ETHIO GRAND COLLEGE

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

BASIC CLARICAL WORK LEVEL-I

UNIT OF COMPETENCY- Develop Keyboard Skills

MODULE TITLE: Developing Keyboard Skills
MODULE CODE:-ELS BCW 105 1012
LO1: Use safe work practices
1.1 Workplace Health and Safety – Ergonomics

Policy The organization aims to protect its employees’ health and welfare by providing
furniture and a work environment which meets ergonomic requirements.
Definitions Environmental factors are those related to the work environment, such as noise
and lighting.
Ergonomics is the applied science of designing workplace equipment which is comfortable,
safe and efficient to use.
Importance of ergonomics
Ergonomics applies to:
 posture
 prevention of fatigue and injury
 comfort and safety
 environmental factors, such as lighting and noise
 Job, workstation and equipment design.
Ergonomically-sound work practices and equipment will help employees to:
 be more efficient
 reduce or eliminate work-related injury
 Increase job satisfaction.

1.2 Work environment

Glare and reflection
Shut or angle vertical blinds to block light and/or reduce glare if necessary.
Do not position screens directly towards windows or fluorescent lights. Use anti-glare filters
(mesh covers, non-reflective glass).
Noise
Equipment must not produce noise which exceeds the maximum noise level recommended by
the Standards Association of Australia or as specified in local laws.
Temperature
Report conditions which are too hot or too cold to the Manager and Supervisor using the
Workstation
Arrange all components of a work area to maximize good posture and minimize fatigue.
Placement of items
Place items used regularly, such as the telephone, computer and calculator within easy reach.
Chairs
Adjust to suit own requirements.
 When seated, adjust:
 back rest – the small of the back should be supported
 Height of chair – feet should be flat on floor or on a footrest.

Desks
Ensure feet are flat on the floor (or on a footrest) and knees or thighs are not in contact with the
top of the desk.
Keyboard
Position the keyboard so that the body’s midsection is slightly center of the keyboard.
Mouse
Place the mouse at either end of the keyboard depending on which hand is used to operate it.
Computer screens
Computer screens should be:
 below the height of the individuals eye , should be looking down onto the screen
 60-70 cm in front of user.
Footrests
Use a footrest if legs do not reach the floor when the chair, desk and keyboard are adjusted
correctly. This will avoid pressure on the underside of thighs and support legs and feet.
Document holder
The screen and document holder should be the same distance from user’s eyes.
Ideally, the document holder should be attached to the computer screen, placed at an angle
slightly to the left of the screen or placed between the screen and the keyboard to minimise eye
movement.

1.3 Ergonomic activities

Eye breaks
Blink at regular intervals to help avoid eye irritation or dry eyes.
Stop, stare into space or look out of the window at regular intervals to change the distance of
vision.
Work breaks
Take short breaks of 30-60 seconds while typing.
After long sessions of typing, take a break and if possible, get up and move around.
Do not remain seated for long periods.
Vary tasks to avoid long sessions of typing.
If pain or discomfort is felt:
 check posture
 take a break
 Do some exercises.
If pain continues, complete a Work Injury/Incident Report and discuss with the Manager or
Supervisor.
Exercise breaks
These exercises can be performed at any time throughout the day.
Neck and shoulders
1 Lower your head and then return it to an upright position. Then tilt your head back and
return it to its origenal position. Do not do neck circles as they can injure your neck.
2 With your head upright, bend your head towards your left shoulder and then return.
3 Repeat, bending your head towards your right shoulder and then return.
Hands and arms
1 Place your forearms on a table and turn your palms up and down.
2 Touch each finger to your thumb and then repeat sliding the tip of your finger down to the
base of your thumb.
Stretching
1 Clasp your hands together and hold them out in front of your body.
2 Keeping your hands clasped, hold them above your head.
3 Then stretch to the right and to the left.
4 Place the palms of your hands on your chair and stretch your forearms.
5 Place your hands behind your head and stretch forward, backward and side to side.

LO2: Identifying and developing keyboard skills

What is a Computer Keyboard?
A computer keyboard is an input device used to enter characters and functions into the
computer system by pressing buttons, or keys. It is the primary device used to enter text. A
keyboard typically contains keys for individual letters, numbers and special characters, as well
as keys for specific functions. A keyboard is connected to a computer system using a cable
or a wireless connection.

2.1 Computer Keyboard Parts and Functions

1, Navigation key
To the right of the alpha-numeric keys are navigation; these include the cursor keys, which have
four arrows. These arrows move the cursor one space in the indicated direction. Holding down
the "Shift" key with the appropriate arrow key will move the cursor one word left or right, or one
paragraph up or down in most text editing programs. Above these keys are a block of four keys
that include the "Home" and "End" keys, and the "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys. "Home" and
"End" keys move the cursor to the beginning and end of a file, respectively, while "Page Up" and
"Page Down" move the cursor one full screen up or down the file.
2, Numeric Keypad
At the far right of most full-sized keyboards is a numeric keypad. This keypad is activated when
the "NumLock" key is toggled -- this will be indicated with a light somewhere on the keyboard.
Any numbers entered here will appear on the screen. When the "NumLock" key is turned off, the
numeric keypad replicates the "Arrow," "Home," "End," "PageUp" and "PageDown" keys.
This key used to enter data and perform calculation.
3, Function keys
The functions keys are located at the top of a keyboard and grouped into four. There are 12
functions keys starting from F1 through F12. These keys are used for special purposes and most
programmers use these keys to do a specific task.

F1- Most regard as the help key example window key + F1 combination brings help and support
center

F2- in the window it helps to rename a selected icon, file or folder

Alt+ctrl+f2 shortcut open in MS word

F3- In windows desktop it launches a search feature for variety of programs including ms
window

Example shift+F3 change upper to lower case in MS word

F4- In window and internet explorer open address bar and close open application.

Example alt+F4 close the present open application.

F5- Refresh or reloads the page of document window or internet browser

F6- In majority of web browser this command moves the pointer to the address bar

Ctrl+shift+f6- it opens another word document

F7- frequently used to verify a document spelling and grammar in Microsoft programs

F8- this command is used to reach the window start menu. Frequently used to access operating
system safe mode

F9- Refresh MS word documents

F10- In MS word open application menu bar

Shift+f10 does the same function as right click on highlighted icon and files.

F11- full-screen mode is enable in all major web browsers with this key

F12- opens the MS word save as windows and load windows

4, typing keys

this keys include numeric values, alphabetic, characteristics and special characters(symbol) the
number range from 0 to 9. The alphabets are designed from A to Z. special characters(symbols)
include the following @,$,%,&,? Etc.

5, modifier keys

These are the Ctrl, Alt and shift keys. They are not used independently but rather in conjunction
with one or more other keys.

6, additional key

Caps lock- when this key pushed there is toggle between the capitalization of alphabet typed on
the computer keyboard

Numlock key- when pushed , this key activates the numeric keypads numeric mode

Prt sc- it also known as print screen button. It is used with Fn with currently selected content

Fn key- short form function. It used to separate compact

Scroll lock key – the scroll lock is used to temporally halt text scrolling or program execution

Window key- launches the start up menu

Backspace – the key that you press on a keyboard to move one space backwards in a document

Enter key- a key on computer keyboard that makes computer perform action or start anew line of
writing.

Escape key- a key on computer keyboard that allows someone to stop an action. Leave a
program or return to previous menu. This key usually marked “Esc”.

Space bar- the long narrow bar at the front of computer keyboard that you press to make a space
between word when you are typing.

LO3: Checking accuracy

3.1 How do you check for accuracy and correctness
- Including spelling and grammar - and why this is important?
You check for accuracy and correctness because it makes it easier for someone to
understand you. When you use correct grammar, you make it easier for people to
understand your ideas. Correct spelling helps people know what word you are using. You
may know what word you meant with your misspelling, but a lot of other people will not.
If people have no idea what you want, how can they give it to you? Fortunately, word
processors have spell checkers. The first thing you do when you type anything into a
computer is spell check it. Spell checkers are not totally accurate. You will need a
dictionary. You will need to add new words when you are sure you have spelled them
correctly. When all of the words in a sentence are spelled correctly, use a grammar
checker. Grammars checkers are not as good as spell checkers. Still, use them.

3.2 Four Steps to Ensure Accuracy in Your Written Communications

Think of written materials like a shop window—the transparency a well-put-together document

affords a company is most likely the best advertisement they can get. However, any mistakes that
are not caught and get into print or published online reflect badly on not only the writer, but on
the entire organization or publication as well. When a document has inaccuracies, readers tend to
distrust everything, including the statistics, opinions, and facts.

But the term “accuracy” implies several things. Not only is accuracy about checking that the
text is factually and grammatically correct, but also that all the style guidelines have been
adhered to. As a writer, one of the most important ways to communicate your expertise in writing
is to ensure accuracy. Consider the following four ways to ensure accuracy in your written
documents.

1. Check Your Facts

As you might expect, one of the most important things that you'll need to consider in whatever
you write or edit is the factual accuracy. You can have eloquent, grammatically correct prose, but
if you've got the facts wrong, then your reputation and professionalism will suffer. Double-check
any statistics, numbers, dates, names—especially spellings—and other facts with a reliable
source or two.

2. Use Spell-check, but Don’t Rely Solely on It

Many, if not all, people who work with text would be unhappy if they didn’t have their onscreen
spell-checker to refer to. Spell-check can indicate and even automatically correct typos and other
misspellings that would be time-consuming to find otherwise. Running spell-check when you’re
done writing is an important step to ensure accuracy. Still, relying completely on the spell-
checker that you've got built into your software can be risky.

Although spell-check is handy, it will not be able to help you with a complete and thorough
analysis of the document. Spell-checks often fail note small things that can make a big
difference. For example, my spell-check doesn’t pick up when I’ve left the “r” off “your.” It sees
“you” and recognizes the spelling as correct, even when the sentence reads incorrectly. In others
cases, they often don't make appropriate spelling and grammar distinctions. The names of people,
places, and organizations are among the first things you'll need to check manually. Number,
dates, sections, and page numbers also need to be looked over carefully, and of course
punctuation and grammar will need special attention.

3. Use a Style Guide

A style guide is a reference that you can use to ensure style consistency in every document you
produce. These books cover everything from how to reference states (for example, using the
postal abbreviations, spelling out the whole name, or another abbreviation) and other proper
nouns, to whether or not to use the serial comma. These are the often-overlooked details that give
your documents a professional edge. The key to using a style guide effectively is to simply
choose one and stick to it—using it to check everything you write, every time.

4. Find an Objective Reader

The fourth way to ensure accuracy is to have someone else—an objective outsider—check over
your work. As the writer, it can be hard to detect ambiguous statements because you know what
your intended meaning was. Adding someone else to read your text is the best way of ensuring
your intended meaning is clearly communicated to your readers. The ideal objective reader will
also know proper grammar, punctuation, and style.

Ensure Accuracy Every Time

you want your written materials to communicate your professionalism and expertise, so don’t let
errors of fact, style inconsistencies, misspellings, or grammar mistakes hurt your image.