Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century

This free course, Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century, provides a general overview of how digital technology has come to dominate virtually every aspect of the modern world and some guidance on how to prepare for this digital life. It also provides a more detailed explanation of the internal structure and workings of a typical computer.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Computers: From novelty to commonplace
• 1 Computers: From novelty to commonplace
• 1.1 The telephone
• 1.2 The computer
• 1.3 The information society
• Networks and the internet
• The rise of texting
• 1.4 Section summary
• 2 Some aspects of our information society
• 2 Some aspects of our information society
• 2.1 Business
• Financial services
• Commerce
• Work
• 2.2 Communities
• 2.3 Information
• 2.4 Entertainment
• 2.5 Public services
• Public information and services
• Security and risk
• 2.6 Communicating on the move
• 2.7 Section summary
• 3 Participating in a digital world
• 3 Participating in a digital world
• 3.1 Netiquette: Respecting others online
• Thank, acknowledge and support people
• Acknowledge before differing
• Make clear your perspective
• Emotions
• Moderation
• Some other advice
• 3.2 Ethical and legal considerations
• 3.3 Copyright
• 3.4 Good academic practice
• 3.5 Section summary
• 4 Online safety
• 4 Online safety
• 4.1 Malware
• Protecting your computer
• 4.2 Spam
• 4.3 Hoaxes
• 4.4 Phishing
• 4.5 Managing your identity online
• 4.6 Section summary
• 5 What’s inside my computer, and what makes it work?
• 5 What’s inside my computer, and what makes it work?
• 5.1 Peripherals
• 5.2 Opening the case
• 5.3 What's inside?
• 5.4 Motherboard and CPU
• 5.5 Section summary
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• References
• Acknowledgements