Este curso se enseña en inglés.

The UM Computer Foundations course is designed for individuals who have no prior knowledge or experience with computers. The objective of this course is to prepare students for further study in computers such as the UM Office Professional course which teaches the core skills of Microsoft Office applications.

Current schedule and cost

Part I (3 hours)

• Personal Computers
• Types of PCs; What a Computer Can Do
• Computer Hardware
• Basic Components: Monitor Console or System Unit, Mouse, Keyboard, Disk Drives, CD-ROM/DVD Drives, Input and Output Devices; Additional Hardware: Printer, Scanner, Speakers, Joystick, Modem, Motherboard and Central Processing Unit (CPU), Memory
• Media
• Hard Disk Drives, Floppy Disk Drives, CD-ROM and DVD Drives, Zip Drives, Disk Drive Letters
• Keyboard
• Layout of the Keyboard; Types of Keys: Typewriter, Function, Cursor-Control, Numeric Keypad; Functions of Some Important Keys: Enter, Tab, Escape, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Caps Lock, Windows Key
• Mouse
• Components of the Mouse; Cursor, Pointing and Clicking, Double-Clicking, Dragging and Dropping; Selecting Single and Multiple Objects
• Turning the Computer On and Off
• Turning On the Computer (Monitor and System Unit); Logging On and Off; Setting Up Multiple User Accounts; Restarting, Stand By Mode, Hibernating, Shutting Down
• Computer Software
• The Difference Between Operating Systems and Applications/Programs; Different Types of Applications/Programs; Word-Processing; Spreadsheets; Databases; Presentations; E-mail and Internet Programs; Installing and Uninstalling Software
• Microsoft Windows: What is Windows and What Does It Do?; Windows vs. Mac OS; Different Versions of Windows; Working with Windows; Components of a Window; Moving, Resizing, Minimizing, Maximizing, Restoring, and Closing Windows; Active and Inactive Windows; Scrolling Through a Window; Menus; Selecting a Command; Common Menus and Commands in Microsoft Programs; Toolbars; Dialog Boxes; Common Buttons: OK, Close; Components: Tabs, Text Boxes, Lists, Check Boxes; Starting and Exiting Programs from Different Locations on the Computer
• Windows Desktop: What is the Desktop?; Icons; Shortcuts; Start Button; Launching Programs; Accessories; Taskbar; Quick Launch Bar; Window Buttons; System Tray; Switching Between Windows

Part II (3 hours)

• Files and Folders
• What is a File?; Storing Files and Folders; Managing and Sorting Files and Folders; My Documents; Creating New Folders and Subfolders; Moving, Copying, Renaming and Deleting Files; Opening and Closing Files; Filename Extensions
• My Computer
• Viewing Different Drives and Their Contents; Task Pane
• Windows Explorer
• Files and Folders Structure; Navigating Through Files and Folders; Searching for Files and Folders; Data Paths
• Recycle Bin
• Restoring Files
• Getting Help
• Using the Help Menu
• Word-Processing Basics
• Using Notepad; Using Word; the Basic Word Screen: Title Bar, Menu Bar, Toolbars, Ruler, Document Area, Scroll Bars, Status Bar; Creating a New Document; Opening an Existing Document; Entering and Editing Text; Insertion Point; Selecting Text; Deleting, Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Text; Basic Formatting; Saving and Closing Documents; Printing Documents
• Using the Internet
• Internet Basics: What is the Internet?; How to Connect to the Internet; Different Types of Connections; Internet Software; Internet Service Providers (ISPs); Understanding the World Wide Web; Web Sites; Web Pages; Links; Internet Explorer; Surfing the Web: Google and Other Good Sites; How to Search; Using the Toolbar: Back, Forward, Refresh, Stop, etc.
• E-Mail
• Setting Up an E-mail Account; E-mail Programs and How They Work; Composing and Sending E-mail; Reading E-mail Messages; Replying to Messages; Deleting Messages; Sending Attachments; Address Book; Adding New Contacts; Sending E-mail to Contacts; Instant Messaging and Chat
• Protecting Your Computer from Viruses
• How Your Computer Can Get a Virus; Signs That Your Computer Has Been Infected; Antivirus Programs
• Overview of UM Office Professional
• Word: Creating Documents with Various Types of Formatting
• Excel: Designing Spreadsheets, Organizing Data, Performing Calculations, Creating Charts
• PowerPoint: Creating a Presentation with Sounds, Animation, and Pictures
• Access: Storing Information in Databases, Performing Queries, Printing Reports