On Campus
FEE-HELP
Computer Skills
Computer skills are necessary for every student, regardless of what you are studying. Here are some tutorials that you can follow to make sure that you've got the basics covered.
You need computers for:
- Completing assignments. Most students use software to type up their essays and reports.
- Creating presentations. Producing professional presentations is very important.
- Accessing the library resources. The library catalogue and data bases are all online, so you would need to be computer literate to be able to locate appropriate information.
- Accessing Academic Skills resources via the Think: CLASS in the Learning Portal. Many courses require knowledge of academic concepts and structures.
- The administration of your course. Most of your course materials and administrative information is online. This means that not knowing how to use the technology will hamper your ability to follow your studies.
Access to a Computer while you Study
It is expected that all students have access to computers which must also have a set of standard software packages and Internet connectivity.
- If you are going to buy a computer and need guidance, make sure you get some expert advice about how to satisfy your needs as a student. If you choose a Mac ensure you are able to move documents into the Word format.
- If you don't have a computer - think about how you'll get access to one for your study.
- Get acquainted with basic computer skills either online or enrol in a course at your local community college or council, before starting your study.
Video Tutorials for Microsoft Office
Mac Users
Browsing the Internet
We recommend that you use the Firefox webs browser when using the Learning Portal. The Learning Portal is our website for students to use to access course material, submit assessments, do exams and discuss course content in online forums.
Download Firefox Now
If you're new to Firefox, use this Tutorial.
Microsoft Office Programs
The Microsoft Training website provides tutorials for the following programs:
- Microsoft Word for word processing
- Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets and graphs
- Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations
- Microsoft Access - databases
- Internet Explorer - browsing the Internet
The tutorials have text, video, tests and quizzes and you can choose training sessions based on the Windows software version that you have on your computer.
There are also many videos online like these introductions to Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Some of these videos are supported with a textbook that can be purchased online.
- Excel (25 minutes)
- Word (22 minutes)
- PowerPoint (8 minutes)
Using a Mac
If you're working on a Mac you'll find similar training sessions here.
See also:
Day In The Life Workshops