Legal issues relating to the use of ICT (continued)
ERGONOMIC ISSUES
Ergonomics is to setup the workstation in such a way that the user can
optimise work and minimise physical stress. This focuses on the design of
equipment and tools, the layout of the workplace and changing
environmental conditions.
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Topic 4: Legal issues relating to the use of ICT (continued)
RESPONSIBLE USE OF COMPUTERS
The way a user operates in an ICT workplace, has an influence on the
environment. The following are harmful for the environment:
overconsumption, e-waste, pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. A user
should always practise principles to reduce these environmental problems.
Green computing focuses on ways to reduce the overall environmental
impact, reducing pollution and creating more recyclable products.
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Topic 5: Computational Thinking
APPLYING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING (CT) SKILLS TOWARDS THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER-BASED SOLUTION
Computational thinking allows us to approach a complex problem,
understand the problem and develop possible solutions. These solutions can
then be presented in a way that a computer, a human, or both, can
understand. The four cornerstones of computational thinking are:
decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.
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Topic 5: Computational Thinking
FIND AND ACCESS DATA AND INFORMATION PROCESS DATA AND
INFORMATION PRESENT SOLUTION
When one has to design a solution to address a given problem, there are
certain steps to follow. First obtain the required data (input), then process the
data (i.e. sort, group, rework, manipulate) and lastly present cohesive and
logical recommendations or conclusions to solve the problem (output).
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Topic 5: Computational Thinking (continued)
ONLINE COLLABORATION TOOLS AND SERVICES
Online collaboration tools are web-based applications that offer basic
services such as instant messaging for groups, calendar sharing tools, cloud
storage, document synchronisation, mechanisms for file sharing and video
conferencing. A successful online collaboration tool needs to be easy to use;
easy to set up; secure; and versatile with features that allow users to share
information through both visual and textual means.
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Topic 5: Computational Thinking (continued)
BLOGGING PRINCIPLES
A blog can be described as an online diary where people can post their
thoughts and opinions about a certain topic. Characteristics of blogs are:
• They provide a commenting system;
• They can be updated daily, or more than once a day;
• Articles appear in reverse-chronological order in blogs;
• They are frequently crawled by Search Engines; and
• They often cover a wide variety of articles.
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