Self-assessment
A. Utilities
Depending on your operating system, you'll probably have plenty of built-in utilities, and/or you might want to add a few extras of your own to make sure everything remains in top shape. These might include utilities for: compressing and expanding files, defragmenting disks, repairing disks, automatically backing up files and folders, etc.
B. Anti-virus software
Given the barrage of viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, and malware constantly bombarding Windows-based computers, it's vitally important to protect any Internet-connected computer with an array of tools such as a firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software. Some of these are available at no charge, some cost a flat fee, and others require a paid subscription in order to remain current and ward off the ever-evolving arsenal of threats arrayed against every machine connected to the Internet.
You need to be certain you have the right defenses, you need to know how to deploy and manage those defenses, you need to keep them up to date, and you need to run them and monitor them as recommended.
Always practice safe computing!
C. PDF reader
Your instructor might deliver some content as PDFs (Adobe's Portable Document Format). You'll need a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview in order to access PDFs. Applications for reading PDF files often come pre-installed on computers when you purchase them, or as part of the operating system. If you do not have a suitable reader, Adobe Acrobat Reader is available as a free download from Adobe's website, but be sure to stay current with the latest version.
Depending on your browser settings, when clicking on a link to a PDF, one of three things will happen:
- The PDF document will open in your browser window
- A new browser window will open displaying the PDF
- A PDF reader application will launch and display the PDF
D. Video player
As computers have moved into the mainstream of the multimedia experience, it has become increasingly important to utilize software to play video files ranging from short clips to TV shows to entire feature-length films. Even in an educational environment you'll find that more and more instructors are including video-based content in their classes.
Consequently, you'll need to have one or more suitable video players installed on your computer. At the time of the writing, the three main players are the Windows Media Player, the Quicktime Player, and the Real Player. Not all players can handle all video formats (such as .wmv, .avi, .mov, .qt, .mp4, .ra, etc) with equal facility, so it's important to know the kinds of files your player(s) can accommodate and make sure you have a player that can handle the content you need to view.
Given the high bandwidth demands of video, keep in mind that it's best to have a high-speed connection to the Internet (rather than a dial-up connection) when attempting to access Web-based video files.
E. Word processing
You might or might not need to create text documents for submitting homework, but it will be helpful to use a word processing program for writing assignments, notes etc. Most machines come with pre-installed basic word processing programs. For example, Windows machines offer Word Pad and Macs offer TextEdit.
Your instructor might require you to submit text files in .txt or .rtf format, in which case you'll need to know how to save your text files in that manner. Alternatively, your instructor might require you to submit written assignments in .doc format. In that case (or if you just plan to do a lot of writing on the computer and wish to have many formatting options) you might want to install and use Microsoft Word
Whatever word processing application you use, you should know how to create a text file, save it, edit it, print it, spell check it, adjust fonts, etc.
F. Basic software skills
All the applications you run on your computer generally use the same basic interface for creating, saving, and editing files. In addition to your word processor, you should have a clear understanding of using other applications. You should know how to navigate menus within the application. You need to be able to recognize and use tools such as radio buttons, checkboxes, text boxes, toggles, etc within dialog boxes. You must know how to access the Help menu for an application. You should be thoroughly experienced with using copy, cut, and paste. You should know how to use "save" and "save as" within applications.
It's also very important to understand how to use multiple windows within one application, how to use multiple applications simultaneously, and how to copy and paste from one window to another and one application to another.
G. Opening, saving, and retrieving files
You should understand the fundamentals of creating directories ("folders") on your hard drive, and storing files ("documents") in those directories, as well as creating, finding, and moving files and directories. This includes using different drives and removable media for storing and retrieving files. Beyond those basic skills, you should have some concept of how to structure and manage the storage of materials on your drives for easy retrieval.
H. Other resources
Computer Files and Folders
5 Steps to clean up your computer files - for PCs
Making Folders in Windows
File Management - Mac OS X 101 (PDF)
What is a PDF file?
Other Document Formats (MS Word, Rich Text, PDF, HTML)
Viruses Explained
Spyware and Adware Explained
I. Self-assessment
Take the self-assessment quiz to ensure you're comfortable with all the concepts and skills in this chapter. The quiz will open in a new browser window, and after submitting the quiz you'll immediately see your score.
Practice exercise: Identify the word-processing application you plan to use for your online class and make sure you know how to use it.
In general, the only software you will need when taking an online class at SRJC is a browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc. However, in some classes you might be required to write and submit papers, view a PDF file, listen to audio, watch video, and so on, so you'll need to be familiar with some basic software skills.