Path 1 · Foundations
Computer Foundations
Start here. What a computer is, what is inside it, how to use the keyboard and mouse, and how to start and shut down safely.
By the end you will be able to
- Explain what a computer does and name its main parts.
- Use the keyboard, mouse and touchpad with confidence.
- Start, lock, restart and shut down a laptop safely.
- Use basic accessibility settings to make a screen comfortable.
Before you start
No earlier course is needed. Beginners are welcome.
Module 1: Understanding computers
What a computer is, how it handles information, and what happens between pressing the power button and seeing your desktop.
- What is a computer?
A computer takes in information, works on it, keeps it, and shows you the result. Learn the four jobs every computer does and the difference between hardware and software.
20 min · beginner
- How computers process information
Find out why computers use only 0 and 1, how text, pictures and sound become numbers, and how a processor follows instructions. You will understand why a computer is very fast but also very literal.
25 min · beginner
- What happens when a computer starts
Follow a computer from the power button to the desktop: firmware, the bootloader, the operating system and the login screen. You will also learn the everyday words for what you see.
20 min · beginner
Module 2: Computer hardware
The parts inside and around a computer, what each one does, how to recognise common faults, and which repairs are safe for a beginner to try.
- Inside the computer: CPU, RAM, motherboard and graphics
Meet the main parts inside a computer: the processor, memory, the motherboard that joins them, and graphics. Learn what each one does, why it matters, and what it feels like when one struggles.
25 min · beginner
- Storage devices: SSD, hard disk, USB drives and memory cards
Learn the main kinds of storage, how they differ in speed, toughness and cost, and why storage is not the same as RAM. You will also learn the warning signs of a failing drive and why you never open one yourself.
25 min · beginner
- Power, cooling and the display
Understand how a computer gets its power, why heat matters, and what the numbers on a screen mean. You will learn how to look after a battery, keep a laptop cool and set up the display comfortably.
25 min · beginner
- Ports, cables and peripherals
Learn to recognise the common ports on a laptop, which cable goes where, and how printers, headphones, webcams and other devices connect. You will know what to check when a device will not connect.
25 min · beginner
- Hardware faults and what not to repair yourself
Learn the common signs of hardware faults, the basic safety rules around static, liquids, batteries and mains power, and the difference between safe things to try and jobs for a technician.
25 min · beginner
Module 3: Keyboard, mouse and accessibility
Control the pointer with a mouse or touchpad, use the keyboard and the essential shortcuts with confidence, and set the screen and input to suit you.
- Mouse and touchpad skills
Move the pointer, click, right-click, double-click, scroll and drag with a mouse or a laptop touchpad, and fix the usual beginner problems such as accidental clicks.
25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- The keyboard and essential shortcuts
Learn the areas of the keyboard and the handful of shortcuts that save the most time: copy, cut, paste, undo, redo, select all, save and find, on Ubuntu and Windows.
30 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- Accessibility, zoom and comfortable use
Make text bigger, raise contrast, enlarge the pointer, use sticky keys, an on-screen keyboard and captions, and set up your desk and habits so long sessions stay comfortable.
25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
Module 4: Starting and shutting down
Switch a laptop on safely, log in and lock it, care for the battery, and choose between sleep, restart and shut down, including what to do when something freezes.
- Starting a laptop and logging in
Connect the charger, switch on, sign in to your account, lock the screen when you walk away, and look after the battery so it lasts for years.
20 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- Sleep, restart, shut down and frozen computers
Know when to use sleep, restart or shut down, protect your work before you power off, and deal calmly with a frozen program or computer, using the power button only as a last resort.
25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows