Perform Computer Operations (PCO) Lesson 3

Perform Computer Operation

Trainer: Mr. Beeneil A. Quitola

Qualification Title: N/A NC Level: N/A Total Training Hours: 20

Name of TVI: Angelita V. Del Mundo Foundation (AVM Foundation) Inc.
Competency/ies to be Achieved and LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Learning Outcomes At the end of this module you MUST be able to:
1. Plan and prepare for task to be undertake
2. Input data into computer
3. Access information using computer
4. Produce/output data using computer system
5. Maintain computer equipment and systems

Learning Activities/ Tasks 1. Read Information Sheet

2. Answer Self-Check
3. Perform Task Sheet
Training Period / Training Duration Week 4
Training Method Blended Learning (Online & Modular - Print)
Method of Assessment Written test, Practical/ Performance Test & Interview
Learning/Training Resources CBLM
Learning Management System (LMS)

Lesson 3 Input Device Pointing Device Joysticks are used mostly for computer games, but they are also used
occasionally for CAD/CAM systems and other applications.
A device with which you can control the movement of the pointer to
select items on a display screen. Examples of pointing devices include mice,
trackballs, joysticks, touchpads, pointing stick and light pens.

A pointing device is an input interface that allows a user to input data

to a computer using physical gestures - point, click, and drag - for example, by
moving a hand-held mouse across the surface of the physical desktop and
activating switches on the mouse. Movements of the pointing device are echoed
on the screen by movements of the pointer (or cursor) and other visual changes.

While the most common pointing device by far is the mouse, many
more devices have been developed. Touchpads
A small, touch-sensitive pad used as a pointing device on some
Trackball portable computers. By moving a finger or other object along the pad, you can
A pointing device. Essentially, a trackball is a mouse lying on its back. move the pointer on the display screen. And you click by tapping the pad.
To move the pointer, you rotate the ball with your thumb, your fingers, or the palm
of your hand. There are usually one to three buttons next to the ball, which you
use just like mouse buttons.
The advantage of trackballs over mice is that the trackball is stationary so it does
not require much space to use it. In addition, you can place a trackball on any type
of surface, including your lap. For both these reasons, trackballs are popular
pointing devices for portable computers.

Pointing Stick
A pointing device first developed by IBM for its notebook computers
that consists of a miniature joystick, usually with a rubber eraser-head tip,
positioned somewhere between the keys on the keyboard. Most pointing sticks
Joysticks are pressure-sensitive, so the pointer moves faster when more pressure is
A lever that moves in all directions and controls the movement of a applied.
pointer or some other display symbol. A joystick is similar to a mouse, except that
with a mouse the cursor stops moving as soon as you stop moving the mouse.
With a joystick, the pointer continues moving in the direction the joystick is
pointing. To stop the pointer, you must return the joystick to its upright position.
Most joysticks include two buttons called triggers.

1
Perform Computer Operations (PCO) Lesson 3

Head operated
Light Pen
For some people whose only, or most reliable, movement is with their
An input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects head, a head operated mouse may be the best solution. It translates the
on a display screen. A light pen is similar to a mouse, except that with a light pen movements of a user's head into directly proportional movements of the computer
you can move the pointer and select objects on the display screen by directly mouse pointer. Head operated mice are now quite small and compact units which
pointing to the objects with the pen. attach to the front of a desktop or laptop computer screen, and may also be used
with many communication devices.

Graphics tablet
A graphics tablet or digitizing tablet is a special tablet similar to a
touchpad, but controlled with a pen or stylus that is held and used like a normal
pen or pencil. The thumb usually controls the clicking via a two-way button on the
top of the pen, or by tapping on the tablet's surface. Head operated mice function by a wireless optical sensor which uses
infrared light to track a small disposable target that is placed on the user's forehead
or glasses.

Eye tracking
Eye tracking devices can be a powerful alternative for individuals with
no control, or only limited control, over their hand movements.

A cursor (also called a puck) is similar to a mouse, except that it has a

window with cross hairs for pinpoint placement, and it can have as many as 16
buttons. A pen (also called a stylus) looks like a simple ballpoint pen but uses an
electronic head instead of ink. The tablet contains electronics that enable it to
detect movement of the cursor or pen and translate the movements into digital
signals that it sends to the computer. This is different from a mouse because each A camera mounted on a computer monitor is focused on one eye. The
point on the tablet represents a point on the screen. available software processes the camera image to determine where the user is
looking (gaze point), and the cursor is then placed at the gaze point. "Mouse clicks"
Touchscreens are done with either a slow eye blink, eye gaze or a supplementary switch. Special
A touchscreen is a computer display screen that is sensitive to human software allows the person to type, and may include word-completion technology
touch, allowing a user to interact with the computer by touching an active area, to speed up the process. These systems can be very costly.
target or control such as pictures or words on the screen. Touchscreens are
activated by the insertion or removal of the fingertip or by pressing the controls, Fatigue can be an issue when a lot of keystrokes are required in order
active areas or targets with a mouthstick, headstick, or other similar device to accomplish a task however head operated mice can offer accurate mouse
(stylus). operation.

2
Perform Computer Operations (PCO) Lesson 3

Mice  Grabbed
Pinter I Beam
Pointer
 Selection
Ponter

A device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a

display screen. A mouse is a small object you can roll along a hard, flat surface.
Its name is derived from its shape, which looks a bit like a mouse, its connecting
wire that one can imagine to be the mouse's tail, and the fact that one must make
it scurry along a surface. As you move the mouse, the pointer on the display
screen moves in the same direction. Mice contain at least one button and
sometimes as many as three, which have different functions depending on what
program is running. Some newer mice also include a scroll wheel for scrolling
through long documents.

Invented by Douglas Engelbart of Stanford Research Center in 1963, and

pioneered by Xerox in the 1970s, the mouse is one of the great breakthroughs in
computer ergonomics because it frees the user to a large extent from using the
keyboard. In particular, the mouse is important for graphical user interfaces
because you can simply point to options and objects and click a mouse button.
Such applications are often called point-and-click programs. The mouse is also
useful for graphics programs that allow you to draw pictures by using the mouse
like a pen, pencil, or paintbrush. Common Pointing Device Operation

There are three basic types of mice: Click

 mechanical: Has a rubber or metal ball on its underside that can roll To tap on a mouse button, pressing it down and then immediately
in all directions. Mechanical sensors within the mouse detect the releasing it. Note that clicking a mouse button is different from pressing (or
direction the ball is rolling and move the screen pointer accordingly. dragging) a mouse button, which implies that you hold the button down without
 optomechanical: Same as a mechanical mouse, but uses optical releasing it. The phrase to click on means to select (a screen object) by moving
sensors to detect motion of the ball. the mouse pointer to the object's position and clicking a mouse button.
 optical: Uses a laser to detect the mouse's movement. You must
move the mouse along a special mat with a grid so that the optical Some operations require a double click, meaning that you must click a
mechanism has a frame of reference. Optical mice have no mouse button twice in rapid succession. Shift clicking refers to clicking the mouse
mechanical moving parts. They respond more quickly and precisely button while holding the Shift key down.
than mechanical and optomechanical mice, but they are also more
expensive. The pressing down and rapid release of a mouse button.

Mice connect to PCs in one of several ways: Drag

 Serial mice connect directly to an RS-232C serial port or a PS/2 port. In graphical user interfaces, drag refers to moving an icon or other
This is the simplest type of connection. image on a display screen. To drag an object across a display screen, you usually
 PS/2 mice connect to a PS/2 port. USB mice select the object with a mouse button ("grab" it) and then move the mouse while
 Cordless mice aren't physically connected at all. Instead they rely on keeping the mouse button pressed down.
infrared or radio waves to communicate with the computer. Cordless The term drag is also used more generally to refer to any operation in which the
mice are more expensive than both serial and bus mice, but they do mouse button is held down while the mouse is moved. For example, you would
eliminate the cord, which can sometimes get in the way. drag the mouse to select a block of text.

Pointer Select
In graphical user interfaces, a pointer is a small arrow or other symbol on the To choose an object so that you can manipulate it in some way. In
display screen that moves as you move the mouse. You can select commands graphical user interfaces, you usually need to select an object -- an icon, file,
and options by positioning the tip of the arrow over the desired choice and clicking folder, and so on -- before you can do anything with it. To select an object, you
a mouse button. Many text processing programs use an I-beam pointer. move the pointer to the object and click a mouse button. In many applications, you
can select blocks of text by positioning the pointer at an end-point of the block and
Pointers are often referred to as mouse pointers. then dragging the pointer over the block.

DO NOT RETURN THIS MODULE.

KEEP IT AS NOTES FOR FUTURE TOPICS & ASSESSMENTS.

3
Perform Computer Operations (PCO) Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Input Device Pointing Device Assessment

Name: Date:
Section: Score:

IDENTIFICATION: Identify the word/term that is defined or described by the following statements/examples. (10 Points)
1. ____________________, A computer display screen that is sensitive to human touch, allowing a user to interact with the computer by
touching an active area, target or control such as pictures or words on the screen.
2. ____________________, A lever that moves in all directions and controls the movement of a pointer or some other display symbol.
3. ____________________, A mouse lying on its back
4. ____________________, A pointing device first developed by IBM for its notebook computers that consists of a miniature joystick
5. ____________________, A small, touch-sensitive pad used as a pointing device on some portable computers.
6. ____________________, A special tablet similar to a touchpad, but controlled with a pen or stylus that is held and used like a normal pen
or pencil.
7. ____________________, It is same as a mechanical mouse, but uses optical sensors to detect motion of the ball.
8. ____________________, It refers to moving an icon or other image on a display screen.
9. ____________________, Mice connect directly to an RS-232C serial port or a PS/2 port. This is the simplest type of connection.
10. ____________________, To tap on a mouse button, pressing it down and then immediately releasing it.

ESSAY: Discuss briefly and give or enumerate examples. (15 Points).

 What is a Pointer?

PLEASE RETURN THIS ACTIVITY SHEET TO YOUR TEACHER

FOR CHECKING AND RECORDING PURPOSES.