Unit 1 Introduction to Computer Studies

At the end of this unit, learners should be able to:

 Define a computer
 Describe the main parts of a computer system
 Explain the meaning of the terms hardware, software, Information, communication and
communications technology
 Relate computer parts to the basic operations
 Identify a computer as a general purpose machine that operates under different sets of
instructions for various uses
 State the three basic operations in a computer system.

1. Definition of a computer
Computers are everywhere: at work, at school, and at home. While some computers sit on top
of a desk or on the floor, mobile computers and mobile devices are small enough to carry.
Mobile devices, such as cell phones, often are classified as computers. Computers are a
primary means of local and global communication for billions of people. Consumers use
computers to communicate with businesses, employees with other employees and customers.
Students can also communicate with classmates and teachers. In addition to sending simple
notes, people use computers to share photos, drawings, documents, calendars, music, and
videos.

Through computers, society has instant access to information from around the globe. Local
and national news, weather reports, sports scores, airline schedules, telephone directories,
maps and directions, job listings, credit reports, and countless forms of educational material
always are readily available at a click of a button. From the computer, you can make a
telephone call, meet new friends, share opinions or life stories, book flights, shop, fill
prescriptions, call taxis, take a course, receive alerts, and automate your home just to mention
but a few.

Definition of a computer: A computer is an electronic device that manipulates or processes

"data into information." It has the ability to store and retrieve data or information. A
computer is made up of hardware and software, and can exist in a variety of sizes.

2. Basic parts of a computer

Central Processing Unit

Monitor (CPU)

Mouse

Keyboard

Figure 1 - Computer System

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a) Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device made up of a set of typewriter-like keys or buttons that allows
you to enter data into a computer. A computer keyboard is like an electric-typewriter
keyboard with additional keys. The keys on a computer keyboard are often classified as
follows:

 Alphanumeric keys - letters and numbers (0 to 9, A to Z)

 Punctuation keys - comma, period, semicolon, and so on (,;.)
 Special keys - functional keys (F1 to F12), control keys, arrow keys, Caps Lock key,
and so on.

b) Mouse
This is an input device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display
screen. A mouse is a small object you roll on a hard, flat surface. It is made up of two buttons
namely primary and secondary. The primary button (left button) is used to perform the
following tasks:

 Clicking
 Double clicking
 Dragging
The word clicking simply means pressing and releasing the left button. In addition, double
clicking means pressing and releasing the left button twice in rapid succession.

The Right Button is used to right click. When you right click, a context sensitive menu is
displayed. This button is usually used for short commands when performing specific tasks.
For instance, you can double click on an icon on the desktop to open a program.

In addition to the two buttons the mouse has another button called the scroll button. This
button is used to move the cursor up and down the screen display.
Scroll
Button Secondary Button
(Right Button)
Primary Button
(left Button)

Figure 2: Mouse

c) Monitor or Visual Display Unit (VDU)

This is both an input and output display device that looks like a TV in a computer system.
It enables the user to see what is happening in the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It is
used as both an input device as a touch screen and an output device as a monitor.

d) Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU is an abbreviation for central processing unit. The CPU is the brains of the
computer. It is made up of the Control Unit (CU), Arithmetic logic Unit (ALU) and the
Main Memory.

The Control Unit controls communication and co-ordination between input and output
devices.

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 The Arithmetic and Logic Unit is used to perform mathematical operations such as
addition, subtraction, multiplication just to mention but a few. Additionally, it performs
logical operations such as comparing two values and selecting a value based on the
selection criteria.
For example
a) 5 > 3 = True
b) 1 + 2 > 1 + 1 = True

Main Memory also known as primary storage/immediate access storage or memory, is the
main storage area in a computer in which data is stored for quick access by the processor. It
stores data or instructions awaiting processing, retrieval or execution. The main memory is
made up of two parts namely Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory
(ROM).

RAM is the largest part of the main memory and is the part that keeps data and instructions
temporarily during processing, retrieval and execution. It is dependent on electricity. This
means that, its contents vanish when power is switched off. This is the reason why this type
of memory is said to be unstable or volatile. Therefore, this type of memory is not
permanent.

Figure 3: Random Access Memory (RAM)

ROM on the other hand, is a type of memory that keeps instructions or programs that have
been set in by the manufacturers. Its content cannot be edited or erased but can only be read.
This means that its content can only be retrieved and you cannot save anything to it. . Unlike
RAM, ROM is permanent. This also means that when power goes off its content cannot
vanish.

Figure 4: Read Only Memory (ROM)

3. Advantages of using a computer

a) High Accuracy compared to human being e.g.- (when calculating large amounts of
data)
b) Superior speed of operation when processing data e.g. Sending Email, retrieving data,
buying and selling of goods via Internet just to mention but a few.
c) One computer is able to store large amounts of data that could fit in a room.

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 d) It is a flexible machine because it can be used for business and leisure (E.g. play
games, watch movies, and chat on social networks.)
e) Some computers such as laptops and IPad are portable meaning they can be easily
carried.

4. Disadvantages of using a computer

a) It can spoil your eye sight if you spent too much time on the monitor without taking
breaks.
b) It is relatively expensive to buy a computer.
c) Computers are expensive to maintain. For example, it costs a lot of money to replace
computer parts or buy latest software.
d) It needs skilled manpower to operate.
e) It needs electricity to work.

5. Terminologies used in computer studies

 Uninterruptable power supply (UPS)

This is a battery operated device that provides a computer
with electricity if there is a power failure. The olden days
UPS will keep a computer going for 5-30 minutes.
Nowadays the UPS can keep the computer going for
hours. The UPS is connected directly to the power source
and the computers are connected to the extension cables
from the UPS. So in an event that there is a power failure
the UPS will automatically power the computer (s)
without the computer switching off. It goes into operation
as soon as the power to your computer fails. Figure 5 - Uninterruptable
Power Supply (UPS)

 Hardware
These are the physical components of a computer system which can be seen and touched.
Notable examples include keyboard, mouse, central processing unit (CPU) and monitor.

 Software
Software is a general term used to describe programs or instructions that make the
computer work. Software can be categorized into two main parts namely Systems
Software and Application software.

i. Systems Software
System(s) software is computer software designed to operate and control the
hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.

Examples of systems software include the

following:
 The operating system: (main examples
being Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac
OS X) allows the parts of a computer to
work together by performing tasks like
transferring data between memory and
disks or rendering output onto a display
device. It also provides a platform to run
application software.
Figure 6 - Linux Operating System

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 Figure 7 - Mac Operating System Figure 8 – Microsoft Windows 8 Operation System

 Utility software: helps to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer.
 Device drivers: such as computer BIOS and device firmware provide basic
functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or built into the
computer.
 A user interface: allows users to interact with a computer. Since the 1980s the
graphical user interface (GUI) has been perhaps the most common user interface
technology. The command-line interface is still a commonly used alternative.

ii. Application Software

Application software is defined as a set of programs designed to perform a specific
task for the user.

iii. Examples of Application software

 Word Processors
A word processor is a program that is used for typing and editing text document such
as a letter, memo or a report. Examples – MS Word, Word Perfect

 Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet is a program that is used to perform calculations and analyze data such
as statement of account, payroll or budget. Examples – Microsoft Excel and Lotus
123

 Presentation software
Presentation software is a program that allows users to create presentation slides with
sound, pictures and animations. It can used to create presentations for jets projects
and science fair. Example – Microsoft PowerPoint

 Databases software
A database program is an organized and structured collection of data. A general-
purpose Database Management System (DBMS) is a software system designed to
allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of databases. For
example, modeling the availability of rooms in hotels in a way that supports finding a
hotel with vacancies. Example - Microsoft Access

 Graphics Software
A graphics software is a program used for designing or creating different documents
such as wedding cards, business cards, posters, billboards just to mention but a few.
Example - Micro Graphics, Corel draw, photo shop

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  Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program is a computer technology used for designing
and design documentation. This program is mostly used in architecture designs and

structural engineering fields, you’ve probably used 2D or 3D CAD programs. These

programs can help you explore design ideas, visualize concepts through photorealistic
renderings, and simulate how a design will perform in the real world. AutoCAD
software was the first CAD program, and it is still the most widely used CAD
application.

CAD programs have different features depending on whether your design process
involves 2D vector-based graphics or 3D modeling of solid surfaces. Most 3D CAD
programs let you apply multiple light sources, rotate objects in three dimensions, and
render designs from any angle.

 Desktop Publishing Software (DPS)

A DPS is a program that allows the user to insert both text and pictures (graphics) in a
document to design magazines, newspapers, catalogues just to mention but a few.
Example – MS Publisher

Data
Data is the term used to describe basic or raw facts of information. This is simply
unprocessed information. Data does not give a full meaning. Good examples of data are
words that form a sentence. For instance, in the following sentence “Ngunje has gone to the
market to buy a loaf of bread.” Words like Ngunje, has, gone, to, the, market, to, buy, a, loaf,
of and bread can be said to be data items that don’t make sense own their own. Data is simply
any numbers, letters or symbols that can be entered into a computer system.
Here are some items of data:

A, 20, DOG, 3.1415927, ABC123, +++

But what do they mean? Who knows? They could mean anything! Data values don’t have
any meaning unless we put them into context (context means a setting or circumstance).

For instance, in the above example what does the value 20 mean?

20 cm? 20 minutes? 20 cats? K20?

Without a context the value 20 is meaningless. But, if we provide a context for our data, it
becomes something far more useful: information. So data can also be said to be unprocessed
information.

Information
Information on the other hand is a term used to describe a group of data items that have
undergone processing. This is simply processed data. A good example of information is
words that have been combined to form a sentence. For instance, the following words
Ngunje, has, gone, to, the, market, to, buy, a, loaf, of and bread when put together for a
sentence “Ngunje has gone to the market to buy a loaf of bread.” The combined words make
a complete sentence which makes sense. Therefore, information is said to be meaningful.
Information has a meaning and it allows you to make a decision. We might enter this data
into a computer…

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 186197/79/5
140274/12/4
083111/23/2

Without knowing the context (what the data actually represents) the data is just a
meaningless collection of numbers. However, if we are told that the values represent the
ISBNs of books, the values now have a context. With context, they have meaning - they are
now information.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that
includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular
phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as
the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and
distance learning via internet just to mention but a few.

Input, Process, Storage and Output Operations

A computer system has four basic operations namely input, processing, storage and output.
The diagram below shows the flow of data and instructions in a computer system.

INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT

STORAGE

Figure 9 – The flow of data and instructions in a computer

system
6. INPUT DEVICES
An input device is any electronic garget that is used to enter data and instructions into a
computer system. Examples include: keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, microphone,
digital camera, stylus pencil, touch screen monitor and many others. Keyboard and
mouse have already been explained on the subtopic “parts of a computer”. Let us look at
other input devices that have not been explained so far.
a) A joystick is an input device that controls the movement of a pointer or some other
display symbol in all directions. It is similar to a mouse, except that with a mouse the
cursor stops moving as soon as you stop moving the mouse. With a joystick, the
pointer continues moving in the direction the joystick is pointing. To stop the pointer,
you must return the joystick to its upright position. Most joysticks have
two buttons called triggers. Joysticks are used mostly for computer
games, but they are also used occasionally for Computer Aided Diagrams
(CAD) /Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems and other
applications.
Figure - 10 - Joystick

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b) A scanner is an input device that captures images from
mostly photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and
similar sources in a digital format for computer editing
and display. Figure 11 - Scanner

c) A microphone is an input device into which people speak or sing

in order to record their voices or to make them sound louder.
Data that is captured from a microphone is called audio.
Figure 12 - Microphone
d) A digital camera is an input device that records and stores
photographic images in digital form. Many current models are
also able to capture sound or video, in addition to still images.
These stored images can be uploaded to a computer
immediately or stored in the camera to be uploaded into a
computer or printer later. Images may also be archived on a
Figure 13 - Digital Camera photographic compact disc or external hard disk.

e) A pen-shaped instrument that absorbs current and is used with

the capacitive touch screens on smart phones and tablets. See
stylus pen and touch screen.
Figure 14 - Stylus Pencil

f) MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. This technology uses
magnetically chargeable ink or toner to print the
numbers and special characters on the bottom of checks
or other financial transaction documents. The MICR is
mostly used in the banking industry in many countries
because it allows for fast and reliable document
processing. The numbers usually include the account
number from high the money will be drawn, the
identification number and the routing and transit of the Figure 15 - Magnetic Ink
check for the bank where the account resides. Character Recognition Device

g) Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the mechanical

or electronic transcription of images of typewritten or
printed text into machine, which is computer-readable
text. It is widely used as a form of data entry from some
sort of original paper data source, whether passport
documents, invoices, bank statement, receipts, business Figure 16 - Optical
Character Recognition
card, mail, or any number of printed records. It is a
common method of digitizing printed texts so that they can
be electronically edited, searched, stored more compactly, displayed on-line, and used
in machine processes such as machine translation, text-to-speech, key data extraction
and text mining.

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 h) A touch screen monitor is an input device that can detect and
respond to something, such as a finger or stylus pencil,
pressing on it.

Figure 17 - Touch Screen Monitor

i) Optical mark recognition is a technology which uses a special scanner that reads
marks printed in particular positions and converts them into computer usable form.
The best known example is the OMR technology used to pupils’ answers for grade
seven examinations by the Examination
Council of Zambia. Another example is that
of Zambia State lottery Board tickets. In this
case, pencil marks on the tickets that fill in
the circles, or bubbles on specially designed
documents are read by an OMR scanner.
OMR is also used in Research forms and
Figure 18 - Optical Mark Reader surveys.

7. OUTPUT DEVICES
An output device is an electronic device or equipment connected to a computer that is
used to retrieve data and information from a computer. Output devices will retrieve data
from a computer in form of text, images, sounds, or other media. Examples of output
devices include speakers, headphones, printers, and screen/monitor just to mention but a
few.

a) A speaker is an output device that is used to produce audio or sound that

can be heard by the listener. Some speakers are designed to work
specifically with computers, while others can be hooked up to any type
of sound system.
Figure 19 - Computer Speakers

b) Headphones are output devices consisting of a pair of

earphones joined by a band placed over the head, for listening
to audio signals such as music or speech.
.
Figure 20 - Headphones
c) A printer is an output device that accepts text and
graphic output from a computer and transfers the information
to paper, usually to standard size sheets of paper. Printers are
sometimes sold with computers, but more frequently are
purchased separately. Printers vary in size, speed,
sophistication, and cost. In general, more expensive printers
are used for higher-resolution colour printing. A modern
Figure 21 - Printer printer is able to print, scan, copy and send fax. A printer can
also be connected to a network.

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 d) A monitor is the most common or the main output device of a computer. Before you
command for a page printout the monitor will display the
data on the screen, referred to as a softcopy, and a printed
copy is referred to as hardcopy. It forms images from tiny
dots, called pixels that are arranged in a rectangular form.
The sharpness of the image depends upon the number of the
Figure 22 - A monitor pixels.
(Visual Display unit)

e) Digital projectors are used in situations when a very large viewing area is required,
for example during presentations, for advertising, or in your home for watching
movies.

A projector connects to a computer, a DVD player or a

satellite receiver just like an ordinary monitor. The image
is produced inside the device and then projected out
through a large lens, using a powerful light source. Figure 23 - A Projector

7. Secondary Storage Devices or Backing Storage

The secondary storage devices are types of computer devices used to keep data and
information permanently. Secondary storage can also mean external or auxiliary storage,
some of the examples of backing storage include e.g. hard drive, flash disc, memory card,
DVD, just to mention but a few.

a) Different Storage Devices

i. Floppy Disk
A small, thin, plastic square case, with a
flexible magnetic disk inside on which,
data for a computer can be stored. It is
said to be floppy because it is able to tilt
a bit. It is small and portable and
usually holds about 1.44 MB of storage.
It is inserted into a Floppy Disk Drive. Figure 24 - Floppy Figure 25 - Floppy Disk
This type of storage device is usually Disk drive
not present on latest central processing units and the floppy disc is rare to find
nowadays.

ii. Flash-disk
A flash drive is a small, ultra-portable storage device which, unlike an optical drive or a
traditional hard drive. Flash drives connect to computers and
other devices via a built-in Universal Serial Bus (USB) type-
A plug, making a flash drive a kind of combination USB
device and cable. A Universal Serial Bus is simply a path
which carries data. In this case, we are talking about carrying Figure 26 - Flash Disk
data from the storage media to the computer memory.

Most flash drives have a storage capacity ranging from 8 GB to 64 GB. Smaller and
larger flash drives are also available but they're harder to find. One of the first flash

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 drives was just 8 MB in size. The largest currently available is a USB 3.0 flash drive
with a 1 TB (1024 GB) capacity.

Flash drives can be written and rewritten to almost unlimited number of times, similar
to hard drives. Flash drives have completely replaced floppy drives for portable storage
and, considering how large and inexpensive flash drives have become, they've even
nearly replaced CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, and BD disc for data storage purposes.

iii. Zip Drive

New generation similar to the floppy disk drive created by
Iomega. The Iomega Zip Drive was first released in 1994 and
today is becoming a popular solution for PC and Macintosh
computers as a removable solution. Zip Drives Disks come in
100MB, 250MB and 750MB. Figure 27 - Zip Drive

iv. Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD ROM) and Digital Versatile Disc Read
Only Memory (DVD-ROM)
These are read-only optical storage discs. They are 12cm in diameter. This kind of
storage can only be written to once and can be read from unlimited number of times.
This is the reason why this kind of memory is said to be read only. CD-ROMs can store
about 700 MB while DVD-ROMs can store up to 17 GB.

Advantages
 Portable
 Able to store large amounts of text, images and audio
 DVD-ROMs can also store full length films
Disadvantages
 Both are read only so cannot be used to store user data
Figure 28 - CD ROM

v. CD R and DVD R
These are both examples of 'Write-once Read Many'
(WORM) optical storage media. They are purchased as
blank media and can be written to using a DVD drive with
user data only once but then read from many times.

Advantages Figure 29 - DVD Drive

 Portable
 Able to store large amounts of text, images and audio
 CD-R can store up to 650MB of data
 DVD-R can hold 4.7GB of data

Disadvantages
 DVD-R are CD-R are compatible with traditional CD Figure 30 – DVD ROM
players after data has been written onto the disc.

vi. CD RW & DVD RW

CD RW & DVD RW stands for Compact Disk Rewritable &
Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable. The different feature of these
particular discs is that you can write data to them and erase the
data and rewrite on the discs over and over again. Figure 31 - CD RW
AND DVD RW
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 Advantages
 Able to store large amounts of text, images and audio
 CD-R can store up to 650MB of data
 DVD-R can hold 4.7GB of data
 Can be written to multiple times so advantageous over WORM discs

Disadvantages
 May not be compatible with normal CD or DVD players

vii. Blu Ray Disk

Becoming the new format for movies and possibly replacing DVDs in the future. They
use a blue laser to record more data onto a disc which is the same physical size as a
DVD.

Advantages
 Can store large amounts of data compared to DVDs, up to 50
GB for dual layered discs

Disadvantages
 Currently expensive compared to DVDs
 May not be compatible with normal CD or DVD players
 Most computers don't have Blu ray players/ recorders
 Significantly more expensive than DVDs for consumer data
Figure 32- Blu Ray Disk
storage.

viii. HD DVD
High-density DVD (HD-DVD) discs can hold around 15GB of
data (a dual-layer HD-DVD can hold twice that). HD-DVDs are
random-access devices. HD-DVD discs are used in the same
way as DVD-ROMs (see above) but, since they can hold more
data, they are also used to store very high-quality, high-
definition (HD)video.
Figure 33 - HD DVD
Advantages
 Can store large amounts of data compared to DVDs, up to 50 GB for dual layered
discs

Disadvantages
 Currently more expensive compared to normal DVDs
 May not be compatible with normal CD or DVD players
 Most computers don't have Blu ray players/ recorders as standard
 Significantly more expensive than DVDs for consumer data storage.

ix. Fixed Hard Disc

These are the most common type of backing storage in
modern PCs. They normally hold all of the installed
programs and data for the PC while it is switched off.

Advantages
 High capacity typically over 1000GB in modern
laptops and more in desktops
 Low cost per byte of storage capacity Figure 34 - Fixed Hard
Disc
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 Disadvantages
 Not portable - fixed inside the computer

x. Portable Hard Disc

These are identical to fixed hard discs except that they are not fixed in the computer.
They have their own case to protect the drive and are normally connect via USB ports.

Advantages
 Portable – they can easily be carried anywhere.
 Large capacity often 1000GB or more
 Compatible with most modern PCs equipped with a
USB port or similar

Disadvantages
 Easily damaged if dropped especially if they are
switched on when they are dropped Figure 35 - Portable Hard Disk

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Self-Test Questions (Memorization)

Exercise 1
Section A
1. A ___________________ is an output device that accepts text and graphic output from a
computer and transfers the information to paper

2. The ________________________is the input device of the computer used to click right
click and drag.

3. Right clicking means pressing and releasing the _______________________button

4. _______________________is the part of the computer made of Main memory, Control

Unit and Arithmetic Logic Unit.

5. Random Access Memory and Read Only Memory are the components of the
__________________________memory.

6. _______________________ is an unstable (volatile) memory.

7. Basic facts of information are called ______________________________

8. _______________________ are devices used to store data or information permanently

for future use.

9. Flash disk is an example of a____________________________device.

10. _____________ is the part of main memory which cannot be erased and is permanent.

Short-Answer Questions (Comprehension)

Section B

1. What is a computer?
2. Name Four (4) major parts of the computer?
3. What are input devices?
4. What is data?
5. What is information?
6. What do you understand by output devices?
7. Name at least Four input devices
8. Name at least Four output devices
9. What is the difference between Optical Character Recognition and Optical Mark
Recognition?
10. Name two application of Optical Character Recognition.

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Section C: Applying, Analyzing, Synthesizing and Evaluating
1. Describe how a mouse operates.
2. Explain in details the process of Input, Process and Output in relation to the computer.
3. Describe the application of Optical mark Recognition in marking grade seven
examinations.
4. Describe how the Optical Character Recognition process reads water bills at Lusaka
Water Sewerage Company.
5. Explain briefly the process of Magnetic Ink Character Recognition.
6. Explain how the data is processed by a computer.
7. Describe the parts that make up the main memory.
8. Distinguish between Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM)
9. Distinguish between input devices and output devices
10. Distinguish between Systems Software and Application software.

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Unit 2 Basic Computers Operations
At the end of this unit, learners should be able to:

 Power up and down of computers and various technologies and peripherals correctly
 Interact with icons and menus in a Graphic User Interface (GUI) environment in
windows
 Demonstrate the need to take care of computer and storage media to prevent data loss
 Explain the consequences of theft of computers or other portable ICT devices and
computer viruses.
 Assume correct posture to avoid injuries.

1. Basic Computer Operations

a) Powering up and down of computers and peripherals
Switching on the equipment
The first step in powering up computers or Remember the three Steps
peripheral devices is to ensure that the power cable when switching on the
is plugged on to the socket. Secondly, one must Computer.
ensure that the monitor is powered on in case of a
desktop computer. Thereafter, the central processing
unit can then be switched on. Step 1: Plug the computer
to the power socket
In case of other electronic and peripheral devices, and switch on the
you must first ensure that the cable is plugged on to power socket.
the socket, and then you can switch on the socket
Step 2: Switch on the
after which you can switch on the equipment. This
applies to scanners, printers; television sets DVD Monitor
player and many other electronic devices. Step 3: Switch on the
Central Processing
Computers when powered on need to initialize. This Unit
process takes some time to allow files to be
transferred from the secondary storage device called
the hard disk to the working space called Random Access Memory (RAM). The
process of transferring system files from the hard disk to RAM is called booting.
After booting the computer is then ready to be used.

It should be noted that when the computer is booting the user is not supposed to
touch or press any button unless prompt to do so.

Booting can also be applicable to other peripherals like printers, scanners, copiers
just to mention but a few.

b) Introduction to windows
When you switch on the computer that has Windows 7 as its operating system the
computer will load up to the desktop as shown below. The Desktop is the main
screen and it is the work area where icons, dialog boxes, and menus appear. An icon
is a pictorial representation of either a folder, file or program shortcut on the desktop.

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 A program shortcut - icon

This is a file - icon

This is a folder icon

Start Menu Bar

Figure 36 - Shows the different feature of Windows 7 Desktop

Taskbar
Start Button

 Folder
A folder is a container you can use to store files. If you had thousands of paper files
on your desk, it would be nearly impossible to find any particular file when you
needed it. That is why people often store paper files in folders inside a filing cabinet.
On your computer, folders work the same way. Here are some typical folder icons:

An empty folder (left) and a folder containing

files (right). Usually folders will appear in a
yellow colour.
Figure 37 - Figure 38 - Folder
Empty Folder Containing Files

Folders can also store other folders. A folder within a folder is usually called a
subfolder. You can create any number of subfolders, and each can hold any type and
number of files and additional subfolders.

The chart below will show you how you may name folders within a folder.

My Documents

MOVIES SCHOOL NOTES MUSIC

ACTION COMEDY ICT MATHS ZAMBIAN JAZZ

Figure 39 - How to name folders in a computer

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 From the chart above my documents is the main folder, it has three subfolders namely
Movies, School Notes and Music. The three subfolders have other folders as shown
above. This folder tree can go on and on. The folders will help you organize your file
properly.

 Dialog Box
A dialog box is a secondary window that allows users to perform a commands, asks
users a question, or provides users with information or feedback. The dialogue box
acts like a query Menu which allows the user to decide what the program should do.

Figure 40 - Shows an example of a dialog Box

 A typical dialog box

Dialog boxes consist of a title bar (to identify the command, feature, or program
where a dialog box came from), an optional main instruction (to explain the user's
objective with the dialog box), various controls in the content area (to present
options), and commit buttons (to indicate how the user wants to commit to the task).

 Menus: Like in a restaurant menu, a menu offers a list of options to choose from. In
this case, a list of commands to manipulate data, such as print or copy. There are
several types of menus. A pull down menu, also called a drop down menu, is a list of
options that pulls down from the menu bar at the top of the screen. For example, if
you use a mouse to “click on” (activate) a command (for instance File) on the menu
bar you will see a pull down menu offering further commands.

Pull Down
Menu

Figure 41 - Shows a pull down menu

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 c) Turning off the computer
When turning off the computers in Windows 7 and Linux operating systems, it is
important to follow the following steps:

Step 1: Click on the start button

Step 2: Click on the shutdown
button (Clicking on
shutdown button results into your
computer shutting down
automatically without having to
switch off by pressing the switch
button)
Shutdown Step 3: Turn off the switch on the
monitor and power off the socket
where you plugged the power cable

Figure 42 - Shows how to shut down a

computer in Windows 7 OS
Start button

Step 1: Click on the shutdown

button
Step 2: Click on ok (Clicking on
shutdown button results into your
computer shutting down
automatically without having to
switch off by pressing the switch
button)
Click OK Step 3: Turn off the switch on the
monitor and power off the socket
Shut down where you plugged the power cable
Figure 43 - Shows how to shutdown a button
computer in Linux OS

For other electronic devices, you need to power off the device by simply pressing the
switch. For some devices like printers, in case they are in sleep mode, they may take
some time to turn off. This is as a result of closing up programs that might be in their
memory.
Note that every time you
d) How to start and quit a Program in Windows click, you must use the left
Let us practice together by following the steps button on the mouse and
below. only use the right button
when you are told to RIGHT
Step 1. Click on the START button (the start CLICK.
menu will appear)
Step 2. Move the mouse and click on ALL
PROGRAMS (this will display all the programs on the Computer)

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 Step 3. Move the mouse and click on Accessories (a menu that contains all programs
listed on accessories will appear)
Step 4. Click on the Calculator button to start the program

Step 3:
Accessories Button

Step 2:
All Program Button

Figure 44 – Start Menu

Figure 44 – Start Menu Figure 45 – Program Menu

Step 4: Exit or Quit button is always

Calculator on the top right corner of
Button every program

Figure 46 – Accessories Menu Figure 47 – Calculator

2. Types of User Interface

a) Graphical User interface

A graphical user interface is a user controllable display screen that allows you to
communicate, or interact, with the computer. In the beginning, computers had
command driven interfaces, which required that you type in complicated –looking
instructions. For instance copying from the floppy disk to the hard disk required that
you type in a:\filename c:\This means that the user needed to memorize the
commands to be able to use the computer. In the next version, there were menu
driven interfaces, in which you could use the arrow keys on your keyboard to choose
a command from a menu, or a list of activities.

Today the computer’s “dashboard” is usually a graphical user interface (GUI)

(pronounced as gooey), which allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons
(little symbols) and commands from the menu lists. The GUIs on the PC and on the
Apple Macintosh are different but with similar features. The most commonly used
GUI are Microsoft Windows (Examples include: Windows XP, Windows Vista,
Windows 7 and Windows 8). The following is a picture showing a graphical user
interface in windows 7.

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 Musical
Program
Mozilla
window
Firefox
Window

MS Word
window

Figure 48 - A graphical User Interface for Windows 7

 Pull up and cascading menu

Choosing one of these options may produce further menus called cascading
menus. These are menus that fly back to the left, or explode out to the right,
where ever there is space. On the other hand a pull up menu is a menu that moves
up from the bottom of the screen. In Windows 7 a pull up menu appears when you
click on the start button.

 Cascading menu
Moving the mouse pointer to an option on the pull-up
menu produces a fly out menu with more options in
some cases
Cascading
Menu

Figure 49 - A Cascading Menu

 Command driven interfaces
These are interfaces that provide a
platform for communication with the
users through the use of instructions
called commands. Users have to enter
a command using a keyboard. For
example, to check the folder called
directory containing a file you type
Dir. Additionally, if you want to move
back to the previous directory you type
CD.. CD stands for change directory Figure 50 - A Command Driven Interface
furthermore CLS is a command to
clear the screen.

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Advantages of graphical user interfaces over command driven interfaces

Command driven interfaces Graphical user interfaces

Difficult to memorize commands Commands are seen before clicking on them
Do not use icons Use icons and menus which are easy to
locate
Working in a command interface is slow as Working in a GUI environment is quick
users enter commands using the keyboard
Tasks are done in a complicated manner Tasks are easily done. For example printing
just needs clicking on print icon
You can only run one command at a go You can run as many commands at once

3. Health Issues
The use of computers brings about a number of challenges to the users. These health
challenges include:
 Repetitive Strain Injury, RSI
 Eye strain
 Back Injuries

Repetitive Strain Injury

RSI affects the muscles, nerves and joints. They cause persistent pain most commonly in
the neck, shoulders, forearms, hands, wrists, elbows and lower limbs. The human body is
not designed to perform the same actions repeatedly for long periods of time without rest.
Unfortunately jobs involving activities like typing can be done without rest as they are
not physically demanding and this can lead to injuries that are hard to treat.

To prevent RSI one must take regular breaks at approximately 30minute interval. Ensure
that your arms are parallel to the floor resting on an arm support.

Eye Strain
Eyestrain occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, such as driving a car for
extended periods, reading or sitting on a computer for a long time. When you are using
the computer for a long period of time without taking breaks you are more often than not
going to suffer from eye strain.

To prevent eye strain use screen protectors and take regular breaks at approximately
30minute interval. Avoid very bright monitor resolutions. Also ensure that you are not
too close to the monitor.

Back Injuries
Sitting on a computer for long periods of time often results in poor posture. As you are
using the computer ensure that your back is in a straight position. Too much time with
your spine bent will weaken muscles and lead to back strain.

To prevent back injuries ensure that the chair you are using has a back support for curve
in spine. Ensure that your shoulders are down with elbows close to your body.

4. Safety Issues
Safety refers to working according to the laid down guide lines to avoid accidents.
These include:
 Cables correctly placed to prevent a tripping hazard

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 No eating or drinking in the computer room or near a computer because they
could easily spill over electronic equipment
 Adequate lighting and ventilation of working areas
 Having fire extinguishers in case of fire
 Switching off all computers when not in use including the power socket

Proper sitting posture to avoid injuries

 . Head: Direct the head over shoulders without straining forward or backward,
about an arm’s length from screen
 Neck: Make your neck elongated and relaxed.
 Shoulders: Keep down, with the chest open and wide
 Back: Make sure your back is upright or inclined slightly forward from the
hips. Maintain the slight natural curve of the lower.
 Elbows: Make your elbows relaxed, at about a right angle, try to keep
forearms parallel to floor.
 Wrists: Make your wrists relaxed, and in a natural positions, without flexing
up or down.
 Knees: Keep your knees slight lower than the hips.
 Light source: Make sure your light source come from behind the head.
 Screen: Ensure that the screen is at eye level or slightly lower.
Use an anti-glare screen.
 Fingers: Make sure that your fingers are gently curved.
 Keyboard: It is best when kept flat (for proper wrist positioning) and at or
just below elbow level. Computer keys that are far away should be reached by
moving the entire arm, starting with the shoulders, rather than by twisting the
wrists or straining the fingers. Take frequent rest or breaks.
 Feet: Ensure that your feet are firmly planted on the floor.

Figure 51 – Correct Sitting Posture

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5. Care for computer systems
The issue of securing your computers is of paramount importance that one cannot afford
the loss emanating from damage or theft. It is therefore, imperative that one needs to put
in place a plan to secure the computers.

Other than theft, there are also other hazards that can lead to the damage of one’s
computer. These include liquids, dust, food particles, magnets, power surges and
lightening. The damage to the computer can result in failure by the owner to access data
or software programs. It is therefore important that computer owners take keen interest in
ensuring that both hardware and software are safeguarded.

In this case, the emphasis will be put on four areas namely: guarding against hardware
theft and loss, guarding against damage to hardware, guarding against damage to
software and protecting your data.

a) Guarding against hardware theft and loss

Theft of computers is very rampant in Zambia and world over. Portable computers can
easily be removed from the back pack or simply stolen together with a carrying case
(bag). This mostly happens in public places. This is the very reason why it is advisable
never to leave your portable computer unattended to in a public place. It is also possible
to lose your portable computer by forgetting it on the overhead luggage in the bus, on a
train or in an aero plane.

To help you recover the portable computer, it is advisable to put a tape card with your
name and address to the outside of the machine. You should also tape a similar card
inside of the machine. In addition, scatter a few such cards in the pockets of the carrying
case. This can help you identify your stolen or lost item once it is discovered.

Desktop computers are also easily stolen. The following are some of the precautions that
need to be taken to secure them.
 The rooms where computers are held should not only be locked but must have
mounted grill doors with locks.
 In addition, under a small amount of money you can buy a cable like those used to
secure bicycles to secure the computer, monitor, and printer to a work area.
 If your school has a computer room it is wise to have an alarm system.
 In an event that your hardware gets stolen, its recovery can be easy if you had put the
tape card on the parts of your computer. In this case you can put your address on the
tape card and stick it on the hardware as you deem fit. Furthermore, you can write
your national identity number such as national registration card (NRC), passport and
driver’s license just to mention but a few. In some cases, police have inscribing tools
which they charge at a fee and can be used to track your computers if stolen.
 You can also insure your computers against theft with an insurance company which is
surprisingly very cheap.
 Only authorized people should be allowed in the computer room
 The computer room must be locked when no one is using the computers.

b) Guarding against damage to hardware

Because desktop computers are not moved anyhow, damage to them is very rare.
Laptops, however, are another story. Because of the movement, the wear and tear is more
than that of a desktop computer. In order to guard against damage to hardware take the
following precautions:

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  No eating or drinking in the computer room or near a computer because they
could easily spill over electronic equipment
 Do not move computer hardware from one room to the other everyday
 Make sure that the computers are connected via a surge protector in case of lightening
due to rains when computers are left on.
 The computers in the computer room must be covered when the room is being swept
to prevent dust going to the computer.

c) Guarding against damage to software

The damage to software is as a result of a number of factors. Viruses mostly planted or
obtain un-intentionally can corrupt software files thereby making them not functional.

A virus is a computer program that corrupts other computer programs and files. They
multiply and attach themselves to programs. This results in the corruption of program
files. On the other hand, the damage to the hardware like the hard disk can also lead to
the software not being accessed. In short; the software can also be said to be damaged. To
safeguard against damage to software ensure the following:
 Install an antivirus – An antivirus is a program that prevents or deletes viruses
from your computer.
 Always make sure that your antivirus is updated on the internet
 In this case, both the systems software and application software must have a
backup kept remotely when the software is corrupt or damaged. At the most,
make 3 backups of both software and data and keep the backups away from the
computer room. If your computer catches fire and you have kept the backup near
the computer it is most likely that you will lose both.
 Only allow people who are computer literate to operate the computer because if
not they may delete or uninstall programs on the computer.

e) Protecting your data

In computing, computer hardware and software can be replaced at a cost. However data
may be a major trouble to be replaced or can even be irreplaceable. If your hard disk
drive crushes do you have the same data on your back up? Almost every microcomputer
user sooner or later has the experience of accidentally wiping out or losing material and
having no copy. This is what makes people become true believers of backing up their
data- making duplicate of some form. If you are working on a research paper, for
example, it’s fairly easy to copy your data onto a CD or keychain memory at the end of
the work session. Then store the copy in a safe place.

Always ensure that fire extinguishers are placed in designated places. This helps in
putting off fire.

6. Computer Viruses
A computer virus is the term given to describe a program that has the ability to delete
data and programs causing nuisance to the user. It may contain destructive code that
moves into multiple programs, data files, or devices on a system and spread through
multiple systems in a network. Potential damages include erasing data or freezing PCs,
causing loss of productivity, creating a security breach, invading privacy or stealing
internal services. There are many types of viruses around; examples include Trojan
horses, worms just to mention but a few.

 Trojan horse
It is a program that appears to perform a useful function, and sometimes does so quite

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 well, but also includes unadvertised features that is usually malicious in nature.
Malicious means = causing harm. Modifying = improve or change.

 Worms
A worm is similar to a virus by design and is considered to be a sub-class of a virus.
Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the capability to
travel without any human action. A worm takes advantage of a file or information
transport features on your system that allows it to travel unaided. Differences between
Worms and Viruses are:

 Worms can travel around the computer or network without physical action
 A virus needs to physically move by a computer user (execute/copy/paste)
 A worm can replicate without a host file
 A virus needs host file to work to replicate
 Worm can multiply automatically, taking up large amounts of space in the
computer causing system to overload or freeze
 Needs physical execution to cause damage on a computer. Damage can range
from complete shutdown to automatic deletion of files.

i. How does a virus spread?

A computer virus, like its human counterpart, does not spread through the air.
Humans become infected by a virus by coming in contact with someone who is
infected. So it is with computers. They must come in contact with some contaminated
source. The virus infects any form writable storage, including: hard drivers, diskettes,
magnetic tapes, optical media and memory. The most frequent sources of
contaminations are:
 Physical communication with an infected computer.
 Copying an unknown disk containing a carrier program.
 Downloading a file/email from the internet or a bulletin board system.
 Running an infected Local Area Network (LAN) program
 Playing games which are infected

ii. Preventing virus infection

Preventing a virus infection is the best way to protect your organization against
information damage. If a virus cannot establish itself within your systems, then it
cannot damage your programs or data. “Prevention is better than cure”. The following
steps can help keep a clean system from becoming infected with a virus. The
organization should prepare a policy in virus control to address the following issues.

 Tight control of freeware and shareware, a control process that includes running
anti-virus software regularly by each department.
 Control of the infection, once it is detected and recovery from the virus, including
backup and dump policies. Virus Protection Packages Several commercially
available programs can now help detect viruses and provides some degree of
protection against them. However if you’re using such programs, be careful that
they don’t cause greater problems than they can solve. Some anti-virus programs
may warn of a suspected infection when none has actually taken place. Because of
the differences in anti-virus packages, it’s important to standardize testing
procedures and analytical tools, so results can be compared on a consistent basis.

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 Unfortunately, malicious code is now a fact of life. Computer viruses appear to be

a longer term threat. Systems and data will continue to be updated to deal with the
threat accordingly.
 Only use authenticated software (original) not pirated copies (pirated here means
software that has been illegally copied – not original)

iii. Controlling Against Computer Viruses

While Information Technology professionals have long tried to ensure there liability
of a computer and network hardware, many are realizing that the loss or lack of
access to PC software and data can cripple operations and curtail revenue, Computer
viruses and other types of malicious software pose a serious threat. A number of clues

can indicate that a virus has infected or attempted to infect a system, even before any
damage is done. Unexplained system crashes, programs that suddenly don’t seem to
work properly, data files or programs mysteriously erased, disks becoming
unreadable; all could be caused by a virus.

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Exercise 2 Self-Test Questions (Memorization)
Section A
1. RSI is stands for_______________________________________________________

2. The solution to the RSI problem is _______________________________________

3. _______________ is the solution used to avoid back injuries when using computers.

4. ____________________________is a condition that affect wrist, hand, arm and neck

body parts resulting when muscle groups are forced through fast, repetitive motion.

5. A _________________is used to protect against eye strain

6. Graphical designers, desktop publishing professionals and others are also showing signs
of increased RSI due to the high use of the mouse. The best advice to this as noted by
experts is to find a ___________________ large enough to fit comfortably into their arm

7. An____________________ is a symbol representing a program, data file, or procedure.

8. A_________________ can travel around the computer or Network without Physical

action

9. Give two examples of a an interface

Example 1:_________________________________

Example 2 ___________________________ ______

10. Give three features of a graphical user interface.

1__________________________________________________________________

2_________________________________________________________________

3__________________________________________________________________

Short-Answer Questions (Comprehension)

Section B
1. What is a menu?
2. What is an icon?
3. What do you understand by the term graphical user interface?
4. What is a desktop?
5. What is a computer virus?
6. What is a worm?
7. How does a virus spread?
8. How can you prevent Repetitive Strain Injury?
9. Write a distinction between a virus and a worm.
10. Why should computer users take breaks?

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 Essay questions: Applying, Analyzing, Synthesizing and Evaluating

Section C

1. Describe two advantages to businesses of using email to send messages to customers

rather than using ordinary Zampost letters.

2. What are advantages of a graphical users interface over a command prompt interface?

3. Describe how a worm attacks computers.

4. Describe how computer viruses are spread.

5. Describe the process shutting down the computer.

6. Explain how computer viruses can be prevented.

7. Explain how eye strain occurs.

8. Describe how you can prevent eye strain.

9. Describe how back injuries occur.

10. Explain how you can prevent computer hardware from theft and damage.

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Unit 3 Computers in Everyday life.

At the end of this unit learners should be able to:

 Identify and demonstrate the use of household appliances and devices that are controlled by
embedded microprocessors
 State common uses of office equipment
 Exhibit knowledge of using computers in an Industry
 Identify the role computers play in aiding learning
 Identify social and economic effects of computers

1. Importance of Computers in everyday life

When talking about the use of computers in everyday life, we talk about the direct as well
as the indirect uses. For an example, when we use the computer for working, playing
games, or typing our jets project, we have its direct uses; while using an ATM or phone
to pay bills, we are actually making an indirect use of computer based technology.
Computers, in general, are used in nearly all fields, today, like supermarkets, banks,
hospitals, schools just to mention but a few.

In a school setting a teacher will wake up in the morning, switch on the computer and
check for E-mails (Electronic mail) or update their Facebook status. Go to work; switch
on the computer to check on the teaching focus for the day and work. Knock off at 16hrs,
get back home, and re-check the E-mails, make entries in your account folder, check the
bank balance. Then the teacher encourages his child to watch the COMPUTER quiz show
on television, or undertake grammar test using the latest software. Watch a movie or play
one round of computer games and end the day. But wait, in this busy schedule, have you
noticed how much one is dependent on the PC or computer for daily activities.
Computers play an important role in our life today. Let us know more about it.

What is a Micro Chip?

A microprocessor is really just a tiny CPU built onto a single
chip. Microprocessors are put into electronic devices to control
how they function. Microprocessor controlled devices affect our
lives in lots of different ways including in our homes, our
leisure time, how we interact socially. Figure 52 - shows a
microchip
Any electronic device in your house that needs to be controlled in some way is likely to
contain a microprocessor.

i. Household appliances that are controlled by a microprocessor.

 A computer
Your desktop PC or laptop will contain a microprocessor called a CPU (powerful
computers will contain more than one processor). The Central Processing Unit
controls all the operations in a computer system.
 Alarm Systems
The microprocessor inside an alarm is used to detect
intruders or unauthorized persons. Immediately it detects
an intruder it will set the alarm off. Some even contact the
police or Security Company for you automatically.
Remember that they are different types of alarm system
namely: car alarm, house alarm, fire alarm just to mention Figure 53 Alarms Systems
but a few.

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  Washing Machines
A washing machine will contain a micro-processor. The
processor will control water temperature, when to pump water
in and out, when to switch off.
Figure 54 – Washing Machines
 Intelligent Ovens / Microwaves /Fridges
The microprocessor inside intelligent ovens can read the barcodes on packaging and
then automatically set the temperature and cooking time to the perfect levels.
Intelligent microwaves work in much the same way. Intelligent fridges can read the
barcodes on food and determine the 'use by' dates. Food that is due to go bad is then
automatically moved to the front of the fridge so that you use it first.

 Coffee Maker
Many people start their day with a cup of coffee and
more coffeemakers are available with a programmable
computer. Since most people are in a hurry first thing in
the morning, coffeemakers that make coffee
automatically are popular. The computer in most
coffeemakers is very small and limited, but their
programmability is relatively strong. Microprocessors in
coffeemakers can also shut down an overheating coffee
pot left on by accident. Figure 55 – Coffee maker

i. Computers in Entertainment and Recreation

The introduction of online video games and tele-gambling are some of the
developments in entertainment and leisure industry.

The other areas of application include music recording and distribution; nowadays a
music company can distribute its product online through the use of internet and
World Wide Web. You can down load the songs and pay for the through the use of
internet and World Wide Web.

Music – Computers are now used with the right

software to produce music examples include Cu-Base,
Adobe Audition, cool edit. Music can now be
downloaded to a particular computer from the internet.
People can now listen to music online.
Movies – Movies are produced by the use of
computers (E.g. Adobe Premier Pro). You can watch
or download movies from a computer. Figure 56 – Music and Movie
download sites

Social Media - Social media such as facebook have really changed the way people
communicate. Individuals, celebrities, companies and politicians are now on social
media such as facebook.

Computer Games – When you talk to children about

computers the first thing that comes to their mind is
computer games. These can be played from the Figure 57 – online games

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 internet or on the computer.

Cooking Recipe’s – People who like cooking

can get almost any type of recipe for almost any
dish. They can do this by using a search engine
on the internet.

Figure 58 – Different recipe’s on the

internet

Television and radio Stations –

If you are connected to the Internet you can watch

and listen to any television station that broadcasts
online. One must have the right software and
hardware to achieve the above.

Figure 59 – Television Station on the

internet
ii. Common Office equipment and their use
In offices, you will come across and be expected to use a variety of different types of
office equipment. Although computers have made modern business increasingly
effective and efficient, there are other office equipment that are used in many offices
today. The main equipment’s found in most offices are:

 Printers – This is device that is connected to a computer and is used to print

different documents such as reports, letters, brochures, memo’s just to mention
but a few.
 Photocopiers - A photocopier is a machine that makes paper copies of documents
and pictures. Latest photocopiers have the ability to create smaller or bigger
versions of the original document. For example, you might have an image or
picture that you want to make smaller so that it can fit onto another document you
are creating.
 Faxes - A fax machine is a device that sends and receives text and pictures along
phone lines. Gone are the days of old, when we used to have noisy fax machines.
Nowadays you can get really good fax machines which have many features that
the old varieties did not possess. There are some fax machines which come with a
phone, scanner, copier and printer.
 Telephone - A telephone is an electronic device used for two-way talking with
other people.
 Scanner - A scanner is an input device that captures images from mostly
photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources in a digital
format for computer editing and display.

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 Projector - An LCD projector is a type of video projector for displaying video or
visual information. Whatever is displayed on a computer monitor can be projected
to a wall or white board or other flat surface by the use of computers.

 A computer – A computer can be used in an office to create different documents,

process data into information. The documents created can be saved, printed or
sent online.

Figure 60 – Fax Machine Figure 61 - Scanner Figure 62 - Projector

Figure 63 – Photo
Copier
 Industrial application of computers
Computer-controlled manufacturing has changed the way products are made.
Modern factories are full of robots; everything is automated. In a modern factory
the only people you will see are a few engineers who are responsible for keeping
the robots and other machinery running smoothly. This is very different to old
factories, where everything was done manually by human workers.

When you think of the word 'robot', you might picture a human-shaped robot with
arms, legs and a head as seen in science –fiction films. However this is not the
sort of robots used in factories.

Robots used in factories are

called industrial robots, and they
come in a wide variety of shapes
and sizes.
The most common type of
industrial robot looks a little bit
like a human arm. The robot has
joints (like our shoulder, elbow,
and wrist) and some sort of
Figure 64 – Shows the old type of industry which used
manipulator / device on the end human being in the factory
of the arm (where our hand
would be).
Robots often work in groups, one robot holding a part, whilst another robot does
something to it.

How Robots Are Used in a Factory

Robots are used to:
• lift heavy items from place to place
• assemble parts together to create things
• join parts together using glue, or by
welding (melting metal)
• paint things

Advantages of using robots compared to

human beings
• Robots can work 24 hours a day, every
Figure 65 – Shows the new type
of industry that
that uses computers in a factory
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 day, with no breaks
• Robots don't need to be paid a wage (so money is saved)
• Robots are extremely accurate compared to humans, so quality products are
produced is high
• Robots can perform tasks more quickly than humans, so more products can be
made
• Factories with robots don't need to be heated or even have the lights on, and
they don't need food (so lower day-to-day costs)
• Robots can work in very dangerous / unhealthy conditions (e.g. with
dangerous chemicals)
• Robots don't get bored or they can’t hate their job!

Disadvantages of using robots compared to humans:

 Robots cannot easily adapt to unusual conditions like a human can (e.g. if an
item on the line is not in the correct place, a human worker would notice and
correct it)
 People are made unemployed because robots are doing their jobs (however
some new jobs are created - looking after the robots - and some employees
can be retrained)
 People are deskilled (To eliminate the need for skilled labor in (an industry),
by the introduction of high technology.)
 The robots are very expensive, and it can take several years to pay for them
(paying with the savings made by not paying any wages)
 Robots and computers cannot work without electricity

Some people get very upset when you talk about robots in factories - they see the
robots 'stealing' peoples' jobs. It is true that many jobs have been replaced by robotic
production lines, but these jobs were often incredibly boring, repetitive, and often in
dangerous conditions.

iii. Computers in oil refinery industries

In an oil refinery, computers are used to
monitor temperature. Usually, there is a
standard temperature required to extract each
petroleum product. Temperatures will be
controlled by comparing the standard which is
stored on the computer against the conditions
in the chamber.

If the current temperature is low, the heaters

switch on automatically. This is so because
the sensors detect the conditions and
communicate with the computer. The Figure 66 Indeni oil refinery
computer then sends a message to the switch
to turn on the heater. On the other hand, if the
temperature is high, the computer sends a message to the air condition to turn on.
This process helps control the temperature during the process of refining the oil.

iv. Application of microprocessors in cement loading plant

The cement loading bay uses sensors to detect the tonnage required to be loaded on
into the trailer. The computerized weighbridge will detect the tonnage of the trailer
which is then sent to the microprocessor. Microprocessor compares

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 the tonnage against the standard for that
particular trailer. Control is then passed on to
the loading equipment. The switches on the
equipment automatically go on to start the
loading of the cement. Once the loading is
completed sensors will send the signal to the
microprocessor which will pass control to the
equipment to turn off. The switches will then
turn off. These operations are done without
human intervention Figure 67 computers in cement industries

iv. Commercial application of computers

Computers are used in almost all types of industries today. Let us look at the different
types of industries that use computers.

 Computers in Banking
Banks cannot do without computers. Imagine the number of people who have
bank accounts, it takes computers to keep or store information and transactions
about each account accurately. Different financial institutions have online
banking. Online banking allows customers of financial institutions to transact
without going to the bank. Through online banking customers are able to pay all
sorts of bills such as (DSTV, ZESCO,
WATER AND Sewerage), transfer
money to another account, from home,
work, hotels, on the move or on the
street. In addition, nowadays, you can
withdraw money any time by using
automated teller machines (ATM).

An ATM (Automatic or Automated

Teller Machine) is a computerized
machine designed to dispense cash to
bank customers. The ATM can also
take deposits, transfer money between
bank accounts and provide other basic
financial services Figure 68 – Shows an example of an ATM

 Electronic commerce (buying and selling)

Electronic-commerce (E-
commerce) has also enhanced
efficiencies in commercial
transactions. E-commerce
simply means buying and
selling of goods using
information and
communication technology in Figure 69 – Shows an example of a website where
general, particularly using motor vehicles can be purchased
internet. For instance, buying
cars from Japan is very easy now because you can search for your dream car;
make a bank transfer to purchase the car. Remember that you can buy anything
from cars, air tickets to fresh eggs.

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 Customers like Internet shopping because...
• The convenience of being able to browse goods from your home
• Stores are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year
• The wider range of choice - can access stores all over the world
• Easy if you have limited mobility (due to a disability, or old age)
• Goods are often cheaper than in local stores
• Payment is simple using credit cards or services such as PayPal

Businesses like Internet shopping because...

• Lower costs since no expensive retail stores and less staff
• Lower costs = lower selling prices = higher sales = bigger profits
• Many more potential customers

However there are some problems too...

• You cannot try items before purchasing (e.g. clothes)
• You may have to wait several days before receiving your goods
• Returning goods or getting help can be difficult
• There is a security risk using credit cards online. The card details may
be stolen and used to commit fraud.

 Application of computers in a stock exchange

The stock exchange is a place where shares are bought and sold. The shares are
offered for sale to prospective buyers who offer the price. What determines the
price is the demand triggered by a boom in business. Computers are used to
calculate the different between the selling and a share value after a given period of
time.

The differences in terms of value will anticipate the profit that the shareholder
will get after a certain period of time.

There are agents that buy and sell shares on behalf of others. These agents are
called brokers. When they receive instructions to sell the shares they will advise
on how much the value is per share. They will then post the selling price which is
said to be the book value on to the main stock exchange. The computers will then
calculate the profit by comparing the price the shareholder bought the shares at
and the current selling price (book value). The difference is the profit.

Figure 69 computers in Stock exchange

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 Computers in supermarkets
Lines of different widths and sizes representing data, that
when read will determine what the scanned object is.
Barcodes are often used to help organize and index
information or prices about an object. In the picture to the
left, is an example of what a barcode for an address may
look like. Figure 70 – A barcode reading

A barcode reader or scanner, also known as a

point of sale (POS) scanner is a hardware device
capable of reading a barcode and printing out the
details of the product or logging that product into a
database. The barcode is mostly
used because of its accuracy and time efficiency.
Figure 71 – An example
of a barcode
 Computers in ticket reservations
Computers are often used to book (reserve) air flights,
seats in the cinema, rooms in a hotel, tables in a restaurant, just to mention but a
few. We are going to examine what takes place when a person wants to book a
seat in a plane.

An Example...
Imagine that two people are using an airline's website to try and book seats on a
flight. Both people try to book seat 38C and the same time.

Figure 72 – Shows seats on a plane that are available for booking - Online

Even though the booking requests are made at the same time, one request will be
received by the airline's computer just before the other (since requests come into
the system through a 'queue')

The following points below give a summary of how to make a reservation:

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 i. Input: Customer 1 is connected to flight website and tries to reserve seat
38C
ii. Process: The computer at the flight company will check if seat 38C has
already been booked? If the answer is No...the computer at the flight
company will request customer 1 to book it. If customer 1 books it the
computer at the flight company will respond as follows.
iii. Output: Booking confirmed for seat 38C

iv. Input: Customer 2 is connected to flight website and tries to reserve seat
38C
v. Process: The computer at the flight company will check if seat 38C has
already been booked? If the answer is YES...the computer at the flight
company will inform customer 2 as follows.
vi. Output: Booking rejected

 Computers in Medical Institutions (Hospital)

Managing Patient Records

Some hospitals in Zambia are still using the manual patient records written on
paper, and stored in huge room,
manual databases as seen on the
picture on the right.

This makes accessing the records

slow. Sometimes records could get
lost, or get wet and there was no easy
way to make a back-up copy. If the
person who keeps the keys to the store
dose not report then this would be a
big problem. Figure 73 - Shows the manual record
keeping
Doctors and hospitals have to deal
with thousands of patients every week. It is essential that the medical details of
every patient are recorded accurately so that the correct findings can be made, and
the correct treatment can be given.
For this reason, hospitals make use of computerized databases to store patient
records. Computerized databases mean that:


It is easy to search for and retrieve patient records
Patients records won’t get lost even if a patient visits the hospital after 5

years
 Patient data can be easily shared between doctors, pharmacies and other
hospitals
 Doctors can instruct a pharmacy to issue medication for a patient (no
paper note needs to be written)
Databases are described fully here. In the case of hospitals, the patient data that
would be typically stored would be:

Modern day hospitals are using computer generated database to store patient’s
records. Doctors can access a patient’s record whilst they are visiting patients, by
using a computer connected wirelessly to the hospital network. Doctors often use

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 tablet computers (which are portable like laptops, but have a touch screen, and no
keyboard) as they can be held in one hand, and operated with the other.

Notes can be written on the screen using a stylus, and handwriting-recognition

software converts it into computer text data.

Monitoring of Patients
When a patient is in hospital, they often require close monitoring. It is not
possible for a doctor or nurse to monitor patients continuously, 24 hours a day, so
computerized monitors are used instead.

Sensors are attached to the patient. Sensors are

used to monitor:
 Pulse rate (heart beats per minute)
 Temperature
 Breathing rate (breathes per minute)
 Blood oxygen levels and
 Blood pressure just mention but a few Figure 74 - Shows a patients
monitoring system in a hospital
The sensors feed information back to a computer
which processes the data:

Medical Scanners
Different types of scanners allow doctors to investigate what is happening inside a
patient's body without currying out an operation. Pregnant women are able to check if
the baby is a boy or a girl by the use of a scanner. Doctors can determine the position
of the baby (Breach) and decide whether to carry out an operation or not.

Figure 76 – Shows a huge scanner which

allows the whole body of human beings
Figure 75 – Shows a hand held to enter
scanner

Imagine what would happen if these scanners were not available.

 Computers in Education
With the development of technology, we find
that we are slowly moving away from the
days when we used notebooks to write down
our research paper or actually used the library
for research. Today, you simply need to
'Google' to find any information you want.
Secondly, e-learning (e-classrooms) or
distance learning with computers is the latest
Figure 77 Learners doing assignments
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 and most practical modes of education today. You can actually write an examination
online by the use of a computer. Right from encyclopedias to dictionaries to tests; you
can simply have anything on your own PC within a fraction of seconds.

 Teacher's Role
Classroom computers make it easier for teachers to delegate their time and attention.
Programs geared toward remedial students, advanced-learning software and tutoring
help teachers address the needs of students who are falling behind or require more
challenging workloads. Since a teacher usually teaches to the median-level student in
her classroom, computers help slow down or speed up the learning process. As long
as a teacher doesn't become dependent on classroom computers -- causing her to slack
off on lesson plan preparation or lose her creative edge -- computers can provide a
more comprehensive learning experience. Computers also make it easier for teachers
to record grades, calculate averages, report absences and maintain assignment logs.
They can also use computers during break times to brainstorm classroom activities,
research age-appropriate projects and locate multimedia presentations to complement
academic subject matter.

 Interactive Learning
Students use classroom
computers to respond and
interact with the world
around them. For example,
instead of simply reading
about the Black Death in
textbooks, computers give
students the opportunity to
research what types of
modern-day illnesses pose
similar problems. Or they
provide access to online Figure 78 Learners researching using the computer.
documentaries that teachers
may not legally be allowed to show publicly in a classroom setting due to copyright
laws. "Forbes" reports that education technology personalizes learning, enabling
students to deploy the medium that works best for them. Interactive smart boards,
online group discussions and webinars provide educational opportunities that teachers
can't provide in a traditional classroom setting.

 Basic Skills
Educators often use software programs and
online resources to help students develop and
hone basic skills, such as reading
comprehension, grammar, math, spelling and
punctuation. Headphones make it possible for
individuals or an entire class to participate in
interactive learning, allowing each student to Figure 79 example of computer game
work at her own pace. Many free online
educational sites such as PBS Teachers and ABCya.org provide interactive games for
students of all ages. Some basic skills require practice and repetition, so computerized
games make learning interesting for students.

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Social and economic effects of computers
The use of computers has brought many social and economic changes or effects on
people and organizations.

Some social effects on people are:

 People work in good working environments.
 People have high-salaried jobs.
 People are productive, able to do more work in less time.
 People lose their jobs because of robots and computers.
 Cashless society - people can buy goods and services through credit cards and
mobile phones.
 Children are addicted to playing computer games.
 Loss of privacy - governments and businesses can track people's activities on the
internet.
 Technology gap - the poor, illiterate and old people have little opportunity to use
technology.
 People are too dependent on technology for almost all things.
 People live a fast-pace or hectic life; they have to learn and process more
information
 Some work at odd hours. People work from home.

Some economic effects on organizations are:

 High productivity - factories are able to produce more goods in less time.
De-skilling - organizations use computers and software to do skilled work, no
longer relying on experts.
 Companies save money by out-sourcing jobs or re-sitting operations to other
countries.

Some changes in the working environment are:

 Robots do manual and repetitive tasks.
 Computers operate and control processes 24 hours a day, e.g. traffic lights.
 People work from home.
 People work at awkward hours, e.g. night shifts.
 People have to constantly reeducate themselves because systems change
regularly.
 Less paper is used.
 New computer jobs are created, e.g. programmer and ICT instructor.
 Some manual jobs no longer exist, e.g. filing clerks.
 Computers monitor people's works, e.g. computers record the number of items
processed by a sales clerk at the supermarket till.

Some new methods are:

 People send instant messages through email, chat rooms, blogs and forums.
 People use smart cards and mobile phones to pay for goods and services.
 People withdraw money from ATMs at any time.
 People read news and stories via notebook and tablet PCs.

Some new services are:

 People book hotel rooms and air-fares on the internet.
 People download music and videos from the internet.
 People choose the programs that they want to watch on interactive televisions.

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Some new products are:
 People contact one another from anywhere wirelessly by mobile phones.
 People take pictures without films using digital cameras.
 People have face-to-face conversation using 3G mobile phones.
 Robots clean carpets and toilet bowls.
 Smart homes use computers to monitor and operate devices automatically, e.g.
opening windows and switching lights.

Some negative effects of computers are:

 People lose their jobs because of robots and computers.
 People live a fast-pace and stressful life; they have to retrain regularly; they work
odd hours.
 People lose their privacy; governments can track people's activities on the
internet.
 Children are addicted to computer games.
 Poor and illiterate people are unable to benefit from technology.

The negative effects of de-skilling are:

 People lose their jobs because businesses can move away to other places or
countries.
 Workers have lower self-esteem because they handle simple meaningless jobs.
 Workers feel anxious because they are dispensable.

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Exercise 3 Self-Test Questions (Memorization)
Section A
1. __________________can be used by students to send their assignments on-line.
2. _____________________ is software which a teacher can use to prepare a presentation
lesson to his class.
3. Mention one search engine which can be used to search for information on the internet.
4. What is a Micro Chip?
5. POS stands for _______________________________________________________
6. ___________________ are devices that effect change after getting feedback from the
microprocessor.
7. State three advantages of having robots in an industry than humans.
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
8. Give one effect of de-skilling.
9. _____________________ are lines of varying thickness used to store product details in a
supermarket.
10. ATM stands for ________________________________________________________

Section B: Short word answers (Comprehension)

1. What is a microprocessor?
2. In which way have computers assisted learners in their educational undertakings?
3. How have teachers been assisted by computers in the process of teaching and learning?
4. What are intelligent ovens?
5. Mention one area in entertainment where computers have been applied
6. Mention one area in broadcasting where computers have been applied
7. List one office application of computers
8. What is a sensor?
9. Name one of the sensors used in household application of computers
10. What is a barcode reader?

Section C: Essay questions (Applying, Analyzing, Synthesizing and Evaluating)

1. Explain how computers are used for entertainment and leisure.
2. Explain how computers are used in medical institutions such as hospitals.
3. Describe how a point of sale terminal works
4. Explain two economic effects of computers on organization.
5. What is a computer virus?
6. Explain what can be done to prevent a virus.
7. Explain how computer viruses can be prevented
8. Describe how ATM machines work
9. Describe how tablet computers can help doctors access patient’s records
10. What is the pulse rate sensors used for?

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Unit 4 Computer Networks
At the end of this unit learners should be able to:
 Define a network
 State the importance of networks (i.e. share software, documents, databases & other
resources)
 Differentiate between Wired and wireless networks
 Display proficiency in accessing information using a local area network (LAN), and a
Wide area network (WAN)
 Upload and download text, image, audio and video files
 Illustrate ability to search the web for specific information.
 Recognise web browsers as a tool to accessing web pages on the internet (e.g. Firefox,
Safari, Internet Explorer etc)
 Demonstrate how to open a web browser and go to specific Universal Resource Locator
(URL)
 Define a search engine and what it is used for
 Use a search engine to look for information on the internet
 Explain what email is used for

1. Introduction to networks
A network is a connection of two or more computers, or other electronic devices,
connected together so that they can exchange data. For example, a network allows
computers to share files, users send messages to each other, a whole room of computers
to share a single printer just to mention but a few.

Network connections between computers are typically created using cables (wires).
However, connections can be created using radio signals (wireless / Wi-Fi), telephone
lines (and modems) or even, for very long distances, via satellite links. The diagram
below shows a model of a typical network.

Satellite - In space

Satellite –
On Earth

Computers/Clients

Figure 80- A model of a typical computer network

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2. Advantages of Networks
 Sharing of peripheral devices: peripheral devices are devices that are connected to
the computer such as printers, disk drives, and scanners. These devices are expensive
to buy for each computer. Therefore, it becomes cheap to share these devices.
 Sharing program and data: in most organizations, people use the same software and
need to share use information. It is less expensive for a company to buy one word
processing program that serves many employees than to buy a separate word
processing program for each employee.
 Better communications: one of the greatest features of the network is electronic
mail. With e-mail everyone on the network can easily keep others informed about
important information.
3. Disadvantages of Networks
 Viruses: If a virus is introduced to the network, either intentionally or
unintentionally, it will rapidly spread around all of the workstations and could start to
cause havoc to peoples' files or to the efficient working of the network.
 Network failure: If the main computer on the network fails then no-one on the
network can access any files or folders. This means that nobody can do any work. For
an organization, this would be extremely costly and disruptive. If a cable or a device
on the network fails, this would mean that any computers connected to that part of the
network couldn't be used to access network resources. They could still be used as
individual, stand-alone machines.
 Slow service: As more users log onto the network and request files, send things to be
printed and open more software applications, the network can start to slow down.
There is only a limited amount of bandwidth and the more data that is travelling
around the network, the slower things become.
 Cost: Building a network isn't cheap. Every machine has to be connected to the
network either by physical cables or perhaps by wireless technology. Every
workstation needs a network interface card to enable it to be connected to the
network. Other hardware such as hubs, switches and routers are often needed.
 Expert support required: Networks need constant monitoring to ensure that the
performance is maintained and that all of the components are working properly. This
requires specialist staff such as network managers and technicians who will spend all
of their time ensuring that the network works efficiently whenever you need to use it.
These staff add a large cost to running a network, but without them, things would
start to fail.

4. Local Area Network (LAN)

A Local Area Network is a network confined to one building or site.
Often a LAN is a private network belonging to an organization or business.
Because LANs are geographically small, they usually use cables or low-power radio
(wireless) for the connections.

Figure 81 A Local Area Network

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5. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses radio signals (Wi-Fi) to connect computers
instead of cables. At the Centre of the WLAN is a wireless switch or router - a small box
with one or two antennas sticking out the back - used for sending and receiving data to
the computers. (Most laptops have a wireless antenna built into the case.)

It is much more convenient to use wireless connections instead of running long wires all
over a building.

Figure 82- A Wireless LAN

However, WLANs are more difficult to make secure since other people can also try to
connect to the wireless network. So, it is very important to have a good, hard-to-guess
password for the WLAN connections.

6. Wide Area Network (WAN)

A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large area.

A WAN is often created by joining several LANs together, such as when a business that
has offices in different countries links the office LANs together.

Because WANs are often geographically spread over large areas and links between
computers are over long distances, they often use quite exotic connections technologies:
Such as, optical fiber (glass) cables, satellite radio links, microwave radio links, etc.

Figure 83 A Wide Area Network

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7. Uploading and Downloading text, images, audio and video

Both upload and download refer to the process of transferring a file. When you transfer a
file, you create a copy in the location you choose.
Upload means to transfer a file or files from your own computer to another computer
online. For instance, you might transfer a file from your home PC to an online storage.
Files such as movies, music, word documents, and pictures just to mention but a few can
be uploaded.
Another good example of uploading is the transfer of your profile picture to a social
media like the Face book. In this case, you as a user of face book you requested to upload
your picture so that other user can view it.
Download means to transfer a file from another computer to your own. You might
download a file from your Web Hosting account to your home PC. Examples of
downloading include: music, movies, pictures, word documents just to mention but a few.

Domain name (web address

8. The World Wide Web(WWW)

The internet and the World Wide
Web are not the same in real
sense. The internet is a massive
network of networks, connecting
millions of computers, hardware
and communication devices
across the world. In short, the
internet is simply the hardware
that not only supports the web
but also other communications
systems such as email, instant
message, and newsgroups. On
the other hand, the web is a Figure 84 Domain name (web address
multimedia-based technology that enables you to access more than just text. That is, you
can also download art, audio, video, and animation and engage in interactive games.
Therefore, the internet only provides equipment on which the web operates.

a) Web Browsers
A web browser is software which enables you to find and access the various parts of
the web. The best known browsers are the Microsoft internet explorer, Mozilla fire
fox, Google chrome and Opera.

These web browsers allow surfing the internet. The word surf means to explore the
internet by using your mouse to move from link to link. These links are in form
locations or websites.

Figure 86 MS W Figure 87 Figure 88

Figure 85 Opera explorer web Mozilla fire fox Google Chrome
web browser browser web browser web browser

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 v. Web sites
A website is a location on a particular computer on the web that has a unique address.
This unique address is called a Universal Resource Locator (URL). For instance, if
you want to buy books online from seller McGraw Hill Company, you would visit
their website, www.mhhe.com.This web address will allow you to locate information
that you are looking for. Therefore, the web address for the seller can also be called
the URL.

vi. Web pages

A web page is a document on
World Wide Web that can include
text, pictures, sound, and video.
The first page you get to, on a
website is like a title page of a
book. This is called the home
page or welcome page, which
identifies the website and contains
links to other pages at the site. If
you have your own web site, it
might contain just one page.
However, large websites contain
hundreds of pages. Figure 89- An example of web page

vii. Locating information using a Web Browser

Having looked at the web browsers, web pages and web sites, it is important to
demonstrate how to find or locate specific information using a particular web address
which we referred to as Universal Resource Locator (URL)

Before your browser can connect with a website, it needs to know the site’s address,
the URL. The URL (Universal Resource Locator) is a string of characters that points
to a specific piece of information anywhere on the web. In other words, the URL is a
website’s unique address.

viii. Search Services and Search Engines

Multimedia Search Tools
Most web searches involve text, but there are many non-text kinds of resources as
well, including videos and still images.

Figure 90 Searching information using a search engine

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ix. Electronic Mail
An e-mail is a letter sent online from the sender to the receiver. The incoming email
is stored in your mail box which we can liken to the pigeon box at the post office. In
order for you to read this mail, you have to open your mail box first as the case is
with your post office pigeon box.

Page | 49
Exercise 4
Section A: Self-Test Questions (Memorization)
1. A__________________ an interconnection of two or more computers, or other
electronic devices, connected together so that they can exchange data

2. A_____________________ is a network confined to one building or site.

3. A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses _______________ (Wi-Fi) to connect

computers instead of cables.

4. ________________ A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large area.

5. __________________ means to transfer a file or files from your own computer to

another computer online

6. ___________________ means to transfer a file from another computer to your own.

7. The________________________ is a massive network of networks, connecting millions

of computers, hardware and communication devices across the world.

8. The_______________________ is a multimedia-based technology that enables you to

access text, art, audio, video, and animation and engage in interactive games.

9. _________________ is software which enables you to find and access the various parts
of the web.

10. A_____________________ is a location on a particular computer on the web that has a

unique address

Section B: Short-Answer Questions (Comprehension)

1. What do you understand by the term internet?
2. What do letters WWW stand for?
3. What is uploading?
4. What down loading?
5. What do you understand by the letters WLAN?
6. What is the difference between LAN and WAN?
7. How can networks benefit an organisation?
8. What is an electronic mail?
9. What is a search engine?
10. What is a web browser?

Applying, Analyzing, Synthesizing and Evaluating

1. Explain with examples how a search engine works
2. Explain the work of web browser
3. Describe how to find specific information using a search engine.
4. Explain the features of a web page
5. Explain the distinction between a wireless LAN and an ordinary LAN
6. Describe how temperature sensors work
7. Explain how computer viruses can be prevented
8. Distinguish between a World Wide Web and the Internet
9. Distinguish between uploading and downloading data
10. Describe the features of the wide area network.

Page | 50
Unit 5 Productivity Tools – Word Processor
At the end of this unit, learners should be able to:
 Key in and edit text
 Text manipulation and Formatting
 Proof Reading
 Drawing Simple Graphics
 Print Preview and Printing
 Saving Files

This book will use Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Word as our operating system and
word processing package respectively according to the Zambian Syllabus.

1. Introduction to Word Processing

A word processor or word processing program does exactly what the name implies. It
processes words. It also processes paragraphs, pages, and entire papers. This program
allows the user to create letters, reports, memos, assignments; business documents just to
mention a few. Some examples of word processing programs include Microsoft Word,
WordPerfect (Windows only), AppleWorks (Mac only), and OpenOffice.org.

Word Processing Compared to Using a Typewriter

The great advantage of word processing program on a computer over using a typewriter
is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing
mistake, you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want to delete a
paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace. It is equally easy to insert a
word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors also make it
easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or between
documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a
printer to get a hard copy. However, if you do not want to print immediately you can save
your document on the computer and print latter.

2. The Keyboard layout and button functions

In any given coputer program it is important to know the keys/buttons on the keybaoord
and their functions. The image below shows a standard keyboard layout. Always
remember that with computer practicals practice makes improvement.

Figure 91 – Show a standard keyboard layout and button functions

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Basic Skills when typing
When you are typing, kindly notice the following keys on the keyboard.
 Space Bar – This is used to create space between two words and must only be pressed
once.
 Caps Lock – Use this key is used to create CAPITAL LETTERS.
 Back Space – This key enables you to erase text on the left side of the cursor.
 Delete – This deletes text on the right side of the cursor.
 Enter – Press the enter button to allow the cursor move the cursor downwards.

Kindly not that the keyboard has a lot of buttons but the ones highlighted above will get
you started when typing.

3. How to start and quit a Program

Let us practice together. Follow the following steps. Note that every time you click you
must use the left button on the mouse and only use the right button when you are told to
RIGHT CLICK.

Step 1. Click on START button (the start menu will appear)

Step 2. Move the mouse and click on ALL PROGRAMS (this will display all the
programs on the Computer)
Step 3. Move the mouse and click on Microsoft Office (a menu that contains all
Microsoft office packages/program will appear)
Step 4. Click on Microsoft Word 2010 to start the program

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

File Tab Title bar Exit button

When Microsoft office

2010 successfully
opens it will appear as
the figure shown on
the right. However,
when you want to
Typing area
Typing Area
quit the program use The Cursor
the mouse and click
on the Exit button on
A Cursor
the top right corner.
Figure 92 – Shows the Microsoft word features

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Cursor- In a word processor environment a cursor is a small vertical image usually blinking.
The cursor marks the position at which a character can be entered, corrected, or deleted.
Every time you type, the letter(s) will appear where the cursor is placed or situated. When
you press the back space button, the text that is on the left side of the cursor will be deleted.

Home Tab

Figure 93 – Shows the layout of the Home Tab

The home tab as shown above is where your different resources are located. Formatting text,
such as changing the font color, font type face, alignment, font size, just to mention a few are
found on the HOME tab.

Insert Tab

Figure 94 – Shows the layout of the Insert tab

The insert tab contains buttons for adding new pages, tables, pictures, shapes, clipart,
WordArt, and other page parts that provide instant enhancement to your publications.
Pages – Use this button when you need to add a new page to your document. By the use of
the same button you can add cover page to your documents.
Tables - From the “Table” button, one is able to create tables of different number of columns
and rows.
Illustrations - From the Illustrations section on the Insert bar, users have the ability to insert
pictures, clip art, shapes, and a picture placeholder option to reserve space in a project for
pictures.

4. How to Select (Highlight) a passage

Selecting a text is one of the most important skills required while editing or formatting a
word document. You can perform various operations on a selected text. One can delete a
letter, word or paragraph, copy it, move it, apply formatting to it, change its capitalization
just to mention but a few. The most common method of selecting a text is to click and
drag the mouse over the text you want to select. Remember that no text formatting will
occur without selecting (highlighting).

Selecting text between two points

Use the mouse: Click at the start of the block of text, hold down Shift, and click at the
end of the block
Selecting a single word
Use the mouse: Simply double click anywhere on the word you want to select.
Selecting a paragraph
Use the mouse: Simply triple click anywhere on the paragraph you want to select.
Selecting all text in the document
Use the keyboard and press Ctrl and the letter A (Ctrl + A)

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5. How to change the Font Colour
By default any typed text comes in a black colour, but you can change your font colour to
any colour which you can imagine. Assuming that you have already typed a word,
sentence or paragraph. Let us practice together, kindly follow the steps below to change
the font colour.

Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a different font colour. You can use
any of the text selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click the Font Colour button triangle to display a list of colours. Try to move
your mouse pointer over different colours and you will see the text colour will change
automatically. You can select any of the colours available by simply clicking over it.

Remember if you click on the Font Colour Icon or button, the already selected colour will
be applied to the text, so you would have to click over a small triangle on the right side of
the font colour icon to display a list of color options.

Home Tab Font Colour button Menu

Changed font colour will appear

like this

If you do not find a colour of your

choice, you can use More Colors
option to display colour pallet box
which allows you to select a colour
from range of millions of colors.

A list of Colours

More colour option

6. Highlight Text with Colours:

You can highlight a selected text using any colour and it will look like it was marked
with a highlighter pen. Assuming that you have already typed a word, sentence or
paragraph. Usually we highlight a text using yellow colour. Kindly follow the steps
below to highlight the selected text.

Step 1: Select the text that you want to highlight. You can use any of the text
selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click the Text Highlight Colour button triangle to display a list of colors.
Try to move your mouse pointer over different colors and you will see text colour
will change automatically. You can select any of the colors available by simply
clicking over it.

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 Remember if you click on the Text Highlight Colour button, the already selected colour
will be applied to the text, so click over a small triangle on the right side of the text
highlighting colour icon to display a list of colour options.

Home Tab Text Highlighting

. Colour Button

Highlighted Text

List of Colours to
choose from

7. Change the Font Type & Size

Microsoft word allows you to use different fonts with different sizes. You can change
your document's appearance by changing the font type and their size. Usually one can
use different fonts for paragraphs and headings. So it is important to learn how to use
different fonts types and sizes. Let us practice together. The following steps will show
you how to change your text to different font types and sizes.

Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a different font type and click Home
tab.
Step 2: Now click Font Type button to list all the fonts available as shown below.
Step 3: Try to move your mouse pointer over different font names and you will see the
text will change automatically. Finally click on the font type of your choice.

Font Type Button

Home Tab Font Size Button Font type List

Font Scroll Bar

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Step (2): Try to move mouse pointer over different fonts listed. You will see that text font
changes when you move your mouse pointer
over different font types. You can use the Font
Scroll Bar to display more fonts available.
Finally select a desired font by clicking over
the font name in the list.
Lets select ALGERIAN for our sample text.

Font has changed

font type - ALGERIAN

Step (3): In a similar way, to change the font

size, the text must be selected, click over the
Font Size button which will display a font size
list.

Selected font size

Changed font size

8. Apply Text Effects:
Microsoft word provides a list of text effect which will beautify the document, especially
cover page or headings of a document. Let us practice together.
Home Tab Text Effect Button
Step 1: Select the text that you want
to apply an effect. You can use any of
the text selection method to select the
text.
Step 2: Click the Text Effect button
to display a list of effects including
shadow, outline, glow, reflection etc.
Try to move your mouse pointer over
different effects and you will see text
effect will change automatically.
Step 3: Select any of the text effect
available by simply clicking over it.

Changed font effect

A list of font effects to choose from

9. Making text bold:

A bold text appears with heavy weight and dark ink and we use bold text to give more
emphasis on the sentence. Let us practice together.

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 Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a bold font. You can use any of the text
selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click Font Bold [B] button in the Home tab Font group, or simply use Ctrl + B
keys on the keyboard to make the selected text bold.

10. Making text Italic:

An italic text appears with a small inclination to the front (slanting) and we use italicized
text to differentiate it from other text. Let us practice together by using the following
steps.

Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a bold font. You can use any of the text
selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click Font Italic [I] button in the Home tab Font group, or simply use Ctrl + I
keys to convert text in italic font.

11. Underline the Text:

An underlined text appears with an underline and we use underlined text to make it more
distinguished from other text. Let us practice together by using the following steps.
Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a bold font. You can use any of the text
selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click Font Underline [U] button in the Home tab Font group, or simply use
Ctrl + U keys to put an underline under the text.

Home Tab Italic Button

Text that has been underlined

made bold and has italics.

Bold Button
Underline Button

12. Clear Formatting

All of the setting or formatted text can be reset to the plain text, or the default formatting.
This means that one can remove all types of formatting applied to the text by a single
button. Let us practice together by using the following step.
Step 1: Select the text that you want to reset or clear formatting.
Step 2: Click Clear Formatting button in the Home tab Font group, or simply use
Ctrl + SPACEBAR keys on the keyboard.

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 Clear Formatting Button

Text that has

been cleared
of any
type of
formatting

13. Copy, cut and paste

This lesson will teach you how to use copy, cut and paste skills to duplicate (make
another copy) of a text leaving the original text intact or removing the original text
completely. Every time you use the copy command or icon it means that the original text
will remain intact where it is positioned. Whereas, when the cut command or icon is used
the original text is moved to another location where it is pasted. To use copy and paste or
cut and paste operations, MS. Word makes use of a temporary memory which is called
clipboard. When you copy or cut a text it is temporarily stored in clipboard and you can
paste this content at desired times and locations.

Assuming that you have typed some text and you want to copy the first part of the first
sentence. Let us practice together.

Step (1): Select a portion of the text using any of the text selection methods.
Step (2): At step 2, one has different options to choose from when copying the selected
text. Use any of the methods below; one’s preference could be different from another
person’s. Use the simplest:
Cut Button Copy Button
 Using Mouse Right Click:
If right click on the selected
text, it will display copy option,
just click this option to copy the
selected content in clipboard.
 Using Ribbon Copy Button:
After selecting a text, you can
use copy button available at the
ribbon to copy the selected
content in clipboard.
 Using Ctrl + c Keys: After
selecting a text, just press
Ctrl + C keys to copy the
selected content in clipboard.

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 Step (3): Finally click at the place where you want to copy the selected text,
remember that where the cursor is placed is where the copied text will appear. Use
either of these two simple options to paste:

 Using Ribbon Paste Button: Just click

paste button available at the ribbon to paste
the copied content at the desired location.
 Using Ctrl + V Keys: This is another way
of pasting the content. Just press Ctrl + V
keys to paste the content at the new
location.

Note: You can repeat paste operation as many

times as you like to paste the same content.
Copied Text
Copy, Cut & Paste in different documents:
You can use the same procedure we have discussed above to copy and paste or cut and
paste content form one document to another document. The procedure is very simple, just
copy or cut the desired selected content from one document and go into another
document where you want to paste the content and use the mentioned steps to paste the
content.

14. Undo & Repeat operations:

Microsoft word provides two important features called Undo, which is used to undo the
previous action and the second one is Repeat or Redo, which is used to repeat the
previous action. For example, if you mistakenly delete text, you can use the Undo feature
to recover it immediately, similar way if you delete a character and you want to delete
more characters then you can use Repeat operation.

Let us practice together: Let’s imagine that you have this paragraph as shown below.
Select part of the paragraph.

Undo button

Redo Button

Kindly press the backspace or delete button on the keyboard. If you have pressed the
backspace or delete button you will realize that the whole selected part of the paragraph
will be deleted or erased. To bring back the deleted text, click on the UNDO BUTTON.
In the same way you can affect the delete action by clicking REDO button.

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15. Insert and Add Text:
Many times it is required to go back and insert an additional text in an existing line.
Microsoft word provides two ways to insert text in existing text and together we will
explore or try both of the methods of inserting text:

First we will see how inserted text will be added into the existing content without
replacing any existing content. Let us practice together:

Step 1: Click the location where you want to insert text. Use the keyboard arrows or the
mouse to locate the place where you would like to insert the text.
Step 2: Start typing the text you want to insert. Ms. Word inserts the text to the left of the
insertion point (cursor), moving existing text to the right. Note that the text that you are
typing is not replacing the old text but rather its moving it forward.

The text will be added or inserted here Added text

Old text is not replaced

Insert and Replace Text:

In this insertion mode, text will be added into the existing content but at the same time it
will over write or replace all the content which comes in its way. Let us practice together.

Step 1: Right-click the status bar and select Overtype option from the displayed menu.
Step 2: Click on INSERT on the status bar to turn on and off Overtype mode.
Step 3: Start typing your text you want to insert. MS. Word inserts the text to the left of
the insertion point (cursor), this will over write existing text to the right. Note that the text
that you are typing is replacing the old text.
Click on overtype Added Old text is being replaced
text

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16. Spell Check and Grammar
A word processor such as Microsoft Word provides a decent spelling and grammar
checker which enables one to search for and correct all spelling and grammar mistakes in
the document. MS Word is intelligent enough to identify misspelled or misused, as well
as grammar errors. All errors in the documents will automatically be underlined as
follows.

 A red underline beneath a word means - spelling errors. Sometimes it might not be a
wrongly spelt word, it could be that the word typed is not English word such as
Kaonga or Malita.
 A green underline beneath a word means, grammar errors.
 A blue underline could mean correctly spelled but misused words.

Check Spelling and Grammar using Review tab:

As one reads through their document, it is important to identify the red, blue and green lines
for wrong spellings or grammar mistakes and fixing them. Let us practice together.
Assuming that you already have a passage in Microsoft word.

Step (1): Click the Review tab and then click Spelling & Grammar button.

Spelling Button Review Tab Grammatical Mistake

Wrong Spelling/Spelling error (a wrong spelling is

always underlined in red)
Step 2: A Spelling and Grammar dialog box will appear and will display wrong spellings or
grammar and correct suggestions as shown below:

Spelling and Grammar

dialogue Box

Different options to
choose from explained
below

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Step 3: Select one of the given suggestions, use and click Change option to fix the spelling
or grammar mistake and repeat the step to fix all the spelling or grammar mistake.
Step 4: MS Word displays a dialog box when it finishes checking for spelling and grammar
mistakes, finally Click OK.

The dialog box that

certifies that the
computer has finished
checking for spellings

You have the following options to fix the spelling mistake:

 Ignore: If you are willing to ignore a word then click this button and MS Word will
ignore the word throughout the document.
 Ignore All: Like Ignore, but ignores all occurrences of the same misspelling, not just
this one.
 Add to Dictionary: Choose Add to Dictionary to add the word to the word spelling
dictionary if say the word is a Zambian word eg. Tonga, Lozi, Bemba, Nyanja, Lenje
just to mention but a few.
 Change: This will change the wrong word by replacing it with the suggested correct
word.
 Change All: Like Change, but will change all occurrences of the same misspelling,
not just this one.
 AutoCorrect: If you select a suggestion, MS Word creates an AutoCorrect entry that
automatically corrects this spelling error from now on.

The Following are the different options in case you have grammatical mistake:

 Next Sentence: You can click on the next sentence button to direct the grammar
checker to skip to the next sentence.
 Explain: The grammar checker displays a description of the rule that caused the
sentence to be flagged as a possible error.
 Options: This will open the word options dialog box to allow you to change the
behaviour of the grammar checker or spelling options.
 Undo: This will undo the last grammar changed.

Check Spelling and Grammar using Right Click:

If you right click the mouse button over a misspelled word then it would show you
correct suggestions and the above mentioned options to fix the spelling or grammar
mistake. Let us practice together.

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 Right click on the text that has a wrong spelling

The same options

that appear when you
click on spelling and
grammar are the
same that appear
when you right click.

17. Printing Documents

Let us imagine that you are done with previewing and proof reading your document and
it is ready for the printing. Let us practice together.

Step 1: Assuming that the document that you want to print is Open. Click the File tab.
Step 2: Click on the print option on the file menu. This will display a preview of the
document in the right column. You can scroll up or scroll down your document to walk
through the document using the given Scrollbar. Middle column gives various options to
be set before your send your document to the printer.

File Tab Printer Options

Print Button Document Preview Scrollbar

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 Copies
Print
Button Printer

Settings

Page Orientation

Paper Size

Step 3: One can set various other printing options available. Select from among the
following options, depending on your preferences.
Step 4: When you are through with the entire printing setting, click on the print button to
print the document.

Print Option and Description

Copies - Set the number of copies to be printed; by default you will have one copy of the
document.

Print Custom Range - This option will be used to print a particular page of the document
just type the number in Pages option, if you want to print all the pages from 7 till 10 then one
can specify this option as 7-10 and Microsoft word will print only the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th
pages.

Print One Sided - By default you print page one side of the paper, but there is one more
option where one would turn up your paper manually or automatically in case you want to
print on both sides of the paper.

Orientation - By default page orientation is set to Portrait, but if you are willing to print in
landscape mode then select Landscape mode.

Figure 96 Landscape
Figure 95 Portrait

A4 - By default page size is A4, but one can select other page sizes available in the drop
down list or menu.

Custom Margin - Click the Custom Margins drop-down list to choose the document
margins you want to use. For instance, if you want to print fewer pages, you can create
narrower margins; to print with more white space, create wider margins.

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Saving a document:
Once you are done with typing in your new word document, it is time to save your document
to avoid losing your work. Let us practice together.

Step 1: Click the File tab and select Save As option.

File Tab Save As button

This is the folder or location where this document will be saved

Step 2: Give the

file/document a name.
Example: If one was typing a
letter to the principal, one
would save the document as
“Letter to the Principal”

Location names

Step 3: Finally, click on the Save button and your document will be saved with the entered
name in the selected folder.

Saving Changes:
There may be a situation when you open an existing document and edit it partially or
completely. If you want to save this document with the same name then you can use either of
the following simple options:

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  Just press Ctrl + S keys to save the changes.
 One can click on the Floppy Diskette Icon available at the top left corner and just
above the File tab. This option will also save the changes.

Floppy Diskette

 You can also use third method to save the changes, which is Save option available
just above the Save As option as shown in the below screen capture.

Save

Save As

If a document is new and it was never saved, then with any of the three options, Microsoft
Word would display you a dialogue box to let you select a folder, enter document name as
explained in the case of Saving New Document.

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Self-Text Practice 1

1. Open Microsoft Word if it is not already open.

2. Now key in your name in capital letters across the page
3. Select your name by using different selection methods
Selecting text between two points
Use the mouse: Click at the start of the block of text, hold down Shift, and click at the
end of the block
Selecting a single word
Use the mouse: Simply double click anywhere on the word you want to select.
Selecting a paragraph
Use the mouse: Simply triple click anywhere on the paragraph you want to select.
Selecting all text in the document
Use the keyboard and press Ctrl and the letter A (Ctrl + A)
4. Now center your name to the middle of the page.

Centre
Button

5. Change the font size of your name to 72.

Font Size Icon

6. Change the colour of your name to blue.

Font Colour Icon

7. Save your work on the desktop

8. Exit Microsoft word.

Self-Text Practice 2

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1. Open Microsoft Word again if it is not already open.
2. Change your page layout to landscape
3. Now key in the word ZAMBIA in capital letters across the page leaving a space between
each letter.
4. Resize the whole word to font size 48 and center the word across the middle of the page.
5. Now using the skills you learnt in the previous task format each letter to a different font
colour of the Zambian Flag.
6. Exit Microsoft word.

Self-Text Practice 2

1. Open Microsoft Word

2. Type the following passage

Note that in this book we are going to use Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Word as
our operating system and word processing package respectively. If you are using other
versions of Microsoft Windows e.g. Windows XP, Windows Millennium, Windows Vista
and Windows 8 the concepts you will learn in windows 7 are basically the same.
However, if you are using Linux, Ubuntu, Mac operating systems the features and layouts
of the program is different but the skills leant here will enable you to use them with ease.

3. Correct all the wrong spelling by using the Spelling and grammar button

Page | 68
Unit 6 Productivity tools - Spread Sheet
At the end of this unit, learners should be able to:
 Introduction to Spreadsheet.
 Entering and editing data in a spreadsheet
 Adding basic Formula
 Saving and Printing

1. Introduction to Spreadsheets

A spread sheet can be defined as an application program which is used for calculations,
data analysis as well as presentation of data in a graphical form.

It is made up of rows and columns. Rows are denoted by numbers while columns are
denoted by letters. The point at which a row and a column meet is called a cell. Cell
names are made up of column letters and row numbers. For instance cell “A1” is a cell at
the intersection of column A and row 1

The electronic spreadsheet is laid out similar to the paper ledger sheet in that it is divided
into columns and rows. Any task that can be done on paper can be performed on an
electronic spreadsheet faster and more accurately.

The problem with manual sheets is that if any error is found within the data, all answers
must be erased and recalculated manually. With the computerized spreadsheet, formulas
can be written that are automatically updated whenever the data are changed.

2. What spreadsheets do

In contrast to a word processor, which manipulates text, a spreadsheet manipulates

(handles) numerical data and text. Using a spreadsheet, one can create budgets, student’s
payment record, analyze data, produce financial plans, and perform various other simple
and complex numerical applications. By having formulas that automatically recalculate,
either built by you, the user, or the built-in math functions, you can play with the
numbers to see how the result is affected. Spreadsheets can also be used for graphing data
points, reporting data analyses, and organizing and storing data.

Assuming you have Microsoft Office 2010 installed in your PC. Let’s practice together.
Follow the following steps. Note that every time you click you must use the left button on
the mouse and only use the right button when you are told to RIGHT CLICK.

Step 1. Click on START button (the start menu will appear)

Step 2. Move the mouse and click on ALL PROGRAMS (this will display all the
programs on the Computer)
Step 3. Move the mouse and click on Microsoft Office (a menu that contains all
Microsoft office packages will appear)
Step 4. Then locate Microsoft Excel 2010 with the mouse, Click Microsoft Excel 2010
start the program

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 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
When Microsoft office Excel 2010 successfully opens it will appear as the picture below.
However, when you want to quit the program use the mouse and click on the X button on
the top right corner of your screen.

3. The Excel Screen common Features

The screen in Excel looks different than those used in other types of applications.

File Tab button Title bar Help Button Exit Program

Columns
Current Position (vertical)

Rows
(Horizontal) Area Sheet
Sheet
Tabs

Zoom Controls
Status Bar

Excel Basic Features Explained

Title bar: This lies in the middle and at the top or the window. Title bar shows the program
and sheet titles. The sheet title in this case also means if you have saved a spread sheet as
“Computer Test Results”, the name of the file will be shown at the top of the Title Bar.
Help: The Help Icon can be used to get excel related help anytime you like. This provides
nice tutorial on various subjects related to excel.
Zoom Control: Zoom control lets you zoom in for a closer look at your text. The zoom

Page | 70
control consists of a slider that you can slide left or right to zoom in or out, .and + buttons
you can click to increase or decrease the zoom factor.

View Buttons: The group of three buttons located to the left of the Zoom control, near the
bottom of the screen, lets you switch among Excel’s various sheet views.

 Normal Layout view: This displays page in normal view.

 Page Layout view: This displays pages exactly as they will appear when printed. This
gives a full screen look of the document.
 Page Break view: This shows a preview of where pages will break when printed.
 Sheet Area: This is an area where you enter data. The flashing vertical bar is called the
insertion point and it represents the location where text will appear when you type.
 Row Bar: Rows are numbered from 1 onwards and keep on increasing as you keep
entering data. Maximum limit is 1,048,576 rows.
 Column Bar: Columns are numbered from A onwards and keeps on increasing as you
keep entering data. After Z, it will start series of AA, AB and so on. Maximum limit is
16,384 columns.
 Status Bar: This displays sheet information as well as the insertion point location. From
left to right, this bar can contains the total number of pages and words in the document,
language etc. You can configure the status bar by right-clicking anywhere on it and by
selecting or deselecting options from the provided list.

The File Button

When you click on the file button the following screen will appear. The file button has
other buttons that you need to know such as Save, Save As, Open, Close, Info etc.
File Tab

Pull Down
Menu with
different
Options

4. Options on the File Menu explained

Option Description
Save If an existing sheet is opened, it would be saved as; otherwise it will
display a dialogue box asking for sheet name.
Save As A dialogue box will be displayed asking for sheet name and sheet
type, by default it will save in sheet 2010 format with extension .xlsx
Open This option will be used to open an existing excel sheet.
Close This option will be used to close an opened.
Info This option will display information about the opened sheet.
Recent This option will list down all the recently opened sheets
New This option will be used to open a new sheet.

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 Print This option will be used to print an opened sheet.
Save & Send This option will save an opened sheet and will display options to send
the sheet using email etc.

Help You can use this option to get required help about excel 2010.
Options Use this option to set various option related to excel 2010.
Exit Use this option to close the sheet and exit.

5. Entering and editing data

Let us see how easy it is to enter text in an Excel sheet. Hope you are aware that when
you start a sheet, it displays a new sheet by default as shown below:

New worksheet
New worksheet

Sheet area is the area where you type your

text. The flashing vertical bar is called the
insertion point and it represents the
location where text will appear when you
type. When you click on a box it’s
highlighted. When you double click the
box flashing vertical bar will come and
you can start entering data. So just keep
your mouse cursor at the text insertion
point and start typing whatever text you
would like to type. I have typed only four
words "My name is Musonda" as shown
below. The text appears to the left of the
insertion point as you type: New worksheet

There are three important points which would help you while typing in a spreadsheet
 Press Tab to go to next column.
 Press Enter to go to next row.
 Press Alt + Enter to enter a new line in the same column.

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6. Moving around in MS Excel

Excel provides a number of ways to move around a sheet using the mouse and the
keyboard.

First let us create some sample text before we proceed. Assuming that MS Excel is closed
kindly follow the steps on page 70 (Open Microsoft Excel).

Test Results
Mathematics English Computer Studies
Masauso 56 78 62
Bupe 72 85 90
Kanisile 88 60 51
Patricia 67 71 49
Kondwani 80 71 50

Once the above data has been inserted in MS Excel, the text will appear as shown below.

Moving with Mouse

You can easily move the insertion point by clicking in your text anywhere on the screen.
Sometime if the sheet is big then you cannot see a place where you want to move. In such
situation you would have to use the scroll bars, as shown in the following screen shot:

Scroll Up

Scroll Down

Horizontal Bar
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You can scroll your sheet by rolling your mouse wheel, which is equivalent to clicking the
up-arrow or down-arrow buttons in the scroll bar.
Moving with Scroll Bars
As shown in the above screen capture, there are two scroll bars: one for moving vertically
within the sheet, and one for moving horizontally. Using the vertical scroll bar, you may:
 Move upward by one line by clicking the upward-pointing scroll arrow.
 Move downward by one line by clicking the downward-pointing scroll arrow.
 Move one next page, using next page button (footnote).
 Move one previous page, using previous page button (footnote).
 Use Browse Object button to move through the sheet, going from one chosen object
to the next.

Moving with Keyboard

The following keyboard commands or buttons are used for moving around your sheet, also
move the insertion point:
Keystroke Where the Insertion Point Moves
Forward one box
Back one box

Up one box

Down one box

PageUp To the previous screen

PageDown To the next screen
Home To the beginning of the current screen
End To the end of the current screen

You can move box by box or sheet by sheet. Now click in any box containing data in the
sheet. You would have to hold down the Ctrl key while pressing an arrow key, which moves
the insertion point as described here:

Key Combination Where the Insertion Point Moves

Ctrl + To the last box containing data of the current row
Ctrl + To the first box containing data of the current row

Ctrl + To the first box containing data of the current column

Ctrl + To the last box containing data of the current column

Ctrl + PageUp To the sheet in the left of the current sheet.

Ctrl + PageDown To the sheet in the right of the current sheet.
Ctrl + Home To the beginning of the sheet
Ctrl + End To the end of the sheet

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 7. Deleting and Editing text
MS Excel provides various ways of deleting data in the sheet. Let us practice together.

Delete with Mouse

Step 1. Select the data you want to delete.
Step 2. Right Click on the selected sheet.
Step 3. Select the delete option, it will delete the data.

Click on delete

Right click on
the selected
sheet
Selected Sheet

Delete with Delete Key (Keyboard)

Step 1. Select the data you want to delete.
Step 2. Press on the Delete Button from the keyboard, it will delete the data.

Selective Delete for rows

Step 1. Select the rows which you want to delete with Mouse click + Control Key.
Step 2. Then right click the selected row (it will show various options).
Step 3. Select the Delete option to delete the selected rows.

Select Delete
Option to
delete the data

Select the row

and right click

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8. Entering Basic Formulas
Each cell in a spread has a specific location which is determined by the letter in the Row
and the number in the Column. For example in the figure below the insertion point is
located at E7. The current position of the insertion point is determined by the Row letter
combined with the column number as shown in the fig below.

Column E

Name Box

Row Cell E7
7

Kindly open a spread sheet program and let’s input formulas together. Before we can add
formulas to a spread sheet we need to enter relevant data as shown below. We will start with
the basic addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division. An excel
formulae is basically the same as
when you are trying to calculate
using a paper. Example 5 + 7 = 13.

So let us type the number 5 in cell A1

and 7 in cell A2. We now have to
input a formula that will add Cell A1
(5) + Cell A2 (7) in cell A3. For
example, cell A3 below contains a
formula which adds the value of cell A2
to the value of cell A1.

Kindly remember that before you can input a formula to any cell you need to start with the equal sign
E.g. =A1+A2. No formula will be executed if the equal sign is not present. After you have finished
adding your formula press the ENTER key on the keyboard

Adding more than 2 Digits/figures

Let us practice together. Let’s imagine we
have the following digits from D1 to D6 as
shown. The first thing that would come to our Cell range
head is to put a formula in D7 that starts with an
equal sign (=) and then start putting the cells
which have values such as
D7

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=D1+D2+D3+D4+D5+D6, this is not wrong in

itself except that this method will take you a lot of time to complete because just imagine you have
figures or digits from D1 to D50. So the best formula that can be placed here is =SUM (D1:D6). This
means the computer will calculate the SUM of all the digits or figures that are in and between D1 and
D6.

Cell A7 above contains the SUM function which calculates the sum of the range D1:D6.

Microsoft excel has a sum button as shown in

the left image. This button displays the sum of
the selected cells directly after the selected cell.
For instance, select cell D1 up to D6, move the
mouse and click the SUM button. The computer
will automatically put a formula in cell D7 that
will add the above digits. However, next to the
sum button is an icon that brings a pull down SUM BUTTON
menu with options such as Sum, Average, Count
Numbers, Max, Min and more functions.
So the sum pull down menu can be used to
automatically calculate the items listed.

a) Multiplication formula.
Let’s practice together. Assuming we have the following digits/figures as shown below.
If you want to add a multiplication formula in cell A3 first and foremost click the cell.

Example: =A1*A2, when you are

finished typing the formula press
enter.

The multiplication Symbol is found

on top of number 8 on the keyboard.

b) Subtraction Formula
Let’s practice together. Assuming we have the following digits/figures as shown below.
If you want to add a subtraction formula in cell A3 first and foremost click the cell.

Example: =A1-A2, when you are finished typing the formula press the enter key on the
keyboard.

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c) Division Formula

Let’s practice together. Assuming we have the following digits/figures as shown below.
If you want to add a division formula in cell A3 first and foremost click the cell.

Example: =A1/A2, when you are finished

typing the formula press enter

This image shows what happens after you

. press the enter button.

d) Average Formula Calculation

Kindly open a spread sheet program and let’s input formulas together. Let’s practice
together. Assuming we have the following digits/figures as shown below. Let us put a
formula that will calculate the average mark scored by Mulenga in cell F3.

CELL F3 CELL F3
This automatically gives you the value for the average in the range B3 to E3

6. Saving New Sheet

Once you are done with typing in your new Excel sheet, it is time to save your
sheet/workbook to avoid losing work you have done on an Excel sheet. The Following
are the steps to save an edited excel sheet:

Step 1: Click the File tab and select Save As option.

Step 2: Select a folder where you would like to save the sheet, Enter file name which
you want to give to your sheet and Select a Save as type, by default it is .docx
format.

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 Folder to save sheet
File Tab
Save As

Folder names
File name Save button
Step 3: Finally, click on Save button and your sheet will be saved with the entered
name in the selected folder.

Saving New Changes

There may be a situation when you open an existing sheet and edit it partially or
completely, or even you would like to save the changes in between editing of the sheet. If
you want to save this sheet with the same name then you can use either of the following
simple options:

 Just press Ctrl + S keys to save the changes.

 Optionally you can click on the floppy icon available at the top left corner and just
above the File tab. This option will also save the changes.
 You can also use third method to save the changes, which is Save option available
just above the Save As option as shown in the above screen capture.

If your sheet is new and it was never saved, then with any of the three options, Excel
would display you a dialogue box to let you select a folder, and enter sheet name as
explained in case of saving new sheet.

Printing a spreadsheet

If you want to print a copy of a worksheet with no layout adjustment, use the Quick Print
option. There are two ways in which we can use this option.

Step 1. Click on File

Step 2. Click on Print (which displays the Print pane)

Step 3. Click the Print button.

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 File Tab Print Button

Print Preview

Print Command

Adjusting Common Page Setup Settings

You can adjust print settings available in Page setup dialogue in different ways as below.
Page setup options include Page orientation, Page Size, Page Margins, etc.
 The Print screen in Backstage View, displayed when you choose File » Print
 The Page Layout tab of the Ribbon
Choosing your printer
To switch to a different printer, choose File » Print and use the drop-down control in the
Printer section to select a different installed printer.

Specifying what you want to print

Sometimes you may want to print only a part of the worksheet rather than the entire active
area. Choose File » Print and use the controls in the Settings section to specify what to print.

 Active Sheets: Prints the active sheet or sheets that you selected

 Entire Workbook: Prints the entire workbook, including chart sheets

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  Selection: Prints only the range that you selected before choosing File » Print

Self-Test Practice
Exercise 1.

1. Open Microsoft Excel. Type the following digits in an excel sheets

A B C
1 3 4 HERE
2 4 8 HERE
3 123 4 HERE
4
5
6

Insert a formula’s in cell C1, C2 and C3 that will add A1 with B1, A2 with B2, and A3 with
A3 respectively. After inserting the formulas inform the teacher to check your work.

Exercise 2.

1. Open MS Excel and type the following.

Name Maths English C/S

Patrick 69 45 75
Siasulwa 88 56 57
Thandiwe 73 69 67
Bwembya 51 88 91
Bupe 78 56 51

Average

HERE

2. Insert formulas in the cells written HERE to calculate the average mark scored by each
of the pupils.
3. Make the following words bold: Name, Maths, English, Computer Studies, Patrick,
Siasulwa, Thandiwe, Bwembya, Bupe and average.
4. Format all the digits/figures by placing them on the centre of the cell.
5. Save your work and close the program.

Exercise 3.

1. Open Ms Excel and type the following.

Quantity Description Unit Total

Price
3 Computers 4, 000 HERE
2 Speakers 150 HERE
5 Flash Disc 50 HERE

Total HERE

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2. Place formulas in the cells written HERE to calculate the total amount of computers,
speakers, flash disc and the overall total.

Unit 7 Productivity Tool - Desktop Publishing

At the end of this lesson learners should be able to:
 Identify different Publishing basics and Features
 Use pre-designed layouts or Templates
 Create elementary graphics
 Colours and Fonts
 Clip art/Re-designed graphics

1. Introduction to Desktop Publishing

This involves using a desktop computer with specialized software that can integrate
graphics and text to produce high-quality printed output for commercial printing.
Commercial in this case means producing prints for business or profit making. It requires
a desktop publishing program, such as Adobe In Design, QuarkXPress, Ms. Publisher,
Corel Draw just to mention but a few. A large monitor and laser printer. The term
"desktop publishing" was more popular in the 1980s. Today, almost everything is created
on a desktop or laptop computer for publication, whether for print, CD, DVD or online.

A desktop publisher is able to produce professional documents such as business cards,

fliers, magazines, billboards, greeting cards, brochures, calendars, newsletter and list goes
on and on.

Beyond Word Processing

A desktop publishing program (DTP), also called a "page layout program" or "publishing
program," provides complete page design capabilities, including magazine style columns,
rules and borders, page, chapter and caption numbering as well as precise typographic
alignment. A key feature is its ability to flow text around graphic objects in a variety of
ways. Although many word processing programs offer many of these features, a desktop
publishing program provides ultimate flexibility.

Desktop publishing and word processor features

Word Processing and Desktop Publishing are in some ways similar, and it may not be
obvious which you should use to produce a document. The similarities are:

 Both deal with text, which can be formatted (font, size, colour, bold, italic, etc.)
 Both can contain pictures and tables
 Both have features which can be used to proof read (spellchecker)
 Microsoft Word and Publisher have similar features, such as Clip Art, WordArt,
colour schemes and text styles

The main difference is that Desktop Publisher documents are easier to lay out, so are
better for things like newsletters, posters, banners, business cards just to mention but a
few, where the layout is important, and the text may be in more than one places.
When you start a new Word Processor document, you see a blank page onto which you
can type text. When you start a new Publisher document, you see a blank page and must
add a text frame, into which you can type text. You can also have picture frames, Clip Art
frames, WordArt frames, tables and various drawing objects.

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 Run Microsoft Publisher and add some frames of various sorts. You may notice that they
work in a similar way to MS Word objects (but with some differences). In fact, you can
probably use Word as a Desktop Publisher, and you can even add text frames to the
documents, but it is not very easy.

The Final Layout

Original text and graphics may be created in a desktop publishing program, but graphics
tools are often elementary. Typically, all data are created externally. Text is generally
created in a word processing program, and graphics are created in a graphics program,
drawing or paint program, are scanned from photographs or taken with a digital camera.
All the text and graphic elements are imported into the publishing program.

Microsoft Publisher
Assuming you have Microsoft Office 2010 installed in your PC, to start publisher
application, follow the following steps at your PC: It is assumed that you have basic word
processing skills in using this course.

Step 1: Click Start button.

Step 2: Click All Programs option from the menu.
Step 3: Search for Microsoft Office from the sub menu
and click it.
1. Click on Start

Click on All Programs Click Microsoft Publisher 2010

Click on Microsoft Office
Key Concepts
There are two key concepts to consider when using Publisher and if these are understood
then the whole program becomes very easy to use. The first is that everything that appears
on the page is an object within a container. So text lives in a text box. An image lives within
an image object and so on.

The second is that all objects are layered. This means that if you place one object over
another then one will obscure the other. They are like a series of pieces of paper and you can
rearrange the order of the pieces. So if you find that part of your text is hidden it is most
likely that you have part of another object placed above it.
If you bear these concepts in mind then everything else will make sense.

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2. Basic Features in MS Publisher

Home Tab

The home tab as shown below is where your general resources are located.
Formatting text, such as color, font, alignment, and size, are found on this tab. From
this tab you can also insert textboxes, pictures, tables, and other shapes.

Insert Tab

The insert tab contains buttons for adding new pages, tables, pictures, shapes, clipart,
WordArt, and other page parts that provide instant enhancement to your publications.

Pages - If you need to add a page to your document, click the “Page” arrow button, and
select from the drop down menu.

Tables - From the “Table” button, drag your pointer over the blocks until the desired size
is reached.

Illustrations - From the Illustrations section on the Insert bar, users have the ability to
insert pictures, clip art, shapes, and a picture placeholder option to reserve space in a
project for pictures.

Building Blocks - This section provides access to pre-made page parts, calendars,
borders/accents, and advertisements that are helpful in building the layout of a new
project.

Page Design Tab

The page design tab is used when the document settings need to be adjusted. From this tab,
the user can change the colour settings, font settings, and orientation of the page.

Pre-designed layouts or template

Once Microsoft Publisher successfully opens you will be brought to different templates that
you can choose from for the style you wish to use.

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 Step 1: Under the “most popular” templates or “more templates” select a category from the
list below (e.g. gift certificate, banners, and newsletter)

Most Popular

Step 2: Select a template

(i.e. if you choose Business
Card, you’ll be brought to
different types of business
cards; see below). So you
must choose a template that
you will modify after
inserting your text.

So many templates to choose from.

Microsoft Publisher Workspace

The ribbon in Publisher 2010 provides quicker access to all the commands and allows for
easier future additions and customizations. To help maximize the note-taking space on the
page, the ribbon can also be hidden while writing.

Ribbon Minimizing and

maximizing button

The Ribbon- Like in other Office programs, the Ribbon houses several tabs that help you
create your document.
Page Navigation Bar - Shows you the different pages in your publication and gives you easy

Page | 85
 access to the pages.
Ruler - The ruler is used to keep track of the length and depth of your publication.

The Ribbon

Minimizing
and
maximizing
the ribbon
button
Page Numbers

Ruler on both

Magnifier (Zoom in and out)

Editing Templates
When editing a template you must recognize that all the text in a template is contained in a
text box. So the same way you would format a text box in a word processor is the same way
you will do it in a desktop publisher. Let us create a personal business card using imaginary
details.
Step 1. Click in the Business Name
Text box and type your imaginary
company name.

Step 2. Click in the text box that

contains the Phone number, Fax
and email and change them to your
choice.

Step 3. Click in name text box and

Step 4. Click on the title text box and input your title. input your name.
After editing the text your template should look like the picture below.

Page | 86
 Insert a picture here

Adding and Editing Pictures

Step 1. Click the picture button located on the Insert tab.

Step 2. A new window will pop up with your picture files.

A new window, select the penguin

picture

Insert Picture dialog box

Step 3. Browse and select the picture

you want, and then click “Insert”

Select a picture from here

or you can choose another
location where you have
other images.

Page | 87
Step 4. Click and drag the corners of the image to resize the image to fit the desired space.

Use any of the

corners to
resize the
picture to
desired size.

Step 5.After resizing the picture click on it and drag it to desired position. In the business
card below the penguins represent our company logo.

Our image here has

been resized and
positioned accordingly

On the above illustration we have created

Changing the template

If you would like to change the current business card to a different one just follow the steps
below. Remember that these also apply when changing all other types of templates e.g.
Brochure, greeting cards, posters etc.

Step 1. Click on the Page Design Ribbon

Step 2. Click on the Change Template Ribbon

The change template dialogue box will appear.

Page | 88
 Current template
being used.

Click on Colour
Scheme to change
the colour of your
template

Remember that
the program has a
lot of templates
which can be
accessed when
you scroll down.

Step 3. Select a new template and click ok.

1st Option. When selected will get

all the details (text and images)
from the current template and add
them to the new template. This will
1st Option replace the current file.

2ndOption
2nd Option. When selected will get all
After selecting option 1 the following will appear the details (text and images) from the
current template and add them to the
new template. This will not replace the
current template but will create another
one.

The old template will be replaced

by the new template but the details
will remain intact.

Importing text from Word Processing to Publisher

Page | 89
 Let’s assume that we already have text in a word-processing program and we want to use that
text in a desktop publisher. The steps below will show you how to do that.

Step 1: Open Microsoft word publisher.

Step 2: Select Brochure on the most popular template.

Select Brochure

Step 3: Select the type of brochure template that you would like to use then click create.

The template
currently
selected

A list of different types of

brochure templates to Create Button
choose from Scroll Bar

The following screen will appear….

Page 1 Selected
Template

Page 2

Page | 90
 Assuming that the text you want to be imported has already been typed and proofread in
Microsoft word 2010 and the program and file is open.
Step 4: Select the text that you want exported.
Step 5: Click on the copy icon or button.
Step 6: Click in the text box where you want to paste the text (In this example, we are going
to insert our imported text on page 2. When you select the text box it will automatically
select the text)
Word Processor window Home Tab Publisher window
Home Tab

Copy Button Page 2 Selected text in Publisher

Selected text in Word
Step 7: Click on the Paste Button/Icon. Use the zoom magnifier to ZOOM IN to a point
where the text is readable

Imported text will Magnifier Text will

now appear here Magnifier appear like this.
(Zoom in or out) You can still zoom
in further if you like
Change Font Colours, font style and font size:
When creating brochures you must be able to use your creativity to change text colors, text
size and font style. Finally we will learn how to apply different effects on a text. By default
any typed text comes in black color, but you can change your font colour to any of the colour
which can imagine. This is very simple to change text colour by following two simple steps:

Page | 91
Step 1: Select the text that you want to change to a bold font. You can use any of the text
selection method to select the text.
Step 2: Click the Font Colour button triangle to display a list of colors. Try to move your
mouse pointer over different colors and you will see text colour will change automatically.
You can select any of the colors available by simply clicking over it. If you click at the left
portion of the Font Colour button, then already selected colour will be applied to the text, so
you would have to click over small triangle to display a list of colors.
Home Tab

Font Colour
More Colour Button
Option

A list of Font
Colours

If you do not find a colour of your choice, you can use More Colors option to display colour
pallet box which allows you to select a colour from range of millions of colors.

Change font size

It is very simple to change the font size, follow three simple steps:
Step 1: Select the text that you want to change. You can use any of the text selection method
to select the text.
Step 2: Click the Font size button triangle to display a list of sizes. Try to move your mouse
pointer over different sizes and you will see the text will change automatically.
Step 3: Select a size of your choice (E.g. Font Size 16) Remember that if you cannot find the
font size on the list simply type it in.
Home Tab

Font Size
Button

Selected text
A list of Font changed to
Sizes font size 16

Page | 92
 Change font style
changing the font style is very simple, just follow three simple steps:
Step 1: Select the text that you want to change. You can use any of the text selection method
to select the text.
Step 2: Click the Font Style button triangle to display a list of font style. Try to move your
mouse pointer over different font styles and you will see the text will change automatically.
Step 3: Select a font style of your choice (E.g. Algerian)
Home Tab
Font Size
Button

Selected text
A list of Font changed to
Colours font style
ALGERIAN

Scroll Bar

Creating shapes and adding colour to them

It is important for anyone to create publications without using templates.
Step 1: Open Publisher and click on Blank A4. You will now be presented with a blank sheet
of paper on which to create your publication.

Blank Page

Page | 93
Step 2: Click on the Insert tab to bring up the Insert Ribbon

Step 3: Then click on shapes and chose a rectangle within basic shapes

Insert Ribbon Shapes Button

A list of different
shapes

Step 4: You will notice that the cursor has changed to crosshairs. Now you will draw out the
shape by clicking and holding the left mouse button in the top left corner of your shape and
then dragging down to the bottom right corner of your shape. You will notice that there is a
rectangle already visible on the page – these are non-printing guidelines. Draw your
rectangle to any size of shape inside the guidelines. If you find that your shape is not correct
then click on any of the corner handles to change the size and/or shape.

Click any of the

corners to resize
the shape

Inserted shape

Page | 94
Step 5: Click on Format to fill the shape with a background colour then make sure that you
have the Drawing Tools tab selected and then click on Shape Fill.

Format Ribbon Shape fill button

List of Colours

Step 6: Select the colour of your choice.

Shape filled with selected colour

Print.
Kindly note that an average size of a business card is 9cm by 5cm. So when you want to
print you need to load A4 size paper in a colour printer, each paper will produce 10 business
cards.

Step 1 -Click on the file ribbon

Step 2 - Click on print option on the pull-down menu
Step 3 – Select the printer on the printer menu
Step 4 – Click on paper size select A4
Step 5 – Click on the copies of print jobs, insert the number of copies you want to be printed
Step 6 – Click on the printer button to print

Page | 95
 Step 5
Step 1 Step 3

Step 6

Preview Page

Step 2

Step 4

Page | 96
Self-test Practice

Exercise 1

Scenario- Your school is about to host a fundraising event to buy new computers for your
new computer lab.
By the use of a publisher template create an advertisement poster for the fundraising event to
the public. In your poster include the date, venue and time.
Save and print the file you have created.

Exercise 2

Scenario - Scenario- Your school is about to host a fundraising event to buy new computers
for your new computer lab. As you may be aware this event will bring a lot of people to the
school.
By the use of a publisher template create a business card for the headmaster/ head teacher.
In the business card include Name, Title, Telephone number and address. Create another
business card for your computer teacher.
Save and print the file you have created.

Exercise 3

Scenario - Your school is about to host a fundraising event to buy new computers for your
new computer lab. In order to attract a lot of people to the event, we need to invite the
Minister of education to be the Guest of Honour.
By the use of a publisher template create a school letterhead. The letterhead must include
name of school, residential address, postal box address, telephone number/s, a school logo.
Save and print the file you have created.

Exercise 4

Scenario - It is the end of the year and the school will be hosting a graduation ceremony.
By the use of a template create a school certificate to give the graduating pupils. The
certificate must include: School name, Name of pupil graduating, date of graduation, head
teachers signature.
Save and print the file you have created.

Page | 97
Unit 8 Multimedia Files s
At the end of this chapter learner’s should be able to:
Understand what is meant by multimedia files
Create a multimedia presentation incorporating visual image features
Identify and understand different video and audio files

1. Introduction to Multimedia

Multimedia is a term that is used to describe the combination of text, sound, animation,
video, and pictures. Multimedia can be used for entertainment purposes, as well as for
use in the classroom as learning tools. PowerPoint presentations, which use text,
graphics, and even sound, is a form of multimedia which can be used for fun, in school,
and even on the job. Spreadsheets and graphs are also another type of multimedia.
Websites which use a combination of these elements is also considered a type of
multimedia.
2. Types of multimedia
There are several types of multimedia applications. Text, graphics, animation, and audio
all make up the components of multimedia. The computer has to be the biggest conduit
for multimedia applications. Computers provided PowerPoint presentations that can
include all the components of multimedia. In PowerPoint you can show animated slides
that contains text and audio. Other forms of multimedia include talking storybooks, CD
ROMS, and computer simulation software. Cell phones now have many features as the
computer so they provide multimedia applications as well.

3. Multimedia formats
The most common way to discover the type of a file is to look at the file extension.
Multimedia files also have their own formats and different extensions like: .swf, .wav,
.mp3, .mp4, .mpg, .wmv, and .avi. Computer files each have names. Nearly all file names
have file extensions. A file extension is simply a part of the computer file name. Each file
extension has a particular meaning which helps the computer to identify the file.

a) Video formats

Format File
Description
AVI .avi
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) was developed by Microsoft, and
is therefore playable on all Windows computers. It is commonly
used in video cameras and TV hardware, but is difficult to play
on non-Windows computers.
WMV .wmv WMV (Windows Media Video) was developed by Microsoft,
and is therefore playable on all Windows computers. It is
commonly used in video cameras and by TV hardware, but is
difficult to play on non-Windows computers.
QuickTime .mov QuickTime was developed by Apple, and is therefore playable
on all Apple computers. It is commonly used in video cameras
and by TV hardware, but is difficult to play on non-Apple
computers.
RealVideo .rm RealVideo was developed by Real Media to allow video
.ram streaming with low bandwidths. It is still used for online video

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 and Internet TV, but because of the low bandwidth priority, the
quality is also low.

Flash .swf Flash was developed by Macromedia. Flash requires an extra

.flv component to play in a browser.
Ogg .ogg Theora Ogg was developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation.
WebM .webm WebM is a project (www.webmproject.org) by the web giants,
Mozilla, Opera, Adobe, and Google.
MPEG .mpg MPEG, developed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group, used to
.mpeg be the most popular video format on the Internet. It used to be
supported by all major browsers, but it is not supported by
HTML5.
MPEG-4 .mp4 MP4 is the upcoming format on the internet. It is supported by
or MP4 all major browsers in HTML5. YouTube recommends using
MP4, and it is commonly used in newer video cameras and TV
hardware.

b) Sound formats
MP3 is the newest format for compressed recorded music. The term MP3 has become
synonymous with digital music. If your website is about recorded music, MP3 is the
choice.

Format File Description

MIDI .mid MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a format for
.midi electronic music devices like synthesizers and PC sound cards.
MIDI files do not contain sound, but digital musical instructions
(notes) that can be played by electronics (like your PC's sound
card)

Since MIDI files only contains instructions; they are extremely

small. The example above is only 23K in size, but it plays for
nearly 5 minutes. MIDI is supported by many software
systems/platforms. Because it is the main format for binary music,
it is supported by most software, including Internet browsers.
RealAudio .rm RealAudio was developed Real Media to allow streaming of audio
.ram (online music, Internet radio) with low bandwidths.
WMA .wma WMA (Windows Media Audio), compares in quality to MP3, and
is compatible with most music players, except the iPod. WMA
files can be delivered as a continuous flow of data, which makes it
practical for use in Internet radio or on-line music.
AAC .aac AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) was developed by Apple as the
default format for iTunes.
WAV .wav WAVE (more known as WAV) was developed by IBM and
Microsoft. WAV is compatible with Windows, Macintosh, and
Linux operating systems.
Ogg .ogg Ogg was developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation.

MP3 .mp3 MP3 files are actually the sound part of MPEG files. MP3 is the
most popular format for music players. The encoding system
combines good compression (small files) with high quality. It is
supported by all major browsers.

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 MP4 .mp4 MP4 is a video format, but it can also be used with audio only.
MP4 video is the upcoming video format on the internet. This can
lead to an automatic support for MP4 audio by all major browsers.

c) Still image formats

Still image is nonmoving visual information such as graphs, drawing, and pictures among
others. Other type images include non-processed video frames.

Format file Description

JPEG .jpeg JPEG-compressed images are usually stored in the JFIF
(JPEG File Interchange Format) file format. The JPEG/JFIF
filename extension is JPG or JPEG. (Joint Photographic
Experts Group) Nearly every digital camera can save images
in the JPEG/JFIF format
JPEG .jpeg JPEG 2000 is a compression standard enabling both lossless
2000 and lossy storage. The compression methods used are
different from the ones in standard JFIF/JPEG; they improve
quality and compression ratios, but also require more
computational power to process. JPEG 2000 also adds
features that are missing in JPEG. It is not nearly as common
as JPEG, but it is used currently in professional movie editing
and distribution (some digital cinemas, for example, use JPEG
2000 for individual movie frames).
TIFF .tiff TIF (Tagged Image File Format) is lossless (including LZW
compression option), which is considered the highest quality
format for commercial work.
RAW .raw RAW refers to raw image formats that are available on some
digital cameras, rather than to a specific format. These
formats usually use a lossless or nearly lossless compression,
and produce file sizes smaller than the TIFF formats.
BMP .bmp The BMP file format (Windows bitmap) handles graphics
files within the Microsoft Windows OS. Typically, BMP files
are uncompressed, hence they are large; the advantage is their
simplicity and wide acceptance in Windows programs.
PNG .png The PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file format was
created as the free, open-source successor to GIF. The PNG
file format supports 8 bit palette images
WEBP .webp WEBP is a new open image format that uses both lossless and
lossy compression. It was designed by Google to reduce
image file size to speed up web page loading: its principal
purpose is to supersede JPEG as the primary format for
photographs on the web. WebP now supports animated
images and alpha channel (transparency) in lossy images

4. Searching for multimedia files

The procedure for searching for multimedia files involves the following
Step 1: Click on Start button

Step 2: Click on My Computer icon

Step 3: Type the file extension on in the search window. For instance, .jpeg

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 My Computer
Search window

Start button
5. Creating a multimedia presentation
Let us practice together assuming that Microsoft Power is not open.
Step 1: Click on start
Step 2: Click on All programs
Step 3: Click on Microsoft office
Step 4: Click on Microsoft PowerPoint

The slide that you automatically go to has a title and sub-title. Since you do not need this
type of the slide you have to select the one that best suits your requirements. Let us practice
together.

Step 1: Click on New slide to select your preferred

slide.
Step 2: since you need a slide with title and
content click on the slide with the matching
characteristics.
Step 3: Click on the first slide and press delete
since you do not need it.
New slide

Slide

A slide with title.

content

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 Inserting text and pictures
In PowerPoint presentation, text is bulleted to show the points you need to present. In
case of pictures and graphics in general, there are images on the actual slide which you
click on to link to the location where the graphics are. For instance, if you want to insert a
picture from a file, you click on the picture from file icon on the slide. Alternatively,
depending on what you want you can select from the following.

Insert chart

SmartArt graphics
Insert table

Media clip

Picture from file

Clip art
 Inserting a picture
Let us practice together.
Step 1: Click on the source of the picture on a slide. E.g. from file
Step 2: Click on the picture that you want to insert.
Step 3: Click on Insert

File to be inserted

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 Insert Button

The picture is then inserted as shown on the diagram below

Inserted diagram

 Adding slide transitions

Slide transitions are the animation-like effects that occur in Slide Show view when you
move from one slide to the next during an on-screen presentation. Let us practice
together.

 Applying transitions
Step1: Click on the transition tab
Step 2: Click on more transitions if you want to have a wider selection.
View more transitions

List of Transitions

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 All the transitions will be displayed as shown as seen on the right diagram.

 Applying sound effects on slide

Step 1: Click on transition

Step 2: Click on Sound effects

Step 3: Select by clicking on your desired sound effect

There is need thereafter to turn on the volume on your computer in order to hear the
sound that you will get when moving from one slide show to the other.

Sound effects button

A List of
Sound effects

 Applying Animations
Step 1: Click on animation tab
Step 2: Click on animation styles
Step 3: Click on preview to see how your animation style will behave

Animation styles

 Customizing Animations
Step 1: Click on animation pane
Step 2: Select each point or picture and apply the animation

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 Step 3: Click on Add Animation for each selected content or picture

Add animation

 Adding different designs to slides

 Lastly you need to add different designs that will make your slides look attractive. The
following steps will show you how to apply designs to slides. Let us practice together.
Step 1: Click on the Design Tab

Step 2: Click on more design button

Step 3: Select the design of your choice by clicking on it.

Design Tab

More Design Button A list of More Design appears

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Self – Test Practice

Exercise 1

Your school has been selected to host an Information Communication Technology quiz for
ICT clubs. You have been told to create a presentation using PowerPoint which must have
the following:

 What is Computer Studies?

 How computers have affected our daily lives.
 The future of ICT in Zambia.
Create a presentation that the Head teacher will present. Make sure that the presentation has
animated pictures with sound.

Exercise 2

You class teacher has asked you to make a PowerPoint presentation on computer input
devices.
Create a PowerPoint presentation on Computer input devices. Your presentation should
include, Definition of input device, name and give explanation on at least 7 input devices.
Each input device should have a picture. You are now going to make the presentation in
front of the class.

NOTE: Your presentation should have a design, transition and animation.

Exercise 3

Your school is going to have “GRADE 8 COMPUTER STUDIES QUIZ” Create at least 20
questions in PowerPoint presentation software. Each question should be on its own page,
meaning your slide show will have more than 20 pages.

NOTE: Your presentation should have a design, transition and animation.

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