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Time: 6 hours
Level: Introductory
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 Introduction Resource- Information technology is an integral part of courses. It's used to enable students to learn about their subject, contact one another, and find resources.
| | | | | Using computers on courses
- Ways in which computers can help you to study Resource
- Courses use computers for a variety of different reasons. These are a few examples.
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- Introduction Resource
- There is a range of quick tips in this section to help you get the most out of your computer when you start using it for study.
- Before your course starts Resource
- Allow some time to get yourself ready for a course that involves using a PC.
- Learning more Resource
- Consider your main use for the PC, and check that you have the skills or knowledge you need. Although some students use spreadsheets and databases, the key skills for most students are:
- See what you can do on the web Resource
- The web is immense, made up of information held on computers across the world. You can find out things about any subject or topic you care to name, however obscure it might be.
- Find out how computers work Resource
- The BBC offers an
Absolute Beginners' Guide to Using Your Computer
(accessed 8 November 2006). This guide is ideal for anyone really new to computers.
- Back it up Resource
- It's a good idea to get into the habit of regularly backing up your work files – things like your notes and assignments. This involves making a copy onto another storage device such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM...
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- Introduction Resource
- One of the most useful and rewarding things you can do with your computer is use it to communicate with your tutor, other students, and course staff.
- Email Resource
- Email involves sending an electronic message from your private mailbox to one or more named individuals. You can do this from any computer, whether you're at home or elsewhere.
- Real time chat Resource
- Online chat is a means of having a quick written conversation with one or more people who are online at the same time. Compared with email, there's less of a time lag in waiting for a response. Messages...
- Managing your time online Resource
- One of the greatest challenges of using your computer for study is fitting in your online activities around the rest of your life. Online time isn't timetabled or contained in the way classroom learning...
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- Introduction Resource
- As a student, you may have access to online conferencing. What can you do to help conferencing work well?
- Why online conferencing is useful Resource
- Online conferencing can make a big difference by making you feel part of the learning community, connecting to other students and keeping you motivated. It's a help to know that other people are struggling...
- The benefits of conferencing Resource
- There are a number of reasons why you should put time and effort into conferencing:
- Make your conference work Resource
- You can make a big difference to the effectiveness of any conference, and to your tutor group conference in particular.
- An overview of problems and solutions Resource
- You may come up against problems in online conferences that cause you frustration or annoyance, and make you less likely to participate. In the following subsections we discuss ways to handle the challenges...
- Not knowing what to say Resource
- It's perfectly possible to learn from what other people say without contributing anything yourself. After all, at a face-to-face tutorial some people won't say anything, perhaps because they feel shy....
- Am I saying too much? Resource
- Probably not. The people who worry about this are usually the very people who hold a conference together! There's no time pressure, as there might be in a face-to-face discussion. So, even if one person...
- Not everyone is participating Resource
- It can be annoying if there are some people in your tutor group who don't participate in discussions. You may feel that this is unfair, or that you are doing more than your fair share of the work.
- When there's too much to do Resource
- This can be a real problem in large conferences. If, for whatever reason, you join a conference later than the other participants, or are unable to be involved for a while, the prospect of joining in can...
- Nobody is saying anything Resource
- A conference can be quite a fragile thing. If no one says anything for a while, it becomes harder and harder to break the silence, and no one feels like being the first to contribute. There can be a downward...
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- Introduction Resource
- One of the most fascinating and productive ways of using your computer for study is connecting to the internet to access the extensive amount of information available on the web. Such a diverse range of...
- Evaluating materials Resource
- It's easy enough to find information, but it's sometimes a bit more difficult to assess whether your information is reliable, current or correct.
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- Introduction Resource
- As a student, you're likely to engage in a variety of writing tasks. You'll almost certainly handle significant amounts of text and, depending on your course, perhaps also numbers or diagrams.
- A different way of writing Resource
- A word processor allows you to type text directly into your computer. You can then edit the content using functions such as delete, cut, copy and paste, and undo.
- Referencing Resource
- Once you start using the web for study and research, you'll see how convenient it is to find information that you can use for course notes, essays or reports.
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- Introduction Resource
- If you want to improve your computing skills or knowledge, there are plenty of resources available to help you. This section aims to get your search started by providing you with some useful websites.
- Brushing up on your computer skills Resource
- If you want to brush up on your computer skills, you may find the following websites useful.
- Open University Courses Resource
- The Open University (OU) has a number of short courses that introduce you to computing, online learning and the internet.
| | | | | References and Acknowledgements | | |
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