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Practice Area
The Keyboard and Mouse
To interact and control our computers, we mostly use the keyboard, mouse or trackpad on our laptops. Getting comfortable at using these things is important in learning to use your computer.
The mouse controls the pointer on screen, wherever you move your mouse, the pointer will follow.
Move your mouse and ‘hover’ your pointer over the button on the right ->
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The button will turn red once you've moved the pointer over it.
Usually, a mouse has two buttons (left and right). Most interactions with your computer will involve moving your pointer over something on your screen, and 'left clicking'.
Try 'left clicking' the button on the right, once it's clicked, an image will open in a tew 'tab'.
Sometimes you will be asked to double click, and this just means quickly clicking twice.
If you're using a laptop, and don't have a mouse - use your finger to control the pointer using the track pad.
Most mouses have a 'scroller' between the left and right buttons. If you move the scroller in a downward motion, this will show more of the page, and moving it upwards will take you back up to the top.
Scrolling is different when using a touch screen device, with a mouse you pull down, with touch screen you push up while holding finger on the screen.
If you don't have a mouse. you can click and drag the bar on the right of your browser to navigate web pages.
The keyboard allows you to type letters, numbers, and words into the computer. Whenever you see a flashing vertical line—called the cursor—you can start typing. Try it out below.
Copy and Pasting
Copy and pasting a bit of text or an image allows you to quicky move whatever you have selected. This function will save you a lot of time, particularly when entering security codes. Here's how to do it using your mouse:
Step 1: To select the text you want to replicate, left-click and drag your mouse cursor over whatever you wish to highlight. This will turn the text blue.
Step 2: Once the words are highlighted, right-click while hovering over any portion of the chosen content and select Copy from the resulting drop-down menu.
Step 3: Once you’ve copied your chosen text, place your cursor in the location you wish to copy it to. Then right-click, and select Paste from the resulting drop-down menu.
It's quickest to use your keyboard, by pressing the 'Ctrl' + C to copy, and 'Ctrl' + V to paste (holding both buttons simultaneously).
And you can copy and paste an image using the same method. Why don't you try it for yourself below:
Copy this text and paste it into the box below.
You can use the same process to copy and paste an image too.
Now that you can do these basic commands, you are almost finished with the practice area. However, there is still one thing we have not covered. To watch a video online, you often have to press the play button (which is usually a triangle pointing right). Try it out below...