ITC 3001, Personal Computer Fundamentals 1 Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Explain the fundamentals of computer hardware and computer software. 1.1 Explain the basics of using Windows 8. 1.2 Compare Microsoft Windows to Mac OS. Reading Assignment Part I, Lesson 1: Getting Started with Windows 8 Part I, Lesson 2: Navigating and Customizing the Start Screen Unit Lesson Computer literacy is an absolute requirement now. You probably use, or will use, your computer at work, at home, and to help your children learn. This unit is designed to help you feel more comfortable with Windows, the operating system (OS) used to interact with most personal computers. We will begin with a review of the basics. A computer is an electronic device that accepts data or input, manipulates the data based on a user’s instructions, and subsequently produces information or output. Software provides instructions to your computer. Systems software, or the operating system, manages your system and determines which types of applications you can run. It is the layer of software packages running on your machine between your computer and hardware devices and your application software. Application software includes the programs that you use to complete specific tasks. Examples of application software include word processors, spreadsheet programs, database management systems, compression software, accounting packages, photo editors, and more. In this unit, you will be studying the Microsoft Windows operating system. In future units, you will cover applications that comprise the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. As you probably already know, Windows is an operating system from Microsoft that coordinates the activities of your computer. The one that we will cover in this unit is Windows 8. It controls how the screen is displayed, how programs are opened and closed, startup and shutdown procedures, and general computer navigation. Using the applications in the Office suite requires a general knowledge of Windows. Much of the work that you do on a computer involves creating, modifying, and saving files. Windows allows you to manage these files. Both of the lessons in the reading assignment for this unit provide hands-on instructions and practice in the use of Windows 8. It is highly recommended that you walk through the activities on your own computer as you read the textbook. Windows allows you to work with documents and applications and organize how you interact with your computer. The Windows desktop is the screen that you see when you turn on your computer and log into Windows. It is similar to a real-physical desktop, hence the name. Windows provides the mechanisms for you to customize the desktop, allowing you easy access to the programs and files you use the most. Since the desktop can be customized, keep i ...

1. ITC 3001, Personal Computer Fundamentals 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Explain the fundamentals of computer hardware and computer
software.
1.1 Explain the basics of using Windows 8.
1.2 Compare Microsoft Windows to Mac OS.
Reading Assignment
Part I, Lesson 1:
Getting Started with Windows 8
Part I, Lesson 2:
Navigating and Customizing the Start Screen
Unit Lesson
Computer literacy is an absolute requirement now. You
probably use, or will use, your computer at work, at
home, and to help your children learn. This unit is designed to
help you feel more comfortable with Windows,
the operating system (OS) used to interact with most personal

2. computers.
We will begin with a review of the basics. A computer is an
electronic device that accepts data or input,
manipulates the data based on a user’s instructions, and
subsequently produces information or output.
Software provides instructions to your computer. Systems
software, or the operating system, manages your
system and determines which types of applications you can run.
It is the layer of software packages running
on your machine between your computer and hardware devices
and your application software. Application
software includes the programs that you use to complete
specific tasks. Examples of application software
include word processors, spreadsheet programs, database
management systems, compression software,
accounting packages, photo editors, and more. In this unit, you
will be studying the Microsoft Windows
operating system. In future units, you will cover applications
that comprise the Microsoft Office Suite, including
Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
As you probably already know, Windows is an operating system
from Microsoft that coordinates the activities
of your computer. The one that we will cover in this unit is
Windows 8. It controls how the screen is displayed,
how programs are opened and closed, startup and shutdown
procedures, and general computer navigation.
Using the applications in the Office suite requires a general
knowledge of Windows. Much of the work that
you do on a computer involves creating, modifying, and saving
files. Windows allows you to manage these
files.
Both of the lessons in the reading assignment for this unit
provide hands-on instructions and practice in the

3. use of Windows 8. It is highly recommended that you walk
through the activities on your own computer as you
read the textbook.
Windows allows you to work with documents and applications
and organize how you interact with your
computer. The Windows desktop is the screen that you see when
you turn on your computer and log into
Windows. It is similar to a real-physical desktop, hence the
name. Windows provides the mechanisms for you
to customize the desktop, allowing you easy access to the
programs and files you use the most. Since the
desktop can be customized, keep in mind that your computer
will look slightly different than the screen shots
shown in your textbook.
UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
Windows 8 Operating
System
ITC 3001, Personal Computer Fundamentals 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
The taskbar, which usually appears at the bottom of the desktop,
shows the applications that are open and
often has shortcuts to additional applications that are used

4. repeatedly. The date and time also usually appear
on the right side of the taskbar. This area is customizable as
well, and the taskbar can even be moved to
another part of the screen. If your taskbar is at the bottom of the
desktop, then the start button can be found in
the far-left bottom corner. The Windows logo key (WinKey)
button opens in the native Windows 8 startup
menu, which provides access to all of the applications on your
computer. Items displayed on the start menu
include shortcut icons used to open applications and frequently
used folders. Folders are the primary method
of organizing your individual files within Windows. A folder
can contain multiple files or even other folders. We
will discuss how to best use files and folders for organizing the
contents of your computer later in this unit.
You also have the capability to search from the start menu. You
can use this search tool to find a program,
file, or folder. The startup menu is customizable, and you can
pin applications to the taskbar for easy access.
Refer to your textbook for details on how to customize your
desktop, taskbar, and start menu.
Within the Windows operating system, all applications and files
are displayed in what is called a window. You
may have multiple windows open at any time and switch
between them as needed to complete your task. You
may also resize the windows. This can be helpful if you want to
view the two windows side-by-side. The
textbook walks you through resizing, maximizing, and
minimizing a window. All of these tasks are very useful
and will become second nature to you, if they are not already.
Most of the windows used to manage folders
have common elements such as back and forward buttons, the
toolbar, search box, navigation panes, detail
panes, and an address bar.

5. As stated above, folders are the main way that users organize
their content on the computer and facilitate
finding, viewing, or managing that information. Windows
allows users to organize their information in much
the same way that it is organized in a physical office. The first
step is to locate or create folders in which to
store your content or files. Windows provides all of the tools
you need to create, locate, and manage the
folders on your system. When a folder is opened, its contents
are displayed on the screen. You may then
open additional subfolders (folders within folders) or files. You
also have the ability to move or delete the
folders or files. If you are not very familiar with how to
navigate in Windows to locate and manage your files
and folders, it is highly recommended that you participate in
Lesson 2 by completing the steps on your
computer as you read them in the textbook. If you do not have
Windows 8, your screen may look a little
different, but the basic functionality should be the same. If you
have a hard time locating the folders you wish
to manage, you may open the My Computer application from the
desktop in Windows 7 or the File Explorer
menu located in the taskbar in Windows 8. All of your storage
devices and folders can be viewed from there.
Windows uses a standard set of folders or libraries for storing
specific information. You may have noticed the
following libraries on your computer: documents, music,
pictures, and videos. These are the default or
standard locations where applications will try and store your
files. You may customize the folder structure and
store the files wherever you would like. However, it is
recommended that you keep your content in these
folders or another similar, condensed structure, making file
searches and backups easier. Remember that you
need to back up any files that you do not want to lose.

6. After a while, you will discover that you have many files and
folders that you do not need any more. You may
delete files and folders as needed. When you delete an item
from your computer, it is moved to the recycle
bin. (This is not the case with deleting from your flash or USB
drive.) The items in the recycle bin no longer
show up in their original place, but are still on your computer
and may be retrieved until you empty them from
the recycle bin. This is a great feature that can save you a lot of
agony if you accidentally delete something.
In order to organize your computer, you must be able to
navigate through the various storage locations on
your computer. Several techniques are available to help you
navigate. These include the forward and back
buttons, the recent pages dropdown, and the navigation pane.
Further details on how to use each of these
features are included in the assigned reading for this unit. Be
sure to participate in the hands-on activities and
follow along on your computer as you read the instructions.
Of course, when there are multiple windows open, there must be
techniques for managing these as well. You
have an unlimited amount of windows that you can have open at
one time. The window that has the focus
(usually where you clicked last with the mouse) is called the
active window. Any action you perform with the
keyboard will occur in the active window. There are several
options for arranging windows on your desktop.
The first is cascade, which overlaps the windows evenly with
the active window on top. A stack organizes the
windows horizontally, one above the other. With the tile option,
no window overlaps another window.

7. ITC 3001, Personal Computer Fundamentals 3
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Some of the most beneficial features in Windows for managing
files and folders are cut, copy, and paste.
These functions allow you to move objects to a new location or
create additional copies on the same or
other devices. The concepts also apply to moving and copying
objects within files, such as text and
pictures. Cut, copy, and paste are very important concepts that
can greatly improve your capabilities and
effectiveness in using a computer. It is critical that you
understand these concepts. Be sure to read the
textbook closely, try the functions yourself, and contact your
instructor if you need assistance.
Suggested Reading
Learn more about this unit’s topics by researching in databases
of the CSU Online Library. The following are
examples of what you will find in the Academic OneFile
database:
McCombs, B. (2010). Microsoft windows 7. Canadian Journal
of Rural Medicine, 15(2), 75. Retrieved from

8. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA222678746&v=
2.1&u=oran95108&it=r&p=AONE&sw
=w&asid=735771d28f3ed186c72e5ed4036e42f9
McCombs, B. (2013). Windows 8. Canadian Journal of Rural
Medicine, 18(4), 144. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA348786473&v=
2.1&u=oran95108&it=r&p=AONE&sw
=w&asid=28798368e9586b85ee1796e24256c6cc
OS X on board new Macs. (2001, May 28). InformationWeek,
57. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA75087081&v=2.
1&u=oran95108&it=r&p=AONE&sw=
w&asid=1cba4150f96144ce427233e0f5c5766d
In addition to articles, the CSU Online Library offers other
types of supplemental materials that will provide
more information concerning this unit’s topics. For example,
the following e-books are available in the CSU
Online Library’s ebrary in the Computers & IT section:
Maran, R. (2009). Maran illustrated Windows 7 guided tour.
Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/columbiasu/detail.action?docID=1037
0114&p00=maran+illustrated+windows
+7+guided+tour
Rathbone, A., & Wang, W. (2013). Windows 8 and Office 2013

9. for dummies. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/columbiasu/detail.action?docID=1070
4036&p00=windows+8+office+2013+d
ummies
Stauffer, T., & McElhearn, K. (2003). Mastering Mac OS X (3rd
ed.). Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/columbiasu/detail.action?docID=1013
1884&p00=mastering+mac+os+x
Learning Activities (Non-Graded)
Complete the following assessments at the end of Part I, Lesson
1 and Part I, Lesson 2:
ssessment
Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in
their course of study. You do not have to
submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for
further guidance and information.