There are myriad online computer training courses offered on the internet, both free and by schools providing high quality certification courses, aimed at all levels of computer user from novice to systems engineer. You can take hundreds of interactive computer based training courses from the comfort of your home or office, there's no need to go to college.
Learning computer skills online would seem obvious good sense, but it's important to choose the right course - and pretty much the same criteria as to educational standards, teaching methods and accreditation apply here as they do to other correspondence courses, distance learning and online education programs.
There are four main types of people who might want online computer training: novices or those just starting out, people in business who need to improve their computer skills, would-be IT professionals, and seniors who want to get up to speed with computers in their own time.
Are computers a mystery to you? Personal computers have become a major tool in use every day and there are few places where the topic of computers doesn't come up. In most basic computer training courses you will learn all about personal computers (PCs - usually Windows based but sometimes using Macs), everything from operating systems to software packages.
These programs are designed to give you the basic skills you need to get to grips with your computer and build your confidence at your own pace.
Do you need to improve your skills to get that great job, raise or promotion? In today's information age, those who understand how to manage, process, and manipulate information are the people who quickly become invaluable to an organization. Strong computer skills are a given for advancing your career
And the same goes for the self-employed. Small Office Home Office workers are the fastest growing business segment in the world, and are always trying to become more productive, make their next presentation more effective, build a better web site, and track their customers more efficiently.
If you need training on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other applications, but don't have the time or money to attend classes, then online computer training may be the answer. These courses can strengthen your computer skills and help you become more valuable to your organization.
The information technology industry is literally booming with opportunities, whether you want to work from home and be your own boss, or get a job with another company. Without ever leaving your home or office, you can gain the programming, engineering or other expertise needed to be a winner in today's job market. Online self-paced training is for the motivated learner who is ready for a challenge. It is also the most flexible and cost-effective way to increase your knowledge and skill, you learn at your own pace at your own convenience.
What kind of online computer courses are on offer? Here's a sample and the kind of subject matter they cover:
Learn to repair PC computers like a professional
- Getting started in PC repairs
- Setting up a PC workstation
- Installing Windows® operating system
- Workshop fundamentals
- Upgrading a PC workstation
- Diagnosing and repairing faultsSetting up a local area network
- On-the-spot troubleshooting
- Building and marketing your PC repair business
Get your A+ Certification
- Hardware fundamentals
- Hardware installation and configuration
- Motherboards, processors, memory and printers
- Operating system fundamentals
- Operating system installation and configuration
- Troubleshooting and preventive maintenance
- Network fundamentals
Become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)Microsoft® Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification is the industry's most comprehensive program for assessing and maintaining software-related skills.
- Server Administration
- Network infrastructure
- Directory services infrastructure
- Designing directory services infrastructure
- Microsoft® Windows® 2000 network management
- Microsoft® SQL Server 2000 database administration
Become a Certified Internet WebmasterDesign, implement and maintainwebsites using authoring and scripting languages, content creation, management and digital media tools.
- Web design concepts and site development
- Basic web technologies
- Using Photoshop, Flash, Javascript & DHTML
- Using the various WYSIWYG editing tools like FrontPage®, Dreamweaver & Homesite
- Advanced web technologies & website publishing
Online computer courses are for Seniors too! Seniors are learning about computers in droves, and no wonder, because there's no longer any need to wade through complicated and confusing textbooks or attend uncomfortable computer classes to learn the basics!
You can do all of your learning in the comfort of your own home and even more importantly on your own computer and it doesn't matter where you live. The course are generally not expensive to join, and make a point of NOT writing in computer jargon but plain English - a pleasant change!
The exercises and tutorials themselves are usually easy to follow and are written specifically for people who did not grow up with computers. You get to learn at your own pace with no set learning timetable, and the courses are often made printable in large and easy to read fonts - a great boon for some of us!
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