From the course: Help Desk Handbook for End Users: PC Basics, Hardware, Operating Systems, and Applications

The case for computer literacy

From the course: Help Desk Handbook for End Users: PC Basics, Hardware, Operating Systems, and Applications

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The case for computer literacy

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- Hi there, I'm Scott Jernigan. If you're like most people, you've not just one or two but a whole bunch of computing devices. You've made calls or sent texts on a smartphone, for example. You've typed a document on a Windows or a MacOs desktop for school or work. You've watched a movie on YouTube or Netflix on some device or another. That's a bunch of distinctly different devices, right? And they're literally all around us in today's world. So here's the deal, or two deals really. First, because computers are all around us and used for everything from school to work to transportation to leisure to science to sport, you need to know how they work. That's called computer literacy. Second, all computing devices work similarly. By understanding how one system works, in fact, you can know deep down inside how another system should work and be able to figure it out. Here's an example. I regularly write letters and scripts and stuff on my Windows laptop. I also send email messages and surf the web. A friend handed a Chromebook, a Google based portable computer, to me the other day to try out. I knew that with some digging I would be able to write letters and scripts and do email and surf the web. That's the power of computer literacy. Once you understand how things work, and should work, the world opens up for you. You'll be able to use any device that comes your way, and be better off for it. The IT fundamentals video series takes you through every aspect of computers, from a user standpoint. You'll learn about different devices and form factors, and how best to employ them to do stuff. The video's touch on the applications used for specific purposes, exploring productivity software such as Microsoft Word and creative software like Adobe Photoshop. We'll examine many aspects of the interconnectedness of modern computing. From the awesome power of surfing the web from a local cafe to the threats posed by networks based malware, the video series will, in short, give you the full tour, filling in any gaps you might have had in computer literacy. So let's go. (upbeat music)

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