Computer Competencies
ASU Nursing Students should possess the following computer skills or competencies in order to work with the online course material. Follow the links below to learn more.
Windows
Using Windows Help
Maximizing and Minimizing a Window
Moving a Window
Sizing/Changing the shape of a window
Distinguishing the difference between a file and a folder
Printing the current window
Printing the entire screen
Formatting a diskette
Moving/Copying a file/folder
Finding a file
Starting a program
The Windows operating system is easily the most widely used program in the computer world. Windows provides a way to select and start all the programs on your computer, a way of finding files on your computer, and a way to monitor your system's resources. The most widely used versions of Windows are Windows 2000 or later and Windows XP or Home.
Windows HelpYou can learn about Windows operations many ways. One way is to use the on-line help that comes with Windows. On the task bar, click Start, then select Help.
Windows Tutorials
Microsoft WindowsTutorials
Word Processing
Setting page margins
Applying fonts
Justification
Indents
Tabs
Line spacing
Headers and Footers
Cutting and Pasting
Finding and Replacing
Spell check
Save in a particular format
Save to floppy disk or hard drive
Send a document as an e-mail attachment
Word processors have revolutionized the way documents are created. Text can be created, edited and formatted with ease. The editorial functions available in even the simplest word processors facilitate manipulation of text, including the ability to insert new text at any point in a document, delete text, "cut and paste" (move blocks of text to a new location within the same document or to another document), and search for and replace portions of text-enabling users to make multiple changes in a document without extensive retyping.
A comprehensive tutorial about all the many word processors that are available is beyond the scope of this web site; however here are a few tips for documents you will be sending to your instructor.
General Tips- Name your documents consistently. The document name should begin with the first three letters of your last name, and include something to identify the assignment. (e.g. mar_asg3.doc for Mr. Martin's 3rd assignment)
- Always include your name and date in a header so that each page can be quickly identified.
- Be sure and save a backup copy of every paper. Files get lost, hard drives crash, diskettes quit working. You want to avoid re-typing your work.The standard word processor for ASU faculty is Microsoft Word. Fortunately, Word can convert documents from many other word processor systems. Check with your instructor before using a new word processor system.
Microsoft word tutorials are available from the Microsoft website...Microsoft Word Tutorials
Obtain an e-mail account through ASU Computer Lab
Configure e-mail program
Send and receive e-mail
Print e-mail
Reply, Forward, Reply to all
Send and receive attachments
Electronic mail (e-mail) allows people to communicate in a way that is faster and more economical than previous methods of communication. When you send someone an e-mail message, they often receive the message within seconds, and there is no postal charge for sending the message.
You compose messages using an e-mail client program. When you send an e-mail, the client program on your computer send the information to your mail server. The server then sends the message through the internet to your recipient's mail server. It waits there in a mailbox until your recipient runs his own e-mail client program to retrieve the message from his server.
There are many different e-mail client programs. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer have an e-mail reader included with the Web browser. You can also use an e-mail client such as Eudora Light or Outlook Express. These programs contain a text editor for writing and reading messages, address books for storing frequently used e-mail addresses, functions for communicating with a mail server.
E-mail at ASU:To send or receive e-mail, you must have an e-mail address. As a student at ASU, your computer access fee enables you to be assigned a computer access account. This account is necessary to utilize the computers, software and printers. It gives you access to the internet, and provides you with a free e-mail account.
E-mail Attachments: The e-mail programs we use today are much more sophisticated than the original e-mail programs, which were only capable of sending very short, text-only messages. Today we are able to send entire files as "attachments" to an e-mail message.
Attachments are simply separate files that are sent along with your e-mail message. They do not form part of your e-mail message; rather, when your e-mail program sends your message, it will take a copy of any attached files and send it to the recipient as well.
Any type of computer file can be attached – word-processor documents, spreadsheets, database files, even sound recordings and graphic images.
It is important to realize that when you attach files, your e-mail message may take considerably longer to transmit. The larger the attached file, the longer it will take.
To view the attached file, the recipient must have a copy of the software application used to create the file installed on his or her computer, or a compatible program. For instance, if you wish to e-mail a research paper to your instructor, then she will need the same word processor you used, or a program which is capable of opening and displaying documents created by your word processor on her computer.
Specific instructions for attaching files to an e-mail message will vary depending on the e-mail program you are using, but usually the process works something like this:
- Click on the icon for attachments from the toolbar (usually a paper clip icon)
- Select the file you want to send by finding it on your hard drive, highlighting it, then clicking OK.
- Now you will see the file name located in your e-mail window under the heading "attached" or as an icon within the body of your e-mail message.
- Most programs will also allow you to attach multiple files to one e-mail.
Tutorial Links
Below is an e-mail tutorial written by the Prometheus Project. It contains excellent information about e-mail in general, and specifics about using Netscape mail...Prometheus Project
The ASU standard e-mail program is Eudora, by Qualcomm. Here is a link to Qualcomm's tutorial page...Eudora Online Tutorials.
Outlook Express is a free e-mail program from Microsoft. It is often loaded automatically with MS Internet Explorer. Here is a links to a tutorial for Outlook Express...Outlook Express Tutorial
Web Browser
Find a specific website, given the URL
Use a search engine (i.e. Yahoo, Alta Vista) to find web sites.
Save a favorite or bookmark
Install add-ons such as Real Player and Adobe Acrobat reader
Print a web page
In the early 60's, researchers at MIT were exploring ways to connect computers at different university campuses into a single network. By the early 70's, there were 25 computers connected together in what was to become the internet. Today, there are an estimated 21 million web sites, and more are being added each minute.
Tutorials Links:This site is maintained by the University of California at Berkeley. It contains a great deal of information about using the Internet,with a focus on the Netscape browser. Click on...UC Berkeley Internet Tutorial
This internet site is provided by Microsoft, and focuses on using Internet Explore...Web Browsing Basics
This site has a lot of information, along with a lot of advertising. Be careful where you click...Learn the Net
Blackboard
Access Blackboard via the internet
View course material
Participate in Discussion Groups
Take online exams
The Blackboard website at ASU is http://blackboard.angelo.edu
Please note that there is no “www” in this web address . You may want to save or bookmark this website because you will use it frequently. Please take some time before the semester begins to peruse through the information on this login page – especially the student tutorial.