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Everyday Computers and Smartphones
By the end, learners can name everyday devices, lock a screen, find Settings, save a file they can find again, join Wi-Fi with care, and try simple checks when something goes wrong.
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Syllabus
You do not need a password or a payment to open these lessons. Your place is saved on this device only.
About 20–24 hours (estimate, including practice and the exam). Each lesson’s reading time is shorter; the rest is practice.
What's included
practice checklists, in-lesson checks, a practice task in each ready lesson, a cheat sheet you can print, a 70% final with 2 attempts, a sample certificate.
Print the course cheat sheet. You can also save that page as a PDF from the print dialog.
Final exam and certificate
The final exam covers all 10 lessons. The pass mark is 70%. You have 2 attempts. There is no timer. The certificate means you passed the knowledge exam. It does not mean a tutor watched you do the task. It stays locked until you pass, and it is not an accredited credential.
Lessons
- Lesson 1 — Meet the devices you already use
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- Devices you may already have Not read yet
- Shared words: screen, Settings, and apps Not read yet
- Why lock and update matter later Not read yet
- Worked example 1. A library laptop and a home phone Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Finding Settings two ways Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 2 — Power on, lock the screen, and find Settings
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- Turn the device on and wait Not read yet
- Find Settings and review the screen lock Not read yet
- Lock when you step away Not read yet
- Worked example 1. Lock a Windows library computer Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Choose a PIN on a practice phone (not a real PIN) Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 3 — Touch, click, type, and scroll with care
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- Tap, hold, and type on a phone Not read yet
- Swipe, scroll, zoom, and find Home or Back Not read yet
- Click, type, and switch windows on a computer Not read yet
- Worked example 1. Going Home instead of closing the wrong thing Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Closing a window without shutting down Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 4 — Files, folders, and finding what you saved
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- What a file is, and what a folder is Not read yet
- Open File Explorer and look in a known folder Not read yet
- Find a file on a phone, and pick a name you can search for Not read yet
- Worked example 1. A practice note in Documents Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Finding a download on a phone Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 5 — Connect to Wi-Fi without giving away too much
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- Join a network you already know Not read yet
- Read the name, and read the lock Not read yet
- Public Wi-Fi is convenient, not private Not read yet
- Worked example 1. Asking for the real network name Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Connecting a Windows laptop at home Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 6 — Accounts, app stores, and updates
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- An account is a name the device knows Not read yet
- Get apps from the official store Not read yet
- Say yes to updates Not read yet
- Worked example 1. Updating apps, not following a text link Not read yet
- Worked example 2. Checking Windows Update on a home PC Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 7 — Browsers, search, and deciding if a page is trustworthy
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- A browser is a window onto the web Not read yet
- Look at the address, then look at the security status Not read yet
- Does this page match what you asked for? Not read yet
- Worked example 1. Searching for library hours Not read yet
- Worked example 2. A surprise “log in” page Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 8 — Everyday email and messages on a phone or a computer
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- Texts, chat apps, and email Not read yet
- Write a short message you mean to send Not read yet
- Think before you tap a link or an attachment Not read yet
- Worked example 1. A practice note to a tutor Not read yet
- Worked example 2. A text that asks you to call a “bank” number Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 9 — Safer passwords and common tricks
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- A passphrase is a longer secret you can remember Not read yet
- Unique secrets, stored safely Not read yet
- Messages that try to collect a password Not read yet
- Worked example 1. A practice passphrase shape (not a real secret) Not read yet
- Worked example 2. A “confirm your password” email Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Lesson 10 — When something goes wrong — simple checks and who to ask
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- Start with the simple checks Not read yet
- Who to ask, and what to do if a device is missing Not read yet
- Put the everyday skills on one list Not read yet
- Worked example 1. A laptop that will not “turn on” Not read yet
- Worked example 2. A phone left on a bus Not read yet
- Try it Not read yet
- Optional discussion (council study group) Not read yet
- Final exam
Pass mark 70% (at least 21 of 30). Opens after every lesson is complete. Unlocks the sample certificate. Pass mark 70% (at least 21 of 30). Unlocks the sample certificate. There is no timer.
Milestones
- Found Settings
- Tried the everyday-skills checklist
- Passed the final
Progress could not be saved on this device. You can still read the course.