Computer use, files and folders, typing, internet, email, PDFs and digital safety.
What you will cover
Computer use
files
folders
typing
internet
email
PDFs
digital safety
Topic list from the institute's programme record.
Certification
Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.
Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.
Your skill trail
You move through 4 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.
1
Meet your computer
Understand how a computer turns input into output and use the keyboard and mouse comfortably.
Week 1 Meet your computer
2
Files that make sense
Organise, find, copy and back up files so that work is never lost.
Week 2 Files that make sense
3
Explore safely online
Search, send email and recognise scams and weak passwords.
Week 3 Explore safely online
4
Create with confidence
Produce a document and a spreadsheet and use AI tools responsibly.
Week 4 Create with confidence
★
My Digital Starter Kit
Your project, reviewed by a trainer.
The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.
Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.
What you will be able to do
Explain input, processing, output and storage using everyday devices.
Organise files and folders with clear names, and recover or back up work.
Search the web effectively and judge whether a source is trustworthy.
Recognise common scams and protect accounts with strong passwords and two-step verification.
Write a clear email and create a formatted one-page document.
Enter data in a spreadsheet and use SUM to total a column.
Use an AI assistant with care: write a clear prompt, check the answer, protect private data.
Who it suits
School Students in Classes 6–12 who have little or no computer experience and want a safe, practical start.
College College students who use phones well but need confident desktop skills for assignments and internships.
Professional Working adults, homemakers and small-shop owners who need basic digital skills for work and daily tasks.
Prerequisites: None. Ability to read simple English or Tamil is enough. Tools: Windows or Linux desktop, A web browser, A word processor (Word or LibreOffice Writer), A spreadsheet (Excel or LibreOffice Calc), An email account provided for practice.
Weekly plan
Meet your computer Weeks 1
Week 1: Meet your computer
Theory
Input, processing, output and storage
Hardware and software
Keyboard keys and mouse actions
Lab
Identify the input, output and storage parts of the lab computer; type three lines about yourself and correct one mistake.
Homework
List three devices at home and write the input and output of each.
Deliverable
A typed 'About me' note saved with a clear file name.
Weekly checkpoint
Five questions on input/output and hardware/software plus a short typing task.
You will be able to
Explain input, processing, output and storage using everyday devices.
Files that make sense Weeks 2
Week 2: Files that make sense
Theory
Desktop, apps and settings
Files, folders and file extensions
Copy, move, delete, recover and back up
Lab
Create a Course folder with Week-1, Week-2 and Projects; copy a file to a pen drive as a backup and restore it from the Recycle Bin.
Homework
Rename five files in a practice folder so that each name describes its content.
Deliverable
A screenshot of an organised folder tree with a backup copy.
Weekly checkpoint
Sequence the steps to back up a file; match file types to extensions; one hands-on folder task.
You will be able to
Organise files and folders with clear names, and recover or back up work.
Explore safely online Weeks 3
Week 3: Explore safely online
Theory
Browsers and search engines
Email basics and professional wording
Passwords, OTP and two-step verification
Spotting scam messages
Lab
Search for an official source on a safety topic, note its address and date, then draft an email to a trainer without sharing any private data.
Homework
Review one real-looking message (provided by the trainer) and list three warning signs.
Deliverable
A short email draft and a scam-signs checklist.
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario questions on scams and passwords; one email-writing task.
You will be able to
Search the web effectively and judge whether a source is trustworthy. Recognise common scams and protect accounts with strong passwords and two-step verification.
Create with confidence Weeks 4
Week 4: Create with confidence
Theory
Document formatting
Spreadsheet rows, columns and SUM
Writing a clear AI prompt and checking the answer
Lab
Create a one-page 'My learning plan' document and a four-row spending table that totals with SUM; ask an AI assistant to explain input and output, then verify the answer.
Homework
Improve the document with a heading, a list and a readable font; note one thing the AI got wrong or missed.
Deliverable
A one-page document and a spreadsheet saved in the Projects folder.
Weekly checkpoint
Spreadsheet formula question, prompt-quality question and a practical submission reviewed by the trainer.
You will be able to
Write a clear email and create a formatted one-page document. Enter data in a spreadsheet and use SUM to total a column. Use an AI assistant with care: write a clear prompt, check the answer, protect private data.
Sample lessons
Week 1
How a computer works: input to output
A computer follows instructions. You give it something (input), it works on that information (processing), it shows or plays a result (output), and it can keep information for later (storage). A mobile phone, an ATM and a laptop all follow this same idea. When you type your name, the keyboard is the input, the processor handles the key presses, the screen shows the name as output and saving the file stores it.
1Input (keyboard, camera)
2Processing (processor)
3Output (screen, speaker)
4Storage (saved files)
The computer idea: input, process, output, store.
Step by step
Look at the device in front of you and name one input part and one output part.
Type your name in a text editor and watch it appear on the screen.
Save the file with a clear name such as My-Name.txt.
Close the file and open it again to see that storage keeps your work.
In real life
At an ATM you insert a card and press keys (input), the bank system checks the request (processing), the screen and cash slot give the result (output), and the transaction is recorded (storage).
Worked example
Problem. You scan a QR code to pay at a shop. Which part is input, processing, output and storage?
Solution. Input: the camera scans the QR code. Processing: the payment app reads the code and checks the amount. Output: the screen shows 'Payment successful'. Storage: the transaction is saved in the payment history.
Common mistakes
Thinking the screen is the computer; the screen is only one output device.
Mixing up storage and memory: storage keeps files after power off, memory holds work in progress.
Try it yourself
Name the input and output of a digital watch.
Explain in two sentences what happens between pressing a key and seeing the letter.
Week 2
Folders and backups
A folder groups related files, like a shelf in a cupboard. A clear name tells you what is inside. A backup is a second copy kept in a different place, so that if the original is lost, damaged or deleted, you can recover your work. Deleting a file usually sends it to the Recycle Bin or Trash, where it stays until the bin is emptied.
Drive (C: or Desktop)
Course folder
Week-1, Week-2, Projects
Files: About-me.txt
Folders inside folders keep work easy to find.
Step by step
Create a folder named Course on the Desktop.
Inside it create Week-1, Week-2 and Projects.
Move your 'About me' note into Week-1.
Copy the Course folder to a pen drive or cloud drive as a backup.
Delete the original note, then restore it from the Recycle Bin.
In real life
A shop owner keeps invoices in folders named by month and copies the folder to a pen drive every Friday. When the computer fails, the month's records are still safe.
Worked example
Problem. You have files Untitled-1, New-final and New-final-2. How can you make them easier to find?
Solution. Rename each file to describe its content, for example Fee-Receipt-Oct.pdf, Resume-Ravi.docx and Class-Timetable.xlsx, and place them in folders such as Receipts, Job and Study.
Common mistakes
Keeping the only copy of important work on one device.
Emptying the Recycle Bin without checking it first.
Try it yourself
Design a folder tree for a school year with five subjects.
Explain the difference between copying and moving a file.
Try the questions
The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.
Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.
Question 1 / 4 · Identify input and output
You type your name and it appears on the screen. Which part is the input?
Projects
My Digital Starter Kit
Create a small, well-organised set of files that shows you can manage a computer for study or work: a folder structure, a one-page introduction document, a monthly spending spreadsheet and a professional email draft.
Tasks
Create the folder structure Course/Week-1, Week-2, Week-3, Week-4 and Projects.
Write a one-page introduction with a heading, a short paragraph and a bulleted list of goals.
Make a spreadsheet of four monthly expenses and total them with =SUM().
Draft an email to your trainer with a clear subject line, greeting and closing.
Save a backup copy of the whole folder on another drive.
Sample input
Expenses: Transport 600, Food 1200, Phone 300, Books 450
Expected output
Total cell shows 2550; the folder tree is visible in a screenshot; the email has subject, greeting, body and name.
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Folder structure and file names
25%
Document formatting and clarity
25%
Correct spreadsheet total
20%
Email quality and safe habits
20%
Backup completed
10%
Stretch challenge: Add a simple chart of the expenses and a short note on which expense you could reduce.
How you are assessed
Each week: five short questions (knowledge and scenario, with one diagram question), one hands-on task on the lab computer and a two-line reflection ('what I did, what I would do differently').
Practical work. File management, document creation and spreadsheet totals are assessed on the learner's own work in the lab, using a checklist.
What trainers look for
Weight
Correct, working result
40%
Clear file names and organisation
20%
Safe digital habits
20%
Reflection and explanation
20%
Where this can lead
Prepares you for data-entry and office-assistant tasks.
Builds the digital base needed before office, accounting or programming courses.
These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.
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