The ultimate course in digital literacy! The goal of this online course is to help middle-to-high-school students develop a foundational understanding of hardware, software, file management, Internet safety, and more. The course is divided into two semesters (about 33 weeks) of material; the first covers basic concepts, including an introduction to types of hardware, software, and popular programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, and more. The second semester delves into more hands-on topics which include social media programs, basic internet utilities, designing web pages, and creating simple programs.
At the heart of the course is a simple online interface which tracks student progress and helps organize teachers. Upon purchase, you will receive one pair of teacher/student coupon codes, which you can then activate on CompuScholar (please note that one-year subscriptions start when course is activated). The student has access to several tools for each lesson: Lesson Video, Text, and Quiz. The videos are key to understanding topics and are both animated and narrated to help both visual learners and students learning English as a second language. The automated quizzes ensure students have a good grasp of each concept before moving on and are automatically scored for every student and sent to the teacher for review. Teachers likewise have access to a Teacher Guide, a Quiz Answer Key, and Activity Solution Guides Files, in addition to syllabi, activity overviews, and chapter walkthroughs. These resources are provided at the teacher's leisure; each can be used by itself, left alone if deemed unnecessary, or integrated with the teacher's own supplementary material.
The full range of topics covered includes: Fundamentals of Computer Hardware / Software, Operating Systems, Computer Files, Computer Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Computer Networks, Search Engines, Computer Security, Word Processing, Spreadsheet Programs, Presentation Programs, Database Technology, Project Management, Digital Images, Internet Communications, Social Media, Creating Web Pages, Programming Concepts, Digital Logic, and Careers and Professional Skills.
The course caters to group teaching as well; the online software allows teachers to track each student's scores and progress individually. The program is also age-friendly, allowing multiple students of different middle-and-high-school ages to work together as one class. In addition, it is a moderately fast-paced coursethe stated average workload amounts to roughly 3-5 hours of work per week over 33 weeks, but if this is too rigorous for students or you have younger kids in the class, the course is designed to be self-paced. If you are looking for a full-blown course on digital literacy that caters to a wide range of students, this is certainly one of the best! System requirements: Windows 10/11 or Mac OS 10.7 or higher. ~ Stephen
Note: Requires a laptop or desktop with an internet connection and Microsoft Office (latest version recommended).