Meet the devices you already use

A digital device is a tool that stores and shares information. Canada’s Skills for Success describe Digital as the ability to use digital technology and tools to find, manage, apply, create, and share information and content. One official component is using digital devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, and other handheld devices. Another is knowing basic words that most devices share, and using basic functions that are common to most of them.

You may already use more than one of these:

• A desktop computer usually stays on a desk. It often has a separate screen, keyboard, and mouse.
• A laptop is a portable computer with a built-in screen and keyboard.
• A tablet is a flat screen you control mostly by touch.
• A smartphone is a phone that also works like a small computer.

Get Cyber Safe calls mobile devices today’s multi-tools. People use them as cameras, maps, payment tools, watches, and more — and sometimes to make phone calls. That extra usefulness also means a phone can hold photos, messages, and other personal information. You do not need every device to start. Many libraries and adult learning centres have computers you can practise on. This course will not ask you to buy a phone or a laptop.

If something will not turn on at all, check the charger or power cable first, then ask a person who looks after that machine. This course is not a repair service.

Most devices share a few ideas, even when the brand is different.

The screen shows what is happening. You give commands by tapping (phone or tablet), clicking (mouse or trackpad), or typing (keyboard). Settings is the place where you change things such as volume, brightness, language, or Wi-Fi. On many phones it looks like a gear. On an iPhone, Apple’s help says you open the Settings app and can search for a word such as “volume.” On a Windows computer, Microsoft says you can open Settings by right-clicking Start and choosing Settings, or by pressing the Windows logo key and the letter I. Then you can search or browse categories.

Apps (on a phone or tablet) or programs (on a computer) are tools you open to do a job: mail, maps, a camera, or a web browser. Skills for Success names common digital tools and says to choose a tool that matches your task. This course stays with everyday device skills. It does not teach Word, Excel, or Outlook — those have their own LearnHere courses.

Menus look different on a Samsung phone, a Google Pixel, an iPhone, a Windows PC, or a Mac. When a lesson shows a practice screen, it is a drawing, not your exact device. If you cannot find a button, use the search box inside Settings, or ask a tutor. Google’s own Android help repeats that some steps vary by device.

A device is useful because it holds your information. That is also why later lessons spend time on locking the screen, careful Wi-Fi, updates, and passwords. Get Cyber Safe notes that phones and tablets hold a lot of information about us, and that computers and laptops do too — photos, contacts, and financial information among other things. You do not need to become a security expert. You only need a few calm habits: lock the screen when you step away, think before you join an unknown network, and say yes to updates when the device asks.

Skills for Success also includes safe, responsible practices: protecting personal information, knowing what you can and cannot share, and being careful with online risks. This course introduces those habits in everyday language. It is not a full privacy-law course. When a later lesson talks about scams or strange messages, it will stay short and point you to *Email & Online Safety Basics in Canada* for more depth.

For now, the goal is simpler: know what you are holding (a computer, a tablet, or a phone), know that Settings is where many controls live, and know that a library machine counts as a real place to learn. Write down any new word — screen, Settings, app, or lock — and ask a tutor if a label on your device does not match this lesson. Learning the names first makes the click-paths in later lessons easier to follow.

On the device in front of you (yours, or a library or council machine):

1. Name the device: desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
2. Find the screen, and find Settings (a gear, a Settings app, or Start > Settings).
3. Do not change anything yet. Just notice where Settings lives.
4. If you cannot find it, ask a tutor rather than guessing at a reset button.

Which devices do people in this group already use? Who practises only on a library computer, and what would help them feel welcome?