C OM P U T E R L IT E R AC Y BA S IC S : A C OM P R E HE NS IVE G U ID E TO IC 3 5 T H E D IT ION Lesson 1: Computers and

B Y: M OR R IS ON, C., W E L L S, D. A N D RU F OL LO, L . Operating Systems

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OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
▪ Describe the importance of computers in daily life.
▪ Explain the difference between system software and application software.
▪ Describe the four major types of operating systems.
▪ Identify the tasks an operating system performs.
▪ Start a computer.
▪ Use an operating system and start an application.
▪ Lock and shut down a computer.

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UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMPUTERS

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KEY CONCEPTS
▪ A computer is an electronic device that receives data (input), processes data, stores
data, and produces a result (output).
▪ Data is a collection of raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, sound,
images, and video.
▪ When data is processed into a meaningful form, it becomes information.

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COMPONENTS
▪ The actual machine—wires, transistors,
and circuits—is called hardware.
▪ Software consists of instructions, or
programs, for controlling the computer
so it performs tasks.
▪ The input and output devices
connected to the computer such as
keyboards and monitors are also
types of hardware called peripherals.

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INFORMATION PROCESSING CYCLE
NOTE:
When computer experts say “garbage in,
garbage out,” they mean that the data
you provide as input must be accurate
and reasonable; otherwise, the output
will be inaccurate or misleading.

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COMPUTER LITERACY
▪ To keep up with the pace of change, you need to be computer literate, which means
that you can use today’s computer hardware and software efficiently to enhance
your life and the lives of those around you.
▪ A digital divide is an economic gap between those who are computer literate and
enjoy access to computer technology and those who do not. The term can refer to
people divided from technology by geography, age, education, or socioeconomic
status.

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TYPES OF SOFTWARE
▪ System software or platform is the software that runs a computer, and includes the
operating system and utility programs.
 Operating system – software that coordinates the resources and activities on a computer.
 Utility program – helps the operating system set up, maintain, and protect a computer.
▪ Application software is the software you use most directly to complete a specific
task or to create something electronically.

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COMPARISON
BETWEEN O/S AND
APPLICATION
SOFTWARE

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USER INTERFACE

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TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
Personal Computer Operating Systems
Mobile Operating Systems
Embedded Operating Systems
Server Operating Systems

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OPERATING SYSTEM TASKS
Completing Start-Up Steps

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OPERATING SYSTEM TASKS
Managing Memory
▪ Virtual memory - part of a
computer’s hard disk that
can work as additional
RAM to prevent crashes and
gain memory, operating
systems

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OPERATING SYSTEM TASKS
Processing Input and Output
Controlling Hardware
▪ O/S communicates with a
driver
▪ Plug and Play – O/S
searches for the correct
driver on the computer and
then installs it so you can
use the new hardware right
away

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OPERATING
SYSTEM TASKS
Ending a Computer Session

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C OM P U T E R L IT E R AC Y BA S IC S : A C OM P R E HE NS IVE G U ID E TO IC 3 5 T H E D IT ION Lesson 2: Software and
B Y: M OR R IS ON, C., W E L L S, D. A N D RU F OL LO, L . Hardware Interaction

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OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
▪ Identify hardware components that affect computer performance.
▪ Explain how the central processing unit (CPU) processes software instructions.
▪ Describe types of computer memory.
▪ Explain how to use system requirements.
▪ Explain the purpose of software updates.
▪ Use Windows Update to keep the operating system up to date.

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IDENTIFYING HARDWARE COMPONENTS IN A
COMPUTER
How efficiently hardware and software complete these tasks is called performance.

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CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
▪ The main processing device in a computer is the
processor, also called the microprocessor, and the
central processing unit (CPU), a single computer chip
that contains all the electronic circuitry a computer
needs to process data, making it the most important
hardware component in a computer.
▪ A chip is a small, thin piece of silicon containing
electronic circuits, which is why a chip is also called an
integrated circuit (IC).

▪ PARTS: ALU, control unit and registers

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MACHINE CYCLE

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CPU: OTHER KEY CONCEPTS
▪ Clock speed - processor’s speed which indicates the number of instructions the CPU
can process per second. Stated in megahertz (MHz), or a million cycles per second,
and gigahertz (GHz), or a billion cycles per second. (A hertz is one cycle per
second.)
▪ Bit size - indicates how many bytes of data the CPU can retrieve from RAM at once.
A byte of data is roughly equivalent to one character, such as x. An 8-bit CPU can
process 1 byte at a time, while a 16-bit CPU can process 2 bytes at a time.
Modern CPUs are 32-bit (4 bytes at once) and 64-bit (8 bytes at once) processors.

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TYPES OF PROCESSOR

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COMPUTER MEMORY
▪ Computer has two major types of memory: volatile and nonvolatile. RAM is the
most common type of volatile memory, which loses its contents when you turn off the
power to the computer. ROM is an example of nonvolatile memory because it is
permanent; it does not lose its contents when you turn off the power to the
computer.

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RAM – RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY
▪ Thrashing – condition when the operating
system can even spend more time
swapping data between RAM and virtual
memory than running software. A computer
with a thrashing operating system is
sluggish or completely unresponsive.

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ROM – READ ONLY MEMORY
Electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM) is a type of ROM that is
nonvolatile, but can be modified.
Flash memory is a type of ROM that can be
updated much more quickly than EEPROM.
Because the ROM chip stores instructions for
starting the computer before the operating
system is loaded permanently, the chip is
often called firmware, a hybrid of hardware
and software.

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CACHES

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UPDATING SOFTWARE

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UPDATING OPERATING SYSTEM

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C OM P U T E R L IT E R AC Y BA S IC S : A C OM P R E HE NS IVE G U ID E TO IC 3 5 T H E D IT ION Lesson 3: Windows File
B Y: M OR R IS ON, C., W E L L S, D. A N D RU F OL LO, L . Management

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OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
▪ Describe how Windows stores files.
▪ Identify parts of the File Explorer window.
▪ Use File Explorer to navigate folders on your computer.
▪ Copy, move, delete, and rename files.
▪ Create and use shortcuts.
▪ Search for files.
▪ Identify file types.

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UNDERSTANDING HOW WINDOWS STORES FILES

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FILE SYSTEM

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USING FILE EXPLORER

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PARTS OF FILE EXPLORER

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FOLDER NAVIGATION
Back button
Forward button
Recent locations button
Up one level button
Address box

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CHANGING VIEW SETTINGS

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MANAGING FILES

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CREATING A FOLDER

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COPYING AND
MOVING FILES
AND FOLDERS

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ADDITIONAL FILE TASKS
Deleting Files and Folders
Renaming Files
Creating Shortcuts

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SEARCHING FOR FILES

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UNDERSTANDING FILE TYPES
▪ System files are those necessary for running the operating system. They usually are
found in the root directory of a personal computer and in the Windows folder of a
Windows computer. On a Mac, system files are stored in the System folder. Linux
computers keep system files in a folder named sys.
▪ An application file is part of an application, such as a word-processing application,
and is a necessary file for running the software. These files are transferred to your
computer when you install the application.
▪ A data file is one you create when working with an application, such as a document
you write and format when working with Microsoft Word.

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FILE EXTENSIONS

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