QQI Level 4 IT Skills

QQI Level 4 Information Technology Skills Theory

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Computer Hardware

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Computer Software

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Computer Hardware

What is computer hardware?

Hardware is any part of the computer that you can see or touch.

Look at your PC or laptop. How many items of computer hardware can you find?

Click here to see some examples:

The basic hardware of all computers has four parts:

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Input Devices
• Output Devices
• Storage Devices

What is the Central Processing Unit (CPU)?

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is sometimes called 'the brain of the computer'. It is built into your PC or laptop. It controls the operation of all parts of the computer.

Watch the first 40 seconds of this video to learn more about the CPU.

Some types of computer hardware are input devices. These allow us to enter information into the computer.

Examples of input devices:

• keyboard
• mouse
• webcam
• microphone

Keyboard

A keyboard is an input device. It allows us to enter letters, numbers, and other symbols into a computer. Letters, numbers and symbols are called 'characters'.

Click here to set up your typing.com account and practice your keyboard skills.

Mouse

A computer mouse is an input device. The mouse controls the cursor. It can move and select text, icons, files and folders.

A webcam is an input device. It transmits video on the internet. It is used for video calls on Zoom, Teams etc. Some laptops and PCs have built-in webcams. They can be found at the top of the screen. If a laptop or PC doesn't have a built-in webcam, it can be attached.

A microphone is an input device. A microphone allows computer users to input audio (sound) into their computers.

Some types of compter hardware are output devices. They allow us to receive information from the computer.

Examples of output devices:

• monitor
• printer
• speakers

Monitor

A monitor (screen) is also called a video display unit (VDU). It is an output device. It is used to show the images, text and videos created by the computer.

A printer is an output device. The documents produced by a printer are sometimes called 'hard copy'.

Speakers are output devices. They carry sound from the computer to the listener.

Let's recap: Input device or output device?

Let's recap: Computer Hardware 1

Let's recap:

Click here for a quiz!

Let's recap: Computer Hardware 2

Let's recap:

Something to think about:

Chen has bought a new laptop for the Media Skills course that he is starting. He got a good deal and now he has some money left from his budget to buy some extra hardware. Suggest 3 pieces of hardware that he should consider. Explain how each piece might be useful to him.

Computer Software

What is a computer software program?

A software program is a set of instructions.The instructions are written in a language that the computer understands. There are two types of software: 1. Operating System software (OS) 2. Application software

Operating System (OS) software

The Operating System (OS) software is the program that comes to life when the computer is switched on.It is kept in the memory. Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS are two of the most common operating systems.

Operating System software for laptops and PCs:

Apple uses Mac OS

Microsoft uses Windows 10

Operating System software on smartphones:

The Android operating system is the most popular OS software for smartphones. It is used on over 70% of smartphones worldwide. The Android operating system was developed by Google.

Apple smartphones use iOS software.This software can only be used on iPhones .

Operating System Software (OS)

The role of the OS software is to control the hardware and manage the software applications.This ensures that all parts of the computer can work together. The operating system software allows us to to interact with the computer.

What are software applications?

Software applications are the apps that allow us to perform tasks on our computer, tablet or smartphone e.g. create a document or send an email.

Each app has a software program - a set of instructions. The software program runs the app.

Here are some software applications that you may be using already:

Google Chrome Search the internet

MS Teams Join your class online

Gmail Send and receive emails

MS Word Create documents

MS Excel Create spreadsheets

MS Powerpoint Create presentations

Let's recap: Computer Software 1

Let's recap: Computer Software 2

Something to think about:

Marita is buying a new laptop. She doesn’t have a very big budget to spend. She wants a laptop that she can use for her course. Her friend advised her to get a laptop with Windows 10. What is Windows 10? Explain why a laptop with Windows 10 would be a good choice for Marita?

Thank you!