Information and

Communication
Technology Skills
Session 1: Basic Computer Operations

 ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. ICT refers to all the
methods, tools,concepts related to storing, recording and sending digital information.
 Information can be recorded or stored in many ways, handwritten on paper, written
using a typewriter and so on.
 When information is stored and recorded on electronic devices, it takes on a ‘digital’
form. ICT devices are tablets, smartphones and laptops as shown in Figure 3.1.
 ICT skills help us to communicate, run our business and stay connected with our family
and friends. Hence, every person needs to acquire ICT skills and build them to stay
updated with the latest software and applications (apps).
Computer Hardware and Software

 A computer system consists of two main parts—the hardware and

the software. The physical parts that we can see and touch are
called hardware. It is the machinery of a computer.These are the
keyboard, monitor, CPU, etc.
 There is another important part i.e., the software. Though we
cannot see it, it makes the hardware work the way we want. The
monitor is a physical device or the hardware. When we start a
program, for example, a game, it is displayed on the monitor.
 This is done by the software which displays text, images and
videos on the monitor as shown in Figure 3.2.
 Hardware would not be able tofunction without software.
 The most important software in any computer is the Operating System (OS).
 This is the software that starts working as soon as we switch on a computer.
It displays the desktop on the monitor. Some of the most commonly used
operating systems for laptops and desktop are Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows and
Mac OS.
 Mobile devices also have an operating system that helps them perform their
functions. Some of the mobile operating systems are Apple iOS and Google
Android
 All the computer applications, such as browsers, games, Office tools, etc.,
are also software programs that perform particular functions.
Starting a Computer

 To start a computer, press the Power button on the CPU. This will start the
operating system and display the main screen on the monitor
Basic Functions performed when a computer
starts

 A computer automatically runs a basic program called BIOS (Basic

Input/Output System) as soon as it is switched on or the power button is
pushed on.
 The BIOS first does a self-test. If the self-test shows that the system is fine,
the BIOS will load the Operating System. This means that the computer’s
operating system, for example, Ubuntu, is now ready to take user inputs.
Login and Logout

 When you login to the computer with your login-ID and password (as shown in
Figure 3.5), the computer knows that you are an authorised person and allows
you to work on the applications in the computer. Once you finish working, you
must log out or sign out so that no one else can see your work.
Shutting Down a Computer

 When you click Shut down, the Operating System will close all the
applications and turn off the computer.
Using the Keyboard

 A keyboard is an input device used to type text, numbers and commands into
the computer. It is shown in Figure 3.7
Function Keys

 Keys labeled from F1 to F12 are function keys. The function of the F1 key in
most programs is to get help on that program.
 Some keyboards may have fewer function keys.
 (a) Control keys: Keys, such as Control (CTRL), SHIFT, SPACEBAR, ALT, CAPS
LOCK and TAB, are special control keys that perform special functions
depending on when and where they are used.
 (b) Enter key: The label on this key can be either ENTER or RETURN,
depending on the brand of computer that you are using. You use the ENTER or
the RETURN key to move the cursor to the beginning of a new line. In some
programs, it is used to send commands and to confirm a task on a computer.
 (c) Punctuation keys: Punctuation keys include keys for punctuation marks, such
as colon (:), semicolon (;), question mark (?), single quotation marks (‘ ’), and
double quotation marks (“ ”).
 (d) Navigation keys: Keys, such as the arrow keys, HOME, END, PAGE UP, and PAGE
DOWN are navigation keys. These are used to move up and down, right and left in
a document. The HOME and END keys move the cursor to the left/right end of a
line of text, respectively. The PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys are used to move one
page up and one page down, respectively.
 (e) Command keys: Keys, such as INSERT (INS), DELETE (DEL), and BACKSPACE are
command keys. When the INSERT key is turned ON, it helps you overwrite
characters to the right of the cursor. The DELETE key and the BACKSPACE key are
used to remove typed text, characters and other objects on the right and left side
of thecursor, respectively.
 (f) Windows key: Pressing this key opens the Start menu
Using a Mouse

 A mouse as shown in Figure 3.8 is a small device that you can use to move, select
and open items on your computer screen. Let us see some of the functions that
can be performed using a mouse. Different application will behave differently to
the mouse actions. Here we use the File Explorer to see the effect of the mouse
action.
 Roll Over or Hover
 Some actions can be done by simply rolling over or hovering over an item. When
you bring the mouse over a file in File Explorer, it will show the details of that file
as shown in Figure 3.9.
 Point and Click
 As you move the mouse on your desk, a pointer moves correspondingly on your
screen. The mouse allows you to select an item on thescreen. When you click a
particular file, it gets selected as shown in Figure 3.10.
 Drag and Drop
 To move an item, you need to click it, and then holding the mouse button
down, move the item to a new location. After you move the item to the new
location, you release the mouse button. This is called drag and drop. When
you drag a file in File Explorer, you can pick it up from the present location
and drop it in a new location where you release the mouse as shown in Figure
3.11.
 Double-click
 Double-clicking means to quickly click the left mouse button twice. When we
doubleclick on a file, it will open the file.
Session 2: Performing Basic File
Operations
 Basic File Operations
 In any school (or office), each teacher has a separate cabinet as shown in Figure 3.13 where they
keep the files of different students or classes on separate shelves. Similarly, information on a
computer is stored in electronic files, which can be put into separate folders. It is easier to manage
the electronic files as they can be simply copied, moved, renamed or even deleted.
 Files and Folders
 All information stored in a computer is kept in files. Different types of files store different types
ofinformation. Each file is given a file name and has a file name extension that identifies the file
type. The file name and file name extension are separated by a period or a ‘dot’. For example, a
document (e.g., Neha) created using Notepad (a type of computer application to create simple text
files) will have the extension .txt. There are other types like .doc, .xls, etc. An image file usually has
an extension .jpg while a sound file usually has .mp3.A folder is a location where a group of files can
be stored.
Creating a File (Using a Text Editor in Ubuntu)
 When a student, Neha, joins a class, the teacher creates a file on the computer to store Neha’s
information, such as name, address, phone number, etc. Let us create a new file using a text editor in
Ubuntu.
 • To open a text editor, type ‘editor’ in the search dialog box. Then double-click the text editor
option as shown in Figures 3.14 and 3.15. This will open a blank document. In Windows, you can open
Notepad and type in the text.
 • Here you can add text, such as ‘Neha Tiwari Shakti Nagar, New Delhi, 7856453451’
 • To save the file click Save. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the Desktop folder, type the name as
‘Neha’ and click Save as shown in Figure 3.16
Creating a Folder (in Ubuntu)

 Folder is a location where a group of files can be stored. For example, we can
create a folder where all the filesfor all the students can be stored.
 Let us create a new folder in Ubuntu. • To open file explorer in Ubuntu, click
Files option on the left as shown in Figure 3.7.
 • File explorer opens up as shown in Figure 3.18.
 • To create a folder:(a) Choose a location where the folder has to be created
for example ‘Desktop’.(b) Right-click and then choose the ‘New Folder’.(c)
Type the name of the folder as ‘Demo’.
Session 3: Computer Care and
Maintenance
 Importance of Care and Maintenance of Computers
 Taking care of our things whether it’s our books, clothes, furniture or gadgets
is important. Takingcare of electronic devices, such as computer and mobiles
helps them to work properly. Just as we takecare of our body by taking bath,
brushing our teeth and eating food every day we need to take care of our
machines. A computer is a delicate machine with a lot of moving electronic
parts. We need to protect it from dust and damage. If we are careless, it will
not work efficiently.
 Computers and mobiles are very expensive. When we take good care of them
on a regular basis, we can use them for a longer time. This will help us save
money as we do not need to buy new devices too often.
Basic Tips for Taking Care of Devices

 Keeping a Device Clean

 Cleaning a device, such as a computer or mobile means to keep the screen, keyboard and mouse clean.
 (i) Keyboard: First we should not eat anything over a keyboard. Crumbs can damage the internal parts of a
keyboard. You can clean a keyboard with a soft brush as shown in Figure 3.21 to remove crumbs and dust particles.
 (ii) Screen: You can wipe the screen with a soft cloth- to remove any finger marks.
 (iii) Be careful with food and drinks: Avoid eating and keeping glasses of water or cups of coffee near a computer as
shown in Figure 3.22. Any liquid spilt over an electronic device can spoil it beyond repair.
 (iv) Handle devices carefully: Handle and move your laptop carefully and avoid dropping or banging it against a hard
surface. Even a short fall can damage the screen or the hard disk and make the device useless. Using a cover for your
mobile and a padded case for moving your laptop as shown in Figure 3.23 protects the device from damage.
 (v) Keep the computer cool: If a computer, laptop or mobile device gets overheated, the internal parts can be
damaged. The CPU has an internal fan to keep it cool. We should make sure the fan is functioning. You can also use
an external fan as shown in Figure 3.24. Avoid leaving a device in the sun or in a closed car. We should be careful
when using a laptop while sitting in bed and make sure that the fan in not covered.
 (vi) Do not overcharge your battery: Sometimes we keep a device plugged in
for charging even after it is fully charged. If we leave the device plugged in
for a long time it can overheat the battery. This reducesthe battery life.
Always unplug the device once it is charged 100%.
 (vii) Always plug in devices carefully: Any device being connected to a
laptop or computer such as a USB drive or headphones, should be done gently.
It should not be forced into the port. If you find it difficult to plug in a
device, change the direction and try instead of trying to force it in.
 (viii) Do not run too many programs at a time: When too many programs are
running at the same time as shown in Figure 3.26, the computer can become
slow and even crash. If a program/app is not being used, it should be closed
so that other programs can work smoothly.
Prepare a Maintenance Schedule
 We need to prepare a plan or a schedule for maintenance to keep the computer running in perfect
condition for a
 long time. This can include:
 (a) Daily Maintenance
 i. Clean up your e-mail inbox
 ii. Download e-mail attachments and save in proper folders
 (b) Weekly Maintenance
 i. Clean your keyboard
 ii. Clean your monitor
 iii. Dust CPU and printer
 iv. Backup your data to an external drive
 (c) Monthly Maintenance
 i. Transfer photographs to computer and delete from drive
 ii. Organise photos into folders or albums
 iii. Clean up ‘Download’ folder
 iv. Uninstall unused programs and apps
 v. Run disk-cleaner software
 vi. Run full system virus scan
 (d) Yearly/Annual Maintenance
 (a) Clean up contacts list on social media Accounts
 (b) Clean up e-mail contact list
 (c) Update your operating system
 (d) Check for expiry of anti-virus software and renew
Backup Your Data

 Backing up data means to save the information present on your computer on another device, such as CD/DVD drives
as shown in Figure 3.28 or hard disk. Data can recovered from here in case the computer stops working completely.
Computers can crash, humans can make mistakes and natural disasters, such as floods can happen. So, it is important
for companies, hospitals, banks, etc., to keep their information safe — so that their business can continue to function
smoothly and their customers do not face problems.

 Scanning and Cleaning Viruses

 Sometimes computer viruses can enter a computer from such attacks we can install anti-virus software.This will
prevent any viruses from entering and will also clean any viruses that may enter our system before they affect the
data.

 Increasing Computer Performance

 If we have been using a computer for a long time we have a lot of unnecessary files and data, such as temporary files
and images. When they use too much hard-disk space, the performance of the computer goes down. It is important
that we keep cleaning by removing any extra files. We can use some disk cleaner software, which help us clean up
the unnecessary files.
 Removing SPAM from your Computer
 Sometimes we get mails from companies who are advertising a product or
trying to attract you to their website. Such mails are called SPAM. We should
never respond to SPAM and delete it on a regular basis. It is possible to set
filters in the settings to prevent SPAM from entering our mail box. Most e-mail
software have a SPAM folder as shown in Figure 3.28 and automatically put all
such emails into this folder
Session 4: Computer Security and
Privacy
 We store a lot of information on our computers and electronic devices. For
example, we keep our photos on our mobiles, school computers store personal
information regarding every student and their parents, computers used in
banks store the financial information of their clients and computers in
hospital have important information about patients. If any of this information
gets lost or leaked and falls into the wrong hands, it can cause a lot of harm
to the people.
 For example, if information stored in a bank’s computer gets leaked it can
cause many people to lose a lot of money. Hence, it is essential to keep
computers secure and our data safe.
Computer Security Deals with Protecting
Computers

 Computer security and privacy deals with the measures used to prevent loss
of data.
 Reasons for Security Break
 Security break is leakage of information stored in a computer
 Personal information can be lost or leaked in two ways:
 1. We are not careful in giving out personal information over the Internet. For
example, we share our account details and password on unsecure sites.
 2. A person gets unauthorized access to our computer. This can happen in the
office if we leave are computer without logging out.
 Computer security and privacy is about measures we can take to restrict
access to personal data stored in a computer.
Threats to Computer
 Threats are the ways in which personal information can be leaked from a computer without our knowing.
 (a) Theft: Theft means stealing of information or hardware. These maybe of three types:
 • Physical: Where a person may steal your desktop computer or laptop.
 • Identity: Where a hacker steals your personal information and assumes your identity. Using this false identity, the
hacker can gain access to your account information or perform illegal activity.
 • Software Piracy: This is stealing of software and includes using or distributing unlicensed and unauthorised copies
of a computer program or software. Personal information can be lost or leaked in two ways:
 1. We are not careful in giving out personal information over the Internet. For example, we share our account
details and password on unsecure sites.
 2. A person gets unauthorised access to our computer. This can happen in the office if we leave are computer
without logging out. Computer security and privacy is about measures we can take to restrict access to personal
data stored in a computer.
 (b) Virus: Viruses are computer programs that can damage the data and software programs or steal the information
stored on a computer. Major types of viruses are Worms and Trojan Horse.
 • Worms: These are viruses that replicate themselves and spread to all files once theyattack a computer. This
makes very difficult to remove them.
 Trojan Horse: A Trojan Horse disguises itself i.e., it appears to be a useful software
program but once it reaches a computer it starts behaving like a virus and destroying
data.
 • Online Predator: Online predators are people who trap you into inappropriate
relationships. They may be older people posing to be your age, bullying you into doing
illegal activities online and sometimes face to face.
 • Internet Scams: Sometimes you may receive very attractive offers saying you have
won a huge money in a lottery and that you can claim the prize by depositing a certain
amount of money. When you deposit the money using credit card or online banking, you
not only lose the deposit money but your card / account information may be misused
later.
 Protecting your Data
 To protect our data from theft and viruses we can take the following measures:
 (a) Use passwords to login to your computer:
 Use passwords that are difficult to guess. Passwords are difficult to hack if they are a
mix of small (For example ‘a b c d’) and capital letters (For example, ‘H J E R’),
numbers (For example ‘8 7 6 5’) and special characters (For example, ’% ^ # $’). This
would prevent unauthorised people from using your computer.
 (b) Install Anti-virus and Firewall: Anti-viruses and Firewall monitor the data coming
in and out of a computer and prevent and viruses from entering. Anti-viruses can also
detect and clean viruses that may have entered a computer.
 (c) Encrypt Data: This is usually done by banks and companies in which important
customer information is stored. They can encrypt their entire hard disk using
encrypting feature inWindows (Bitlocker). This would force users to use a
decryption password (or key) before starting the computer thus preventing
unauthorised usage.
 (d) Secure sites: Give details of your credit card or bank account only on
secure sites. See in the address bar of the browser. If the site address starts
with https://and a lock symbol, then it is safe to give your credit card and
bank details.