Computing Skills
In many cases, you might use a technology in an online class that you haven’t used before, be it a website application, some new piece of software you have to install on your computer, or that webcam you’ve yet to take out of the box (though after the previous section I hope it’s up and running). Whatever the technology may be, you’re going to have to be comfortable working with your equipment so you can focus on your studies.
INTERNET SKILLS
The fact that you’re reading this sentence leads me to believe that you’ve mastered the basics of using the Internet. So, let’s move on to some intermediate tasks that you’ll want to conquer.
Activity: Bookmarking a web page
What’s a Bookmark?
Occasionally you will find yourself on a web page that you’d like to save for later. You could write down the web page’s address, or you could simply create a bookmark. Similar to a bookmark you use to keep track of where you are in a good book, an Internet bookmark, also called a favorite or Internet shortcut, is simply a way to store a web page’s address for later use. Bookmarks are saved to your browser in a list that you can access later. Let’s go ahead and practice.
Pick your browser below, and let’s create a bookmark for this web page.
Chrome
Use your mouse
- Visit the page you want to bookmark
- Click the Star icon on the right-hand side of the address bar
- Name the bookmark and select a folder to place it in
- Click “Done”
Use a keyboard shortcut
- Visit the page you want to bookmark
- Press Ctrl + D (PC) or Command ⌘ + D (Mac)
- Name the bookmark and select a folder to save it in
- Click “Done”
NOTE: To see all of your bookmarks, type the following into your address bar: chrome://bookmarks/
For more information on using bookmarks in Chrome, visit Google’s support page.
Firefox
Use your mouse
- Visit the page you want to bookmark
- Click the star in the right-hand corner of the browser
- Click “Bookmark This Page”
- Name the bookmark and select a folder to save it in
- Click “Done”
Use a keyboard shortcut
- Visit the page you want to bookmark
- Press Ctrl + D (PC) or Command ⌘ + D (Mac)
- Name the bookmark and select a folder to save it in
- Click “Done”
For more information on using bookmarks in Firefox, visit Mozilla’s support page.
Activity: Clearing cache, cookies, and browser history
Definitions
Cache. A cache is a repository for stored data used to speed up the process so that data doesn’t have to be fetched each time it is requested. Internet browsers cache web pages by storing a copy of your visited pages and then using that copy when you return to the page.
Internet cookies. Cookies are small files that websites put on your computer so they can remember your preferences or so you don’t have to sign in each time you visit certain sites. Some cookies, though, may put your privacy at risk by tracking sites that you visit. (Source: Microsoft)
Browser history. Your browsing history is the information that your browser remembers and stores on a computer as you browse the Web. This includes info you’ve entered into forms, passwords, and sites you’ve visited, and it helps make your browsing experience better. (Source: Microsoft)
What does all this mean? Periodically clearing your web browser’s cache, cookies, and history may prevent or resolve performance issues (e.g. account login issues or web page loading issues). On the flipside, when you completely clear out the information saved in your web browser you’ll also lose information such as saved passwords so be sure to pay attention to what you’re deleting. To get a better understanding of the process, find your browser below and follow the instructions provided.
Chrome
- Open a new tab and type the following into your browser bar: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
- Select a time frame
- Select what you want to delete
- Click “Clear browsing data”
Firefox
- Select “History” from the browser’s menu
- Select “Clear Recent History”
- Select a “Time Range to Clear”
- Choose what you want to delete
- Click “Clear Now”
Playing a media file
File Types
Many instructors utilize audio and video files in their online courses. If you’re going to listen or watch these files, you need to ensure that your browser is set up to play the file.
The most common file types you’ll encounter are:
- Audio: MP3, WAV, WMA, and OGG
- Video: MOV, MP4 and M4V
The good news about browsers and media files is that they’ll let you know if you’re missing the software required to play a file and will usually provide a link to get the necessary program.
Activity: Change Screen View (zoom)
Ever visit a web page where the text was really small? Or perhaps too big? Or perhaps someone messed with your browser and you can’t figure out how to reset the view so instead you just throw your hands up and continue to use your browser even though you could easily fix the problem with the push of two keys? Well, let me introduce you to three keyboard shortcuts.
Zoom in
Hold down the CTRL (PC) or Command ⌘ (Mac) key and press the + (plus) key
Zoom out
Hold down the CTRL (PC) or Command ⌘ (Mac) key and press the – (minus) key
Reset the zoom
Hold down the CTRL (PC) or Command ⌘ (Mac) key and press the 0 (zero) key
Go ahead and practice zooming in and out. When you are finished, reset the zoom like you know how (because you do).
WORKING WITH FILES ON YOUR COMPUTER
In a face-to-face class, instructors hand out sheets of paper that you can tuck away in a folder and save for later. In an online class, instructors will replicate this process digitally by posting a file on a website, like Canvas, and then you have to save that file to your computer for use later on.
Activity: Working with files
Download
The process of downloading files will differ slightly depending on your browser and how you’ve setup your browser. We’ll try out two different approaches and you can decide which one works best for you.
Option 1: Left click
Yes, it’s that easy. Well, mostly. Left click the link, and the browser will either download the file to a default location (which you’ll need to know so you can locate the file later) or it will ask you where you’d like to save the file.
For this option, just left click the link below:
Download and read RTL Practice Document
Option 2: Right click
When you right click a link a menu of options will appear. You’re looking for an option such as “Save target as,” “Save link as,” or “Download linked file as.” Once you select this option, you’ll be asked where you want to save the file.
For this option, right click the link below, select “Desktop” from the menu on the left, and click “Save.”
Locate and Open
Great! You’ve downloaded a file to your computer. Now how do you find it so you can open it? The answer to this question depends on how you downloaded the file.
Option 1: Open the browser’s default download folder
If you left clicked the link to the file and let the browser download it to the default location, the file will most likely be in a “Downloads” folder.
PC Users
In Chrome, Firefox, or IE, you can press CTRL + J to open the “Downloads” folder.
Double click the file to open it
Mac Users
In Firefox or IE, you can press Command ⌘ + J to open the “Downloads” folder.
In Chrome, you can press Shift + Command ⌘ + J to open the “Downloads” folder.
In Safari press Command ⌘ + option + L to open the “Downloads” folder.
Double click the file to open it
Option 2: Open the folder you selected when you downloaded the file
If you went with the right click option, then you chose where to save the file. If you followed the instructions in the previous tab, you saved the file to your Desktop. If you didn’t, you’re going to need to locate the folder you where chose to save the file.
TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNICAL ISSUES
Don’t you just hate it when things break? Lucky for yohttp://ithelp.ecu.edu/u, ECU has a great support group over at Pirate Techs. If you need their help, you’ll want to be able to provide them with some basic information about your problem and your computer. You can also reach out to the ITCS Help Desk or search the ITCS Help Desk for services.