4 STUDY GUIDE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS COMPETENCY TEST SHELBY

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STUDY GUIDE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS COMPETENCY TEST

STUDY GUIDE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS COMPETENCY TEST

SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS

Basic Computer Knowledge

Information is data that is organized, has meaning, and is useful. A computer has a variety of components that work together to accept data, manipulate data, edit data, produce results and store data. As the world of computers advances, it is essential that you gain some level of computer literacy; that is, you should have a knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses.

Computer hardware includes input devices, output devices, a system unit, storage devices, and communications devices. When a collection of computers and devices are connected together via communications media with cables, telephone lines, modems, or other means – it is called a “network”.

Input devices allow information to be placed in the computer memory. Six commonly used input devices are the keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, digital camera, and PC camera. A scanner is an input device that can capture an entire page of text electronically. Pointing devices used with computers include mouse, trackball and a joystick. The device used to control the movement of the pointer on the screen and make selections from the screen is the mouse.

Output devices pass information from the computer such as a printer, a monitor and speakers. Digitized music, speech, or other sound stored and produced by a computer is defined as audio information. The monitor is an output device that displays text, graphics, and video information visually and is housed in a plastic or metal case.

Software is the series of instructions that tell the hardware how to perform tasks. The central processing unit interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. The instructions that cause software to perform specific actions are commands. The small piece of semi-conducting material (usually no bigger than one-half inch square) is called a chip. This is an electronic device with many microscopic pathways. Both the processor and memory consist of chips that carry electrical current and can be attached to a motherboard or other circuit board.

Storage devices include CD-ROM drives, floppy disk drives, and hard disk drives. The initials in ROM stand for read-only memory. Storage holds data, instructions and information for future use. Storage differs from memory because storage can hold items permanently while memory holds items temporarily while the processor interprets and executes them. Computers have volatile memory, meaning that its contents are lost when the power is turned off. This type of memory is called random access memory.

A single character in the computer such as numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet are represented by eight bits of information grouped together as a unit called a byte. A megabyte is approximately one million bytes and a gigabyte is approximately one billion bytes.

The standards that determine whether an action is good or bad are known as ethics. With any powerful technology, computers can be used for both good and bad actions. Computer ethics are the moral guidelines for the use of computers and information systems.

“WORD” Computer Literacy

There are many computer software programs but an example of one is WORD (a word processing program) one of the most widely used types of application software. It allows users to create and manipulate documents that contain text and graphics. Display buttons to access common features and commands, such as saving, opening, and printing a file can be found on the standard toolbar. There are many toolbars but the icons used for these functions are together on the standard toolbar.

This computer program allows the user sets of characters with a specific typeface and style known as fonts. Text may be arranged with a smooth left edge known as left justified or centered such as the title of this study guide. The position of text in relation to the left and right page margins is called horizontal alignment. Horizontal alignment is used to enhance documents but if you want a file available for future use you must SAVE it. Vertical alignment could be top, center, justified or bottom.

Another feature is a dot or symbol that marks an important line of information or designates items in a list, which is a bullet. There are a variety of bullets available in word processing programs. Lists can be sorted alphabetically using the sort command found under the Table menu. This feature is often used when member lists are started or updated.

The arrangement of text on a page is called FORMAT. A style of business letter will include a return address, date, and salutation as well as the inside address and closing. Generally the body of a business letter is single-spaced. The salutation of the letter may vary but is generally begun with “Dear”. The salutation is the beginning of the letter and the closing of a business letter references the correspondent – the person sending the letter. Another format would be for reports, which are generally double-spaced.

Word processing programs generally have a spelling and grammar feature and errors in grammar, style rule, and spelling can be investigated using it. Word wrap is the feature that causes text to move automatically from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line. A hard return is used when you change to the next line using the enter key. The mouse can be used for an action called drag and drop. The mouse is used to dray a selection from its original location and drop it in a new location. Other actions utilized are cut and paste or copy and paste. Scroll bars are used with a mouse to shift the on-screen displays up and down or left and right. The user is able to see the remainder of a screen utilizing this function.

Proofreading is an important function of any computer user. Symbols written on a printed document indicating where revisions are required have been standardized in many ways and are referred to as “Proofreaders’ marks”. These marks allow for common understanding between the proofreader and the person making the revisions.

DATABASE KNOWLEDGE

A database is a collection of related information that is organized into separate tables and is used mainly to organize fields. A database allows you to add new information, change incorrect information and delete out of date or unnecessary information. The first step in creating a database is always planning its form or structure.

A field is one category of information and a record is a group of fields. If you were to create a database containing students first, middle, and last names it would be best to set up three separate fields for the three names. If you wanted to organize a database of students from oldest to youngest, the function you would want to use would be SORT. It is possible to sort a database alphabetically, numerically – from largest to smallest and numerically from smallest to largest. When you sort records in ascending order records will go from lowest to highest number or from A to Z. Sometimes the most efficient way to gather information from a table is to isolate only those records that satisfy a specific set of conditions. This is a filter. A filter cannot be saved but a query can.

TEXT is a type of data field that stores data that consists of letters, numbers, or special keyboard characters. Each individual piece of information is a field. A field might be a memo, number or text. A QUERY is a combined set of commands and directions you create. You can specify which data the query retrieves by identifying criteria, which are restrictions the data must meet. The criteria >=$35.00 will find anything equal to or over $35.00. A wildcard is a symbol used in a search value to substitute for unknown characters but keywords can be stipulated to place restrictions that the data retrieved must meet.

When you want to organize, summarize, and print all or part of a database data, you create a report.

Spreadsheet Knowledge

Another application widely used is spreadsheet software that organizes data in rows and columns. With your information in a worksheet, you can perform calculations, create, edit and format. Editing will allow the user to insert both rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical). A spreadsheet can be called a computerized calculator.

In a spreadsheet the intersection of a column and a row is called a cell. There are three types of information that can be in a cell including label, value and formula. If a spreadsheet user wants to use a range of cells that includes rows 1,2, & 3 for columns G, H, I, and J, the range specified would be G1:J3.

Function is a preprogrammed formula in a spreadsheet. The Auto Sum icon allows the user to insert an automatic addition function. To write a correct formula for average the user would enter =(A1+B1+C1)/3.

Tools, Options – you can eliminate gridlines on a spreadsheet

Format, Column, Width – change the width of a column

Right click the worksheet tab, Rename – name or change the name of the worksheet

View, Header/Footer – insert a header/footer into a worksheet

Insert, Column – inserts a column (insert, row to insert a row)

Insert, Comment – insert a comment into your worksheet for additional information

Control + A – selects the entire worksheet

####### - error message indicating the number value calculated or entered is too large for the cell width

Select worksheet data, select chart wizard – create a chart in a spreadsheet

Telecommunications Knowledge

Telecommunications is sending and receiving information over phone lines, satellite links, or TV cable. The Internet was first conceived in the early 60’s under the leadership of the Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Project Agency. It grew from paper architecture into a small network (ARPANET) intended to promote the sharing of super-computers among researchers in the United States. URL (Internet address) is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator and consists of protocol, domain name and path. A complete address of a site on the Internet uses this format http://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us. Ethical concerns regarding office and school computer use includes

Security and privacy of data
Employee and student loyalty
Copyrights of computer software

Copyrighted means protected from duplication; sharing copyrighted data is wrong.

E-mail is a system used to exchange messages among users on the Internet. A user creating e-mail must follow net ethics by not being rude, crude or disrespectful.

Facsimile (FAX) is a machine that can send and receive documents over regular telephone lines.

Favorites (from the Menu Bar) is chosen to select a special section to view while using the Internet.

Graphical user interface (GUI) is the use of pictures or icons to communicate commands from the user to the software.

Hacking is a term used to describe the activity of computer enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge of breaking computer security.

History feature stores a log of the dates and times you long on to the Internet.

Home page is the starting page of a Web site.

Hyperlink is clicked to take the user to another location on the Internet. When the mouse pointer hovers over a hyperlink the pointer changes to a hand with a pointing finger.

Icon is a symbol for a file or operation.

Internet Service Providers (ISP) examples are AOL, CompuServe and AT&T.

Modem is the equipment used to send/receive data over a phone line.

Newsgroup is a worldwide electronic discussion group that allows users to exchange ideas and information.

Password protects computer/data from unauthorized user.

Teleconference is a call that takes place among three or more people in different locations.

Web browser is a program that accesses Web sites on the Internet.

WWW means World Wide Web.

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