Computer Lab Manager Training Course
Zambia Pacific Trust
Module 4: Networking, Communication, Web 2.0
Summary
This module covers both the technical skill of maintaining and troubleshooting a computer network,
and the “soft” skills related to using this network for effective communication and knowledge building.
The online instruction in this course provides an introduction to networking topics as well as skill
building in using email and various web 2.0 (social networking, collaborative writing, etc.) utilities. The
workshop includes practice with network maintenance and troubleshooting, basic server computer use
and practical experience with how web 2.0 can be beneficial to various computer projects.
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Module 4: Networking, Communication, Web 2.0
Resource Book
Author: Heidi Neff, Consultant to Zambia Pacific Trust, heidihneff@gmail.com
First Edition – May 2010
More information about Heidi Neff and Zambia Pacific Trust is found at the end of this module.
Acknowledgements
The Computer Lab Manager Training Course resource books were made possible due to the efforts and
encouragement provided by a variety of people around the world. Special thanks are due to two
pioneering organizations working on computers in education in Zambia who provided advice and
materials: Computers for Zambian Schools and Crescent Future Kids. Three international
development aid organizations: Camara, VVOB and IICD, also deserve special recognition for their
contributions to this document and the efforts they are making to use ICT as a tool for development
and education in Zambia and elsewhere. Many individuals also contributed their time, expertise and
advice to the crafting of this module. Key among them are Bornwell Mwewa, David Dionys and
Collardo Mweemba. In addition, none of Zambia Pacific Trust’s work toward improving computer
education at schools in Lusaka, Zambia would have been possible without the support, advice and
equipment provided by Seattle Academy in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Licensing
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United
States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco,
California, 94105, USA.
Zambia Pacific Trust welcomes and encourages organizations to use any of the modules of the
Computer Lab Manager Training Course in a manner they deem appropriate, excluding making a profit
from the sale or distribution of the material. Organizations are welcome to use portions of these
modules in other documents, but they should attribute the material that is used to Zambia Pacific
Trust. Zambia Pacific Trust also appreciates knowing who is benefiting from this material, and requests
that individuals and organizations please email Bornwell Mwewa (bornwellmwewa@gmail.com), Heidi
Neff (heidi.h.neff@gmail.com) and Zambia Pacific Trust (info@zptrust.org) and describe how the
material is being used.
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Module 4 Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Introduction to the Computer Lab Manager Training Course
1.2. Introduction to Module 4
2. Basic Computer Networking Knowledge
2.1. Introduction and Definitions
2.2. Network Types and Designs
2.3. Types of Internet Connections
2.4. Networking Equipment
2.5. Assignments/Activities
3. Networking Skill
3.1. Setting Up and Managing a Simple LAN and Internet Connection
3.2. Managing Computers Using a Server
3.3. Troubleshooting Network Failures
3.4. Shared Printers
3.5. Maintaining Internet Security
3.6. Assignments/Activities
4. Using The Internet
4.1. Using Email
4.2. Effective Email Communication
4.3. Web 2.0: Part I – Web 2.0 for Communication
4.4. Web 2.0: Part II – Web 2.0 for Collaborating, Organizing and Teaching
4.5. Building a Simple Web Page
4.6. Assignments/Activities
5. Overall Assignments/Activities
6. List of Internet Resources
7. Bibliography
Module 4 Text
1. Introduction
1.1. Introduction to the Computer Lab Manager Training Course
The Computer Lab Manager Training Course was developed by Zambia Pacific Trust in
collaboration with a variety of organizations working on IT related development projects in
Zambia. While these projects are in several different sectors (health, education, agriculture and
community), all of the organizations recognized the need to increase the number of people
who have training in computers past the standard level of a computer user. A particular need
that was identified was for individuals who could maintain dynamic and well functioning
computer labs and other centers for IT use within a particular project. Therefore, a multi3
faceted training course was developed to meet these needs including both the “hard skills” of
computer maintenance, repair, and networking and the “soft skills” of management,
leadership, communication and instruction. Readers may find more emphasis shown on
educational projects, since that is the area of Zambia Pacific Trust’s experience. However, most
topics discussed apply equally well in the other sectors where IT is used.
The resource books for these modules are designed to be used as a part of an
instructor-led four module course, with each course including both a distance (online)
instruction component and a one week face-to-face workshop. This resource book is written to
accompany the fourth of the four modules listed below.
Module 1: Computer Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair
Module 2: Management and Leadership
Module 3: Instruction, Facilitating IT Use and IT in Education
Module 4: Networking, Communication and Web 2.0
The target audience for this training course is adult learners who already have
intermediate computer user skills and significant experience using computers. Ideally,
participants are already employed as computer lab managers, computer project coordinators or
Internet café managers. While the course is tailored to those working in educational or
community organizations, the course is still valuable for those working in a similar capacity in
the private sector.
These learning materials are also valuable for people who are not involved in a formal
course, but instead are studying independently to become computer lab managers or improve
their skills as computer lab managers. Learners who are using these materials for self study are
encouraged to make the training as hands-on as possible, performing as many of the
assignments and activities as they can practically achieve.
In addition all learners, whether using these materials for self-study or as a part of a
formal course, would benefit from continuing to develop their own skills in three important
areas that are not included in this course: Touch Typing, English Reading and Writing, and
Computer User Skills. Suggested resources for self study in these areas are presented in section
1.3 of the Module 1 resource book.
1.2. Introduction to Module 4
The word “network” has a variety of meanings that apply to people working on
computer projects. As a noun, the word refers to a variety of netlike connections, including
those that would connect a group of computers to themselves or to the Internet to share
information. The noun also refers to a group of a group of collected people who can share
information of be of assistance to each other. The verb network can refer to making the
connections described above, between people or between computers. A computer lab
manager needs to understand, create and maintain networks of both the human and
computer varieties.
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The goals of this module include not only helping lab managers understand the basics of
computer networking, but also how they can best put these networks to use to help people
share information. Therefore the module also includes important topics in email and other
forms of communication over the Internet. The module also includes information on Web 2.0,
the term used to describe the web applications that facilitate networking, information sharing
and collaboration. Participants in this course will be encouraged to practice with these
technologies and apply them to their own computer projects.
Table of Contents
2. Basic Computer Networking Knowledge
2.1. Introduction and Definitions
In general, these training modules have focused more on learning practical skills rather
than learning the theory behind any of the skills discussed. This trend will continue in this
module. However, some background understanding of the terminology used when working
with networks will help computer lab managers to move forward through this module
smoothly. Therefore some of this basic information is covered through the definitions and
abbreviations that are explained below.
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Computer Network. A computer network is a group of computers connected for the
purpose of communication or sharing information, software or hardware. They can be
connected through a variety of means including both wired and wireless.
The Internet. This is the largest computer network in the world! It is a constantly
growing connection of computers and networks around the world, and is used to
communicate and share information in many ways, some of which will be discussed
later in this module.
ISP (Internet Service Provider). This is the organization or company that connects an
individual computer or a computer network to the Internet, therefore allowing for
communication and collaboration with millions of other computers and their users.
Download/Upload. These terms are used to describe the process of an individual
computer receiving (downloading) information from a network or the Internet or
sending (uploading) information to a network or the Internet. For example, a user
might download a file they received attached to an email message or upload a picture to
share on a website.
Bandwidth. Bandwidth is the rate at which information that can be transmitted over an
Internet connection at any one time. Bandwidth is affected by the type of Internet
connection (described in section 2.3) and the limitations of the ISP. The greater the
bandwidth, the faster an Internet user is able to access information from the Internet.
Firewall. A firewall is a tool that is designed to protect a computer or a network from
security threats (such as malware or unauthorized access) from the Internet. A firewall
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can be a piece of software found on an individual computer, or a hardware device
incorporated into a computer network.
IP Address. An Internet protocol (IP) address is a four part number, written with
decimal points (full stops) separating each part. An example IP address is
192.168.0.200. An IP address is rather like a “phone number” for a computer or
networking equipment. Computers on the Internet that know each other’s IP addresses
can communicate with each other. Networking equipment (such as routers and server
computers) keeps track of these IP addresses as they facilitate connections between
computers. Every computer on the Internet or on a network using TCP/IP (described
below) must have its own IP address. Due to the ever expanding numbers of computers
connected to the Internet, a new system with six part IP addresses (called IPv6) has
been developed and will eventually become the standard on the Internet.
TCP/IP. TCP/IP is short for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. These
protocols (or rules) define how devices (such as computers and routers) communicate
with each other. TCP/IP determines the best path for information (data) to travel from
one device to another. TCP/IP will break up data into small packets that are sent
separately and then reassembled upon arrival.
DHCP. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a set of rules used by a DHCP
server (a server computer, a firewall, a modem or a router) to allocate IP addresses to
computers on a local network or the Internet. Using DHCP is typically easier than having
a lab manager or computer users assign and keep track of IP addresses. In most small
networks the router acts as the DHCP server.
MAC Address. The Media Access Control (MAC) address is also known as the physical
address for any device (such as a network interface card or a wireless network adapter)
that connects a computer to a network. Every network device has its own unique MAC
address that (like a serial number) cannot be changed and is useful for identifying that
device when it is a part of a network.
2.2. Network Types and Designs
Computer networks come in a variety of types and designs, depending on the size and
needs of an organization. Lab managers who are interested in understanding all of the options
in detail are encouraged to take a full course on computer networking. For the purposes of
this module, however, only the types and designs of networks that a lab manager is most likely
to encounter or use will be discussed. When networking the computers in a single room or
building (or perhaps a group of closely associated buildings), the network is called a local area
network or LAN. Setting up a LAN allows the computers in the network to communicate
between each other internally (called an intranet). This can be very useful for sharing
information and resources (such as printers), even if the network is not connected to the
Internet. If a LAN is comprised entirely of computers communicating wirelessly, it is referred
to as a wireless local area network or WLAN. There are several names used to describe
networks that are geographically larger than a LAN or WLAN. For example, a campus area
network (CAN) describes a network that encompasses several nearby buildings. The term
metropolitan area network (MAN) is used to describe a network that connects two or more
LANs in the same city. A wide area network (WAN) describes a connection between two or
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more distant LANS, such as two locations of the same company in different cities. The largest
network of all is the Internet. The Internet is the result of connections between computers
and networks all over the world.
When
connecting
computers with
wires to form a LAN,
the pattern (called a
network topology) is
important to
consider. In the
diagrams shown
here (Figure 1) the
dots represent
computers or other
Figure 1 - Network Topology from www.wikipedia.org (see bibliography)
devices connected
to a network. The lines represent cables connecting the devices. When choosing a topology, it
is important to consider what will happen if one of the cables fails. In ring, line and bus
topologies, a failure in a cable can cause many dependent computers to lose a connection.
Therefore, star topology is much more common and reliable in computer labs, even though it
requires more cable. The dot in the middle of the star is either a server or a router (both terms
are explained in section 2.4), sharing information between the other computers shown. Tree
and mesh topology are options to consider as well. These topologies can still have multiple
computers dependent on the same cable, but in some situations they are much easier to set
up than a star topology. The fully connected (or full mesh) topology uses many cables in order
to avoid dependency on a single computer or cable, but requires the most cable and is the
most complex to install.
Many networks are not as simple as those shown in figure 1. A combination of two or
more topologies can end up being the most suitable for a project. For example, a bus or tree
topology might be used to connect two different work areas or rooms that each contains
several computers. Then within each room there could be a group of computers connected
with a star topology with a switch (described in section 2.4) at the center. These more
complex networks might be called “expanded star” or “expanded tree” networks.
2.3. Types of Internet Connections
Connecting a computer or a network to the Internet greatly increases the usefulness of
those computers for information and communication. This usefulness will be discussed in
detail later in this module. Computer lab managers in developing countries, however, will
have to make tough decisions about whether or not to connect to the Internet and what type
of connection to obtain. The equipment involved and the ISP subscription fees can be quite
costly. In developing countries it is also possible that some of the types of Internet
connections described below will not be available, particularly in rural areas.
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2.3.1. Dial-up
Originally, all computers connected to the Internet using dial-up. This is a connection to
the Internet that uses standard phone lines and requires a computer to have a device called a
modem installed that “translates” the information coming in over the phone line for the
computer to use. Dial-up connections are available in many communities with telephone landlines, and are the least expensive method of connecting to the Internet. However, dial-up
connections also have the least bandwidth of any of the Internet connection methods
described here. A dial-up connection will be sufficient for a single computer user to check email
or view websites with few graphics. The user will find that many websites will load very slowly,
and downloading files will also be a slow process. A dial-up connection is also not suitable for a
network that will have more than one user accessing the Internet at the same time.
2.3.2. Broadband
The term broadband is usually used to describe the range of Internet connection
technologies that all result in faster (more bandwidth) connections than dial-up. There are
many different types of broadband connections. The most common connections for computer
projects in developing countries are described below, from the least expensive (in terms of
both connection equipment and monthly access fees) to the most expensive.
 GPRS. General packet radio service (GPRS) is the technology used to transfer
information over cell phone networks. People with cell phones that connect to the
Internet are using GPRS technology. The abbreviations 2G (second generation) and 3G
(third generation) are used to describe the different systems in use. 3G allows for
greater bandwidth, but is not available in all countries. Users may also hear about EDGE
networks, which use an improved version of the 2G system and HSDPA, which is an
enhancement to 3G networking. Computers can be connected to the Internet via GPRS
if they are equipped with GPRS modems, which are available from cell phone network
companies in many countries. The user puts a pre-paid SIM card in the GPRS modem to
obtain Internet access. Like a dial-up modem, however, a GPRS modem is usually only
used with a single computer. This is a good option when there are not funds available
for the installation of a computer network and the computer lab manager needs only
occasional Internet access.
 DSL/Cable. This category includes any broadband Internet service that is available
through a cable line that connects to a computer lab. These lines may be phone lines or
dedicated cables for Internet service from an ISP. The cables can be wire or optic fiber.
Typically these services result in good bandwidth, but they are not available in many
places in developing countries.
 Radio Signal/WiMax. In many cities, ISPs have set up radio transmitters for wireless
Internet access. These transmitters typically use WiMax technology, capable of
transmitting radio signals over many kilometers. To obtain broadband Internet through
these transmitters, the computer project will need a moderately priced radio receiver.
In some cases the receiver will need to be mounted on a mast for better reception. The
ISP will charge various monthly access fees for Internet service. Typically, the greater
the bandwidth or the higher the download limit, the greater the price.
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VSAT. Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connections are typically the only
broadband option available for Internet connections in rural locations in developing
countries. These connections use a satellite dish and related equipment in order to
receive Internet bandwidth from an orbiting satellite. Unfortunately, VSAT equipment is
quite expensive. There are also monthly access fees for the Internet service, which vary
as described above.
2.4. Networking Equipment
The equipment required to set up a computer network varies depending on the type,
size and purpose of a network. If a network’s main purpose, for example, is to connect a group
of computers to the Internet, then equipment will be needed to receive the Internet signal
from the ISP. This equipment varies widely and was described briefly in the previous section.
Other common equipment is described here.
 Router. A router is a device used to connect two different networks. In most cases the
two networks it connects are a LAN and the Internet (via a modem or other device that
receives an Internet signal). Routers can also direct Internet traffic to various
computers on the LAN. This allows many small networks to operate without a server
(described below). Routers have varying numbers of ports that allow for connections to
computers or switches. Wireless Routers are routers that also act as wireless access
points (described below).
 Cable. Unless a network is entirely wireless, CAT-5 (category 5) cable (also known as
Ethernet cable) is required to connect all devices on the network. CAT-5e (category 5
enhanced) and CAT-6 are recent improvements on CAT-5.
 Switch. A switch is a device used to connect several computers at one point. This is
useful for star, tree and mesh network topologies, and when the router on a network
does not contain enough ports to connect all of the computers or other devices on the
LAN. Switches also control network traffic by directing specific data only to the
computer that requested it. Before switches were developed networks used hubs to
connect computers, but these did not control network traffic.
 Wireless Access Points. Many computers contain wireless adapters that allow for
connections using radio signals instead of cables. In order to transmit and receive these
radio signals, a network needs either a wireless router or a wireless access point. A
wireless access point performs the same role on a wireless LAN (WLAN) as a switch does
on a LAN. A WLAN that covers a wide area may need multiple wireless access points in
order to have all computers in signal range. All wireless computer devices use the
WLAN standard (called 802.11) for transmitting and receiving. However, this standard
has been refined and improved over the years from 802.11b to 802.11a to 802.11 g.
The newest standard (still in development in 2009) is 802.11n. New wireless equipment
should be compatible with the b, g and n standards.
 Cards and Adapters. Each computer that participates in a LAN needs to have hardware
that allows it to connect to the network. Most computers have a built in network
interface card (NIC, also called an Ethernet card) that allows it to connect to CAT-5
cables via the Ethernet port. For wireless connections, a wireless adapter is needed.
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Most laptop computers have internal wireless adapters, but some older laptop
computers and many desk top computers do not. For these situations, the easiest
solution is to buy an external wireless adapter that plugs into the computer’s USB port.
Server. A server computer is used on a network to share information and direct traffic
to other (client) computers. Many small networks do not need servers. Server
computers will be discussed further in section 3.2.
Shared Hardware. One possible use of a LAN is to network peripheral hardware so that
it can be shared amongst all of the computers on the network. Printers are commonly
networked and will be discussed further in section 3.4. Other hardware that can be
networked includes scanners, webcams and hard drives (for backing up data).
It is worth noting that all networking equipment has its own operating speed, which
controls the maximum speed of communication within a LAN. Replacing older and slower
equipment can improve network speed.
2.5. Assignments/Activities
2.5.1. Interview a local computer project manager about his or her network design. What is
the topology of their computer lab’s network? Why was that topology chosen? If this lab
manager were setting up a lab today would he or she choose the same design?
2.5.2. What sort of networking equipment (cards and adapters) does your computer (or the
one you most often use) have? Explore the hardware by looking at the exterior of your
computer and by using the tools in the operating system (such as the Device Manager in
Windows) until you find the answer to this question.
2.5.3. Interview a salesperson at a local ISP. What types of internet connections are available
in your area and what are the costs?
2.5.4. Interview a local network technician. What network topologies does he or she see most
often? What does he or she recommend for small computer labs?
2.5.5. Workshop Activity: As a class, analyze the network of the computer lab where your
workshop is taking place. What topology was used? How does the lab connect to the
Internet? What networking equipment was needed to set up the lab?
2.5.6. Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play on the following scenario: you are the lab
manager of a school computer project that cannot afford an internet connection at this
time. You are still interested in setting up a LAN so that there is an intranet connecting all
of the project computers. Discuss this with the school’s computer committee and
convince them that setting up this LAN is worth the time and expense.
Table of Contents
3. Networking Skill
3.1. Setting Up and Managing a Simple LAN and Internet Connection
3.1.1. Getting Started
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Imagine that an ISP has just set up an Internet connection for a small computer project.
What’s next? Probably the computer lab manager will want to set up a simple LAN and then
use it to connect the computers to the Internet. This is can be done simply, as shown in the tip
box, and does not need to involve a server computer since the router can direct Internet traffic.
The lab manager will need to determine in advance whether to make the network
wired, wireless or a combination of the two. Wireless networks are simpler to set up but more
attention needs to be paid to security with wireless networks (see section 3.6). In addition, not
all desktop computers come with wireless adapters.
Tips for Setting up a Simple LAN
Imagine that a broadband Internet connection has just been installed at your project. Here
are the steps for setting up a small LAN to connect computers to the Internet.
1. Install a router. This is as simple as plugging it into an electrical outlet, and then using a
CAT-5 cable to connect it to the Internet source. The Internet source will vary with the
type of connection. For a WiMax connection, for example, you might be connecting
directly to an antenna or to a modem connected to the antenna.
2. Connect wired computers to the router. If the router has enough ports on the back for
all of the computers on your network, you can attach them directly using CAT-5 cable.
The router will act as the center of a star network. If the router does not have enough
ports, move on to step 3. You may also need to install the software that came with the
router onto one of the networked computers and use it to complete the initial setup for
the router.
3. Connect a switch to the router. This should be done if the router does not have enough
ports for all the computers on your network, or if a group of computers is in another
room. The switch connects to one of the ports in the router via a CAT-5 cable, and also
will require an electrical outlet. Computers then connect to the switch, forming a star
network.
4. Connect wireless computers to the router. If you have a wireless router and computers
with wireless adapters, connect each computer individually to the router by using the
tools in their operating systems for network connections (for Windows computers these
can be found in the control panel). If the router (or the switch) is not wireless or if
wireless access is needed in a different location, move on to step 5.
5. Connect a wireless access point to the router. If additional wireless access is needed,
scout out the best location for this access (so that as many computers as possible are in
range). Then connect the wireless access point to one of the ports in the router via a
CAT-5 cable.
3.1.2. Working with CAT-5 Cable
In the tip box for setting up a simple LAN, CAT-5 (or the faster CAT-5e) cable plays a
major role. It is needed to make connections to and from the router as well as any switches,
wireless access points and wired computers in the LAN. While CAT-5e patch cables in various
lengths can be purchased, it will be more economical for a computer lab manager to buy a
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spool of CAT-5 cable and cut it into patch cables of the desired length. The lab manager will
need to attach RJ-45 connectors to each end of the cables cut (a process called terminating). A
crimping tool is required for this procedure. It is important to note that CAT-5 cables should
not be more than 100 meters in length, or the signals they carry become degraded. In addition,
a lab manager should be aware that after repeated handling some cables or RJ-45 connectors
will fail. The tip box here shows the steps for terminating a CAT-5 cable.
Tips for Terminating a Cable
1. Take a segment of CAT-5 (or CAT-5e) cable and cut it to the desired length. If you aren’t
sure the length you need – always err on the side of extra length. You can shorten a
cable later but you can’t make it longer again!
2. Gently cut around the outer plastic covering of the wire, 1.2 cm from one end of the
wire. You can use the cutting blade on the crimping tool to do this (see Figure 2). Make
sure, however that you do not cut the plastic coating on the inner wires. Strip away the
end section of the outer plastic cover and inspect the inner wires to make sure they are
in good condition. If they are not, cut off the damaged section of cable and start over.
3. Spread out the individual wires and order them according to colors as shown below
(from left to right):
White/Orange, Orange, White/Green, Blue, White/Blue, Green, White/Brown, Brown
4. Once the wires are properly aligned, keep them neatly aligned and close together while
you cut off the uneven ends of the wires using the cutting blade on the crimping tool
(see Figure 3).
5. While keeping the wires properly aligned, insert them into an RJ-45 connector. There
are 8 small canals in the connector and one wire will fit into each canal. Make sure that
wires are aligned with the white/orange wire on the left and the golden pins of the RJ45 connector on top. The plastic tab will be on the bottom.
6. Insert the assembled connector into the crimping tool (there is only one way it fits) and
then press down firmly. This causes the pins to be pushed into the wires, making
electrical connections.
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6 on the other end of the cable.
8. Test the cable. The easiest way to do this is to use it to connect a computer to the
Internet. Use it to replace a cable in a set-up that you know works perfectly.
Figure 3 - Stripping the Cable
Photo courtesy of David Dionys, VVOB
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Figure 2 - Trimming the Wires
Photo courtesy of David Dionys, VVOB
3.1.3. Working with IP Addresses
For most computer lab managers, the simple network set up in section 3.1.1 should be
“plug and play”. This means that after the computer lab manager completes the physical set
up, the network works automatically. The most important factor that allows this to happen is
that the router acts as a DHCP server. As described in section 2.1, this means that the router
assigns IP addresses to the
Tips for Finding a Computer’s IP Address
computers on the network, thus
allowing these computers to
Several methods are shown below. Which you choose
share information amongst
depends on your computer’s operating system.
themselves and with other
computers on the Internet. In
Method A: On a Windows computer, choose Start 
most cases the IP addresses that
Control Panel  Network and Internet. On a Windows
the router assigns will be
XP computer then choose Network Connections and
dynamic, which means that they
double click on the active Internet connection shown.
change after some time. The
On a Windows Vista computer then choose Network
router leases out a particular IP
and Sharing Center and click view status on the active
address for a specific period of
Internet connection shown. Then click on Details to see
time, often 24 hours. Since
the IP address.
there are a limited number of IP
addresses available for the
Method B: Open up the Command Prompt window on
router to use, this system
your computer. Command Prompt is a way of entering
prevents the IP addresses from
in commands directly (not through the typical graphic
being used up by computers that
interface). On a Windows computer the command
are not often on the network.
prompt line can be found in Start  All Programs 
The lab manager can view the IP
Accessories  Command Prompt. In the Command
address for a computer using a
Prompt window enter the text “ipconfig/all”.
variety of methods, described in
the tip box here. Changing IP
Method C: On an Ubuntu or Linux computer, open the
addresses will be covered in
Command Line by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys
section 3.3. Note that IP
while pressing down the F1 key. Then enter your
addresses for computers on a
username and password if prompted to do so. You can
LAN will always begin with
also access the Command Line by selecting
192.168. This is the range of
Applications  Accessories  Terminal. Then enter in
addresses allotted for use on
the text “ifconfig”.
private networks. When a
computer on the LAN sends
information out to the internet, it passes through a firewall (usually part of the router) and the
firewall attaches a different (public) IP address to that information.
3.2. Managing Computers Using a Server
3.2.1. Introduction to Servers
Computer networks fall into two general categories: peer to peer networks and clientserver networks. In a peer to peer network, all computers are considered equals (peers) and
they share information equally between each other. In a client-server network, not all of the
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devices are equal. The server distributes (or serves) information to all of the client computers,
and directs traffic amongst these computers and between these computers and the internet. In
the network described in section 3.1, there was no server computer, but the router was acting
as a server by distributing IP addresses to the client computers and also directing Internet
traffic.
For most small networks a server computer is not necessary, but it is an option to
consider in some situations. Server computers can take on a variety of roles. A few that might
be useful in a computer project are described here:
 File Server. A file server is a computer that provides centralized storage of files (or
programs) for the client computers. This is particularly useful for computer projects
that have large files that are beneficial for many users, but would take up too much
space to store on each computer. For example, educational materials such as digital
encyclopedias and textbooks can be stored on a file server and then accessed by all
clients. Computer projects that cannot afford Internet access can benefit greatly from
sharing information in this way.
 Domain Controller. A domain is a group of computers that is managed collectively with
common rules. A domain controller is the server that manages these rules including
user accounts and access privileges. This can be useful, for example, in a project that
has files that some users are permitted to access and others are not.
 Print Server. A print server collects documents that the client computers send to it and
then prints them. This allows a computer project to share a single printer between
many users.
 Web Server. A web server is a computer that hosts a web site. This web site can be
served either to the client computers (the project’s intranet) or it can be served out to
all of the computers on the Internet. It is particularly important that a web server
computer remain turned on at all times, or computer users on the Internet will not be
able to access the web site.
 Proxy Server. A proxy server acts as an intermediary between client computers and the
Internet, by processing requests for information before sending them on to the Internet
on behalf of the client. Proxy servers have three significant potential benefits for
computer projects. The first is that they can be used to log Internet usage by the clients,
thus enabling an organization to track and control the use of precious bandwidth. The
second is that they can be used to filter content, preventing clients from accessing
content that the organization deems as inappropriate. The third is that they can be
used to cache (temporarily store) information from the Internet for the client
computers to use. For example, imagine that there is a popular website that many
users are accessing (such as www.google.com). The first time a client computer
requests access to this website, the proxy server retrieves the information from the
Internet. When the next user requests Google, however, the information is already
stored on the proxy server and access is much quicker.
 Mail Server. A mail server allows an organization to collect and distribute email for
different clients. These servers run special email management software such as
Microsoft Exchange Server. Having a mail server allows for more sophisticated email
14
management and collaboration tools than most Internet email services, but Internet
email services have improved significantly in recent years.
3.2.2. Server Equipment and Software
If a computer project steering committee or board decides to install a dedicated server
computer, the computer lab manager will need to investigate purchase choices carefully. Since
the client computers will be dependent upon the server computer in some way, it is important
that the machine be reliable and
fast. A standard desktop
Tips for Choosing a Server Operating System
computer will be a suitable server
if it has a fast and reliable CPU
Below are questions for a lab manager to answer when
(such as a recent Intel chip), a
choosing a server operating system:
large amount of RAM, and a large
1. Do I have a licensed copy of the server software?
hard drive. The server should also
This is important when choosing proprietary
have good options for later
software, such as Microsoft. The lab manager also
expansion such as several USB
needs to make sure that the license allows for the
ports for adding external devices,
correct number of client computers to connect to
and space for adding additional
the server.
internal hard drives.
2. Will the software be easy for me to use? This will
depend on what platform (such as Windows or
A server computer also
Linux) the manager is most familiar with. In
typically runs on a server
general, it will be easier to find help resources for
operating system, as opposed to
proprietary software like Microsoft.
the standard operating systems
3. Do I have (or will I be able to find) the drivers
that users are familiar with. For
(software to run peripheral equipment) that work
example, there are various
with this operating system?
Windows and Linux versions of
4. Is the other software that I want to run compatible
server operating systems (such as
with this operating system?
Windows Server 2003 and Red
5. Is the operating system susceptible to viruses? A
Hat Linux). All sever operating
Linux operating system is much less susceptible to
systems have advantages and
viruses than a Microsoft operating system. Also
disadvantages that need to be
typically the free antivirus software programs are
considered carefully. Before
not compatible with server software.
choosing and installing an
operating system, a computer lab
manager should answer the questions in the tip box here.
3.2.3. Installing and Configuring a Server
It is outside the scope of this module to give a computer lab manager a full training
course in how to set up and use a server. However, for those lab managers who are interested
in learning more, the tasks that would be involved in the set up a server for a computer project
are listed here:
 Choosing server hardware (see section 3.2.2)
 Choosing server software (see section 3.2.2)
15





Connecting the server to the network. The server can be connected to a switch that is
also connected to client computers.
Install server software. This process is very similar to installing an operating system for
a standard computer.
Configure server roles. This process involves setting up the server so that it performs the
roles (listed in section 3.2.1) desired for the network.
Install drivers for peripheral devices
Install antivirus software
A useful tutorial for setting up a home server (which could also be used for a small
computer project) using an open source operating system is found at:
http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/set_up_a_home_server/. The Windows Reference
website (www.windowsreference.com) provides some relevant tutorials for the installation of
Windows server software.
3.3. Troubleshooting Network Failures
One of the more frustrating experiences for a computer user is to get set up to check
email or search for information
Tips for Troubleshooting a Computer that Won’t
on the Internet, only to discover
Connect to a Network
that there is no Internet service.
Network failures like this can be
1. If the operating system has network diagnostic
external (due to a problem with
tools, run these to see if the computer can fix the
the ISP or the project’s
problem itself. For a Windows computer, follow
connection to the ISP) or
the steps in the tip box in section 3.1.3 (Method A)
internal (due to a problem with
to view a network connection and then click on the
the LAN). A user can also
“Diagnose” box. Also notice whether or not the
experience network problems
computer is sending or receiving any packets from
that are due to hardware or
the network. If the network diagram shows some
software issues with an
packets being received gradually, then the
individual computer. Once it is
connection is just working slowly.
determined whether the
2. Try getting a new IP address. For a Windows
problem is with a particular
computer go to the command prompt line (see the
computer (can other users reach
tip box in section 3.1.3) and type and Enter
the network?) or network-wide,
“ipconfig/release” and then “ipconfig/renew”.
then troubleshooting can begin.
3. Restart the computer. This often will fix temporary
problems with hardware or software.
3.3.1. Failures With a Particular
4. Use the Device Manager, which can found on many
Computer
Windows computers (for Windows XP go to Start 
If a particular computer
Control Panel  System  Device Manager). If a
cannot connect to a LAN or the
network device has a (hardware) problem, a
Internet when other computers
warning symbol will be displayed next to it, and
in the same area can, the first
double clicking on that device would give details
step is to determine if the
and suggested remedies for the problem.
specific location is the cause of
16
the problem. For example, if the computer is connecting wirelessly – is the signal particularly
weak there? Moving the computer to a different location where another computer connected
successfully would test this theory. If connected by cables, the computer lab manager could try
swapping patch cables with one that is known to work. Once a problem with the patch cable
has been eliminated, the next step would be to swap the troubled computer with one that
connected successfully in another location. If the new computer cannot connect in this
location, then the problem could be with connectors, switches or router ports that the
computer work station ultimately connects to. If the swapped computer can connect, however,
the lab manager has determined that the problem is with the individual computer and not with
the location. In this case the tip box here (above) gives some good troubleshooting
suggestions.
3.3.2. Failures with an Entire Network
In some situations, no computer on a LAN can access either the local intranet or the
Internet. In these cases, it is helpful to try and distinguish between the two problems. For a
Windows computer, the Network Connections or Network and Sharing Center (see the tip box
in section 3.1.3) shows the status of a connection, including whether it is local only or local and
Internet. The lights on the front of a router can also be used to indicate whether or not it is
connected to the Internet. Another useful diagnostic tool is to use a computer on the LAN to
ping various devices on the LAN and see which ones can be reached. Pinging means sending a
packet of information and requesting a packet in reply. The tip box here describes how to ping.
Tips for Pinging Networked Devices
Pinging is the process of sending a packet of information over a network and requesting a reply. The
main requirement for pinging is that you know the IP address (or web address) of the device you are
going to ping. Below are the steps to take when using pinging as a part of troubleshooting.
1. Open up the Command Prompt (or Command Line for Ubuntu) window on your computer.
2. To ping any device from a Windows computer you type “ping” then a space then the IP address
for that device. For computers with the Ubuntu operating system, you type “ping -c 4” then a
space then the IP address for that device. The standard address (127.0.0.1) is used for a
computer to refer to itself. So you would type “ping 127.0.0.1” or “ping –c 4 127.0.0.1” to ping
your own computer. Once you enter the command, the computer will send packets and report
on whether replies were received and how much time elapsed.
3. Next try to ping the router for your LAN using the procedure above. Usually the IP address for a
router is 192.168.0.1. If this is not correct, check your router’s user’s manual.
4. Next try to ping the server computer or another computer on the LAN. Use the tip box in
section 3.1.3 to find the IP addresses for these computers.
5. Finally try to ping an external website. You can use the IP address for that website if you know
it, or just enter the web address. For example: “ping www.google.com” or “ping –c 4
www.google.com”.
Once it has been determined that the problem is not with the LAN but with the Internet
or the Internet connection to the router, the computer lab manager now has a narrower range
of possibilities to address. The first step to take in these instances is to make sure the router is
17
functioning properly. The computer lab manager should reboot the router (turn it off or unplug
electricity to the router, wait a few seconds then turn it on again) first to see if that solves the
problem. If not, the lights on the front of the router (along with the router user’s guide) can be
used to indicate whether or not it is functioning properly. The computer lab manager can also
try rebooting the modem, WiFi receiver or any other devices used for receiving the Internet
signal. A computer lab manager may also have some software for diagnosing network
problems that is installed on the server or another computer.
If none of the above steps
solve the problem, the next step
is for the computer lab manager
to contact the ISP and ask for
assistance. The customer
support desk at an ISP should be
able to diagnose some problems
and help troubleshoot others.
The tip box here includes some
suggestions for a computer lab
manager to use when calling an
ISP for support.
Tips for Calling ISP Customer Support
Customer support from the ISP is an important “tool”
when dealing with a network problem. However, it is
important not to call until you are fully prepared since
phone calls can be expensive. Below are steps to take
before and during a call to customer support.
1. Make sure you are dealing with a problem with the
Internet connection and not just the LAN (as
described in section 3.3.2).
2. Troubleshoot the network first to the best of your
abilities, including rebooting the router and the
modem (or other device used to receive the
Internet signal).
3. Write down everything you would like to tell the
customer support person – including when the
trouble started, whether the network connection is
intermittent or has totally failed, and what
troubleshooting steps you have tried.
4. Call the ISP. As soon as you are sure you are talking
to a knowledgeable support staff member, tell
them everything on your list.
5. The customer support person may say that they
need to investigate the problem and get back to
you. Before they hang up, make sure you get their
name and phone number and that you have made a
follow up plan. Will they call back or do you need
to? How long should you wait before calling again?
6. Make sure you “close the loop” with the customer
support person later. It is important to let the ISP
know whether or not the repair was successful.
3.4. Shared Printers
As mentioned previously,
one advantage of having a LAN
is to allow for shared printers.
Buying and networking a single
printer for shared use is much
more cost effective than buying
printers for each computer (or
requiring users to transfer
documents to the computer
with the attached printer). It is
also more efficient than having a
single non-networked printer
and requiring all users to bring
their documents (via flash drive,
disk or email) to the attached
computer. Once a computer lab
has a networked printer,
however, it is possible that
computer users will print documents indiscriminately and waste precious ink and paper. The
project’s computer committee should consider developing a printing policy to avoid this waste.
3.4.1. Setting Up a Network Printer or a Shared Printer
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Equipment. There are several equipment options for setting up a networked printer.
The simplest of these is to buy a network printer. Network printers are available in both wired
and wireless models. The wired network printer would be connected via CAT-5 cable to the
router or switch. If a network printer is not available or affordable, a second option is to
purchase a print server. This small device attaches to a printer and then attaches to the
network as above. Print servers are available in both wired and wireless models. Before
purchasing a print server, a computer lab manager should make sure that it has ports (such as
USB or parallel) that are compatible with the existing printer. A third option for networking a
printer is to attach a printer to a computer that is attached to the network. This computer then
can share that printer on the network and manage the print queue for that printer. The
methods for sharing a printer and printing to a shared printer depend on the computer
operating system in use. Information can be found by searching a computer’s help file for
“share printer”.
Communication. Once a computer has been attached to the LAN (via the first or second
options above), it should automatically be assigned an IP address by the router. With this IP
address, a computer user can print directly to the printer from any computer on the LAN.
Before printing the first time, each computer will need to add the printer to its list of available
printers. For Windows computers this can be done through the “Add a Printer” wizard. This
tool can be found through Start  Control Panel Hardware and Sound (or Printers and
Other Hardware) Printers. In most cases, this wizard will help the user find the printer
through browsing. If the printer is not automatically found, however, the user may need to
enter the IP address for the printer. If this is necessary, the IP address can be found by printing
a configuration page at the printer. For computer projects that have large networks and users
that print frequently, another communication option to consider is setting up a print server on
a server computer. Typically, server operating systems include a print server application that
allows the server to manage the print queue. This offers added printing control options such as
prioritizing some printing jobs over others, or controlling access to the printer to prevent
unauthorized printing. The full procedure for setting up a print server application is outside
the scope of this document, but computer lab managers can find information on how to do so
through Internet searches and their server operating system help files.
3.4.2. Troubleshooting Network Printers
Troubleshooting a problem with a networked printer should begin in the same way that
a computer lab manager would troubleshoot challenges with a non-networked printer. For the
details, see section 5.8 in Module 1 of this training course. It is particularly important to note,
however, that every computer that uses a networked printer must have the driver for that
printer installed. Other troubleshooting techniques for network printers include pinging
(described in section 3.3.2) the printer using its IP address, checking network cables and
rebooting the print server.
3.5. Maintaining Internet Security
The Internet is a wonderful tool for communicating, sharing and learning. The benefits
of Internet use are discussed in Module 3 this course and further benefits will be presented in
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chapter 4, below. However, it is important to note that connecting a computer or a LAN to the
Internet makes the connected computers and users much more vulnerable to a variety of
potential problems. The risks for connected computers include an increased likelihood of virus
(or other malware) attacks and the possibility of unauthorized access to the networked
computers. In addition, computer users are much more likely to come across content that is
inappropriate or unreliable. Each of these risks and ways to minimize them are addressed in
the subsections below.
3.5.1. Preventing Unauthorized Access/Traffic
There are computer users (commonly known as hackers) who access computer systems
without authorization and usually for malicious reasons. They might be interested in accessing
sensitive information, or they might be distributing viruses and other malware in order to harm
the networked computers. The main defense against hackers and malware from the internet is
to set up a firewall. A firewall prevents network access from undesired users by analyzing and
filtering internet traffic (called packet filtering) and only letting the desired internet traffic
through. Firewalls can also be set up to block certain IP addresses (or URLs) from the network.
Many computer networks have multiple firewalls operating at the same time. Three common
types of firewalls are described below:
Router Firewalls. Most routers include a simple firewall that at least acts as a packet
filter. Some routers can also be programmed to block certain IP addresses or only allow traffic
from certain IP addresses. In many cases, a computer user can access a router’s software by
opening a new window in an Internet browser and typing in the IP address for the router
(usually 192.168.0.1). This allows the user to see and adjust the router firewall settings.
Individual Computer Software Firewalls. Many operating systems come with some
firewall software included that protects that computer individually from unauthorized access.
The Windows Firewall is one example of this. This software can be found and turned on or off
through Start  Control Panel  Security  Windows Firewall. For Ubuntu computers, a free
firewall program called Firestarter (www.fs-security.com) can be downloaded and installed.
Server Computer Firewalls. While a combination of the above two types of firewalls is
sufficient for most small networks, setting up a firewall on a dedicated server is a good option
to consider for computer lab managers that desire greater protection or flexibility in controlling
access. Server firewalls also allow for easier monitoring of network traffic than router firewalls.
One example of a free server firewall program is Untangle (www.untangle.com). Untangle can
be set up to run in three ways: on a dedicated server also acting as a router, as a dedicated
server between the router and the LAN or on one of the client computers on the LAN.
Another source of unauthorized network access to be aware of is through wireless
routers and wireless access points. These devices can be set up to provide secure or unsecure
wireless networks. Unsecure networks are often used in Internet cafés for ease of access by
customers with their own laptops. For private computer projects, however, a secure network is
preferred since it protects against access by hackers or by outside individuals who want free
20
bandwidth. Setting up a secure wireless network is done when installing a wireless router or
access point. The user manual for the device should be consulted for the details. When setting
up the secure network, the computer lab manager will assign a security key to the wireless
router or access point. The first time an individual computer connects to that network, the user
will be asked to enter the security key.
3.5.2. Virus Prevention
One way for viruses (and other malware) to enter a computer network is through the
unintentional downloading of malware program from the Internet. All computers (servers and
clients) should have their own anti-virus software installed and periodically scanning. Anti-virus
software is discussed more fully in section3.3 of Module 1. Preventing malware from entering a
computer network in the first place, however, offers an additional level of anti-virus protection.
Many firewall programs include anti-virus protection, and it is wise for a computer lab manager
to make sure that this protection is enabled.
3.5.3. Inappropriate Use
Many organizations have struggled with inappropriate use of their Internet connections,
and have chosen to take action against this use. The term inappropriate use is broad enough to
include a variety of categories, such as those shown below:
Inappropriate Content. In many cases, due to age, culture or local laws, it is
inappropriate for users to access certain types of websites. The most common example is
pornography websites, but there are many other categories of blocked websites that vary
around the world. Often organizations will find that there are conflicting values that make it
challenging to know which websites to block.
Bandwidth Wasting. For many computer projects in developing countries, Internet
connections come with limitations on the amount data that can be downloaded or uploaded.
Once the monthly limit has been reached, Internet usage is cut off or significantly curtailed. In
addition, often Internet speeds are quite slow during peak use hours and become even slower
when users are downloading large files. As a result, organizations will often block access to
websites that are used to transfer large files (such as videos and music).
Time/Productivity Wasting. Many Internet users have discovered the excitement of
social networking sites (see section 4.3) or the entertainment available through Internet games,
music and videos. Often, however, people struggle to keep the “quick break” from work from
turning into a long distraction from work. These distractions typically are worse when
computer users are in private locations, where others cannot see their activity. As a result,
some organizations choose to arrange desks and computers in a way that limits privacy for
computer users. Other organizations prohibit staff and/or clients from using games, social
networking or other entertainment websites. Some organizations will also block access to
these websites, as described below.
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Each organization needs to determine for themselves what constitutes inappropriate
use and how they intend to address the problems. Once an organization has decided what uses
are inappropriate, however, they should make a significant effort to educate users on which
activities are prohibited and why. Frequent reminders can also be helpful. If a computer lab
manager has access to reports of network traffic (from a router, server or ISP) he or she can
analyze that traffic to see which types of inappropriate use are still regularly occurring, and
target reminders to that sort of traffic. It is also possible to physically block access to certain
websites or categories of websites. This can be done in a variety of ways. For example, some
ISPs will filter out inappropriate websites (based on their content) at the request of their
clients. Routers can also be used to block particular web addresses, and some firewall
programs (such as Untangle, described in section 3.5.1) can both filter and block.
3.6. Assignments/Activities
3.6.1. Interview a field technician from a local ISP. This should be a person who responds to
customer problems by visiting their sites and diagnosing and repairing network problems.
What are the most common network problems that he or she sees? How can these
problems be avoided?
3.6.2. Connect a laptop wirelessly at an Internet café. Then take some time to investigate
properties and performance of the Internet connection. How fast are packets being sent
and received? What is the IP address for the laptop?
3.6.3. Use the command line (command prompt) on a networked computer to view, release
and renew an IP address. Can you tell how long the new IP address is leased for?
3.6.4. Practice using the help files on a computer or online searches to address network
problems. You can ask a local lab manager to supply you with questions to address, or
here are a few examples: How do you view and empty the queue of a shared printer? How
can you get a static IP address for a computer? What are the advantages of static (versus
the usual, dynamic) IP addresses? What is Peer to Peer network traffic and how can it be
blocked?
3.6.5. Draw a map of the computer network at your project or a local Internet café. Show all
computers, switches, routers, servers and network printers. Show how they connect to
each other and to the Internet.
3.6.6. Add a network or shared printer to a client computer in a computer network. See
section 3.4.1 for details.
3.6.7. Evaluate the security of your network. Is it sufficient for the needs of your organization?
Also consider the security of any wireless routers or wireless access points. Can outsiders
gain access to your network either inside or outside your buildings?
3.6.8. Is the router on your network (or the network of a local Internet café) acting as a
firewall? If so, what firewall tasks is it performing? To find this information, look for the
user manual for the router or router management software. You can also access the
router via an Internet browser by entering the IP address for the router (usually
192.168.0.1) in the address bar.
3.6.9. Perform some web research about Internet content filters. Find out how they work.
For example, do they filter by name, key word or URL? Do they require a dedicated server
computer or can they be loaded on a client computer? After your research, discuss
22
whether or not you think that a content filter would be a good choice for your
organization.
3.6.10. Workshop Activity: Practice pinging various locations on the network where your
training course is taking place. Make sure to note the time it takes for packets to be
returned from various locations.
3.6.11. Workshop Activity: As a group, troubleshoot various network failures. Your instructor
should cause these failures and then offer the group time and guidance as they determine
what he or she disabled.
3.6.12. Workshop Activity: As a group, install server software on a computer and set up the
server to perform some common roles/tasks.
3.6.13. Workshop Activity: Investigate the firewalls on the individual computers and the router
in the computer lab where your workshop is being held. What kind of content is being
blocked? Are the firewall settings appropriate for that particular computer lab?
3.6.14. Workshop Activity: Participate in a discussion on inappropriate use of the Internet.
What is inappropriate in your computer projects? In particular make sure to address some
of the challenging questions such as: How do you distinguish between pornography and
art? Should video downloads be prohibited entirely even though some videos are
educational? How do you find the balance between allowing users open access to
information but yet prohibiting information that is culturally or politically inappropriate?
Can computer lab rules and user education suffice or is Internet blocking software
needed?
Table of Contents
4. Using The Internet
The first part of this module has focused on the technical skill behind networking and
connecting to the Internet. The remainder of this module will focus on what computer lab
users can do with an Internet connection once it has been established. The Internet is an
amazing tool for learning and collaboration and should be taken full advantage of. Some basic
Internet use skills are discussed in Module 3 of this training course. Most notably, that module
includes information on performing successful Internet searches. The sections below focus on
using the Internet for communication and collaboration.
4.1. Using Email
4.1.1. Sending Messages
By the time most computer lab managers have reached Module 4 in this training guide,
they probably have already established an email account and started using it as a tool for
communicating with friends, coworkers and project partners. Therefore this guide does not
focus on the details of how to initially set up an email account. However, if there are readers
who do not yet have email accounts, they should be encouraged to visit www.gmail.com,
www.yahoo.com or www.hotmail.com to set up an email account with one of these free email
providers.
23
Many email users,
Tips for Composing and Sending Professional Email
however, have not fully studied
Messages
the options available to them
when writing and sending emails.
Email messages should demonstrate that you are
The tip box here gives some good
professional, well educated and appropriate. To make
advice on how to proceed when
sure that this is the case, follow the steps below. For
composing and sending an email.
further information on this topic, see section 4.2
After an email is received, a
1. Make sure that your email includes a subject line
reader has various options as
that informs about the content of the message.
well. These are described here:
2. Consider who should receive your email. Put all of
 Reply. This is the
their email addresses in the “To” box. Use the “Cc”
standard option to select
(Carbon Copy) option for addresses of people who
to send off an email
might benefit from the information but are not
composed in reply to one
expected to reply. Use the “Bcc” (Blind Carbon
that was received. The
Copy) option to also send the email to anyone you
important thing to be
would like to receive the email without the other
aware of is that this reply
recipients knowing that he or she is included.
will go only to the
3. Make sure that you compose an email message
sender. If there were
with the appropriate tone. Avoid making
other people who
statements that you think might anger the
received the original
recipients or that you would be embarrassed to
email (either in the To or
make in person.
Cc lines) they will not
4. Use the spell and grammar checkers available in
receive this reply. The
your email service. Spelling and grammar errors are
one exception to this
not professional and can also confuse the meaning
statement is that some
of an email.
email discussion groups
5. Proofread your email before sending it. Check for
(described in section
tone and errors. If it is a particularly sensitive or
4.1.3) are set up so that
important email, get someone else to proofread it
the reply goes the entire
too. Also check and make sure that you have
group.
correctly typed the email addresses of all recipients.
 Reply All. This is the
6. Now you are ready to press “Send”!
option to select to send
off an email composed in reply to another email, when it is beneficial for everyone who
received the original email to also see the reply.
 Forward. Perhaps there is someone who did not receive an email but should be
informed about the contents. The email can then be forwarded to that person by
selecting the “Forward” button and then typing in the email address of the person who
should receive the email.
4.1.2. Attachments
Attachments are files that are sent along with email messages. It can be very
convenient to send documents (such as reports) as email attachments so that these documents
are preserved without any changes. Photos also can be sent as email attachments. Most
24
Internet email providers do have
restrictions on what sort of
materials can be attached to
email messages. For example,
programs usually cannot be
attached because of the risk that
they might be viruses. There also
is usually a size limit (such as 1 or
2 MB) on attachments, to
prevent excessive use of
bandwidth and storage. The tip
box here provides instruction on
using email attachments.
4.1.3. Email Discussion Groups
Email discussion groups
(also called D-groups, email lists
and list serves) are wonderful
tools for connecting with a group
of individuals that share a
particular interest. With an email
discussion group, a single email
sent to the group email address
is then received by every
member of the group. This is
much easier than trying to keep
track of dozens of email
addresses separately!
Tips for Using Email Attachments
The instructions below are based on the Gmail (Google
Mail) email service, but are similar to those found with
other email providers.
Follow these steps for attaching a file:
1. Compose a new email as usual.
2. Find the words “Attach a file” below the email
subject and click on them. A paper clip image is
next to the words.
3. A new window opens showing files stored on the
computer. Browse as needed to find the desired
file, and then double click on it to upload.
4. Allow some time for the file to be fully uploaded,
then click on “Save” to save the draft email. As
usual, proofread the email before choosing “Send”.
Follow these steps for viewing and saving
attachments:
1. When you receive an email, a paper clip image near
the top of the email will indicate that it has an
attachment.
2. Near the bottom of the email, the title or a small
image of the attached file will be shown. Next to
the image you will see the words “View” or
“Download”. Click on “View” if you want to open
the attachment but not save it to your computer.
Click “Download” if you want to save the file to your
computer. You will then be given a choice to open
the file or save it. Click on “Save” and browse for
the location you would like to save it to on the
computer.
3. A note of caution: email attachments can be used
to spread viruses. Avoid opening attachments if
they are not from known senders and are not
clearly explained in the email message.
Groups exist on a variety
of topics and can either be public
or private. Some groups are not
moderated, meaning anyone can
send a message to the group
independently. These groups
tend to have the most free and
open participation, but can get
off topic or be vulnerable to spam (described in the next section). Other groups are moderated,
meaning that there is a manager that views and approves email messages before they are sent
to the group. Then there are groups that are not really for discussion at all (these are often just
called email lists), but are used for organizations to disseminate information to interested
parties.
25
Public email discussion groups and email lists can sometimes be found by going to the
websites of organizations of interest. It is also possible to find these groups by going to the
Google Groups (http://groups.google.com) or Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com)
websites and searching (or browsing) for topics of interest. Once an interesting public group is
found, anyone can request to join a group. Depending on how the group has been set up,
moderators may or may not need to approve membership requests. Anyone with a Google or
Yahoo email account can also go to the websites mentioned above and form his or her own
group. This is a useful option, for example, for sharing information amongst members of a large
committee or interest group.
When sending messages (also called posts) to email discussion groups, it’s important to
be aware of the proper etiquette for that particular group. For example, the user should know
whether or not it is important for all messages adhere to the specific topic or purpose of the
group. It is also important to be mindful of language and avoid using slang or profanity unless it
is clearly acceptable to the group. In addition, group members should become aware of the
reply settings of the group. Some groups have been set up so that using Reply sends a message
to the sender and Reply All sends a message to everyone on the list. Other groups are set up so
that Reply goes to everyone on the list. It would be quite unfortunate to reply with a personal
response for one individual (imagine making arrangements for a dinner date) that everyone on
the list saw!
4.1.4. Spam and Scams
Unfortunately, email users need to be wary of the email messages they receive. While
most email messages are useful and appropriate, a certain number of email messages are
unauthentic, malicious or just annoying. These fall into the two categories described below:
spam and scams.
Spam (also called junk email) is the term used to describe email messages that are sent
out in large quantity to email addresses that have been collected through web searches,
accessing address books, and other methods. In most cases, spam is sent through automated
systems that allow the spammers (people sending spam) to send email messages in large
volume and with some customization so that the email looks like it is sent directly and
individually to the recipient. Most spam messages appear to be promotions for specific
businesses or products (such as medications). Some spammers are using this annoying
technique to promote legitimate businesses, but spam can also be used as a part of scams (see
next paragraph) or as a way to deliver malware to a computer. Fortunately, most email
services now have effective spam filtering that directs spam emails to a separate spam folder.
No spam filter is perfect, however, and as a result spam will occasionally end up in an email
user’s inbox and non-spam emails will occasionally end up in the user’s spam folder. An email
user should occasionally open the spam folder in his or her email account to see if emails from
known senders have been sent there accidentally, and then delete the spam messages being
stored there. In addition, if an email user believes that an email in his or her inbox looks like
spam or is otherwise suspicious, he or she should delete it or report it as spam to the email
26
provider. It also is never a good idea to open or download email attachments from unknown
senders.
Scams take advantage of email users in a variety of unfortunate ways. Typically a scam
appears to be a genuine request for information or funds, but is in fact a way to extract
personal information or money from unsuspecting email users. Below are some examples of
common email scams:
 Fake Bank Alerts. Some scams appear to be from banks or other financial institutions.
They ask users to reply and give information from their accounts such as bank account
numbers or ATM (cash machine) pin numbers in order to solve problems or verify
accounts. Typically scammers use this information to gain access to a bank account
illegally. Email users should be wary of such requests and never give out this type of
information over email. If in doubt, the user should call the financial institution or visit
their website.
 Fake Email Account Problems. Some scams appear to be from email hosts such as
Yahoo or Gmail, requesting passwords in order to verify an account or solve a problem.
In reality they are from scammers who want to access and then hijack (by changing the
password) an email account. Then scammers can send email messages that appear to
be from the account owner (such as those in the next scam described). Email users
should never give out their password over email. If they are in doubt about a particular
email, the best action is to contact the customer service department of the email host
through their web page.
 Fake “Friends in Trouble”. In this scam, an email user receives an email that appears to
come from a friend, complete with the correct email address. Typically the email claims
that the friend has had a problem (such as a failed credit card) while traveling and is in
need of immediate cash. Usually these emails are revealed as scams because the
scammer has a different writing style than the actual friend, or the actual friend is
known not to be in the city that they claim to be stranded in.
 Fake “Princes in Exile”. In this classic email scam, the sender is pretending to be royalty
in exile from some troubled country. They appeal to the honor of the recipient to help
them somehow access their fortunes. The method of access varies, but the sender
usually asks for the bank information of the recipient and promises to share the riches
with him or her.
 Fake Job or Immigration Opportunities. These scammers claim to offer easy access to a
desirable job or immigration status (such as a “green card” for the USA) if the reader will
only pay a “service fee” or provide some personal information.
 Prize Scams. Sometimes emails get forwarded that state claims about prizes to be
earned by easy methods such as forwarding emails to friends or replying to enter
contests. Some of these scams are just harmless jokes, but others are used as ways to
obtain email addresses or other personal information. Email users should also be wary
of emails that suggest that they have already won a lottery, prize or scholarship.
Typically these scammers ask for money (for prize shipping costs or to pay for a small
portion of the scholarship) or bank deposit information.
27
In general, if an email describes an opportunity that seems “too good to be true” then it
probably is. If an email asks for personal information or funds it is also probably a scam. If in
doubt, however, it is possible to do a web search on the title of the email and see if it comes up
as a known scam. Email users also should never reply directly to email messages that appear to
be from financial institutions, email hosts or other online companies they have accounts with.
They should instead go to the websites for those companies (using the web addresses they
know are valid) and log in to their accounts. If the email messages were genuine, the same
information will be found on the website.
Email scams such as those described above prey most effectively on people who are
new to the “electronic world” and do not yet understand the importance of self-defense and
skepticism when communicating electronically. Therefore, it is quite important for computer
lab managers to educate new computer users on the risks involved in email communication. In
general, it is also important to make sure computer users understand that not everything that
they see in an email or on the Internet is true. Email and the Internet are wonderful tools for
freely sharing information and ideas, but this freedom is due to the fact that there is very little
supervision or regulation of content.
4.2. Effective Email Communication
As new computer users become more familiar with email, it is important for these users
to learn how to use email effectively and appropriately. There are certain social and business
standards for appropriate email communication, just as there are standards that we use in
letters and face-to-face communication. Listed below are some significant standards and
issues in email communication that it is important for all email users to be aware of. It is also
important, however, for an email user to find out if there are other standards that are
appropriate for the people that they usually correspond with.
4.2.1. Subject Lines
The subject line is an important tool for people who receive many emails a day. It can be
used to help them sort emails or prioritize when they read and respond to emails. An
appropriate subject line also can help people find an email in their inbox to refer back to after
some time. Good subject lines, like good document names, are brief (if possible) and specific.
For example, if an email contained minutes from a recent committee meeting, a good subject
line would indicate that the email contained minutes for a meeting of a specific organization on
a specific date. An example of this would be “Minutes Graduation Planning Comm 10-242009”. In another example, if an email is being used to introduce a new idea to a colleague,
the subject should not be “Greetings” or even “An Idea” but something more specific such as
“Pupil IT Course Improvement Idea”.
4.2.2. Tone, Style, and Other Etiquette Issues
The etiquette for email communications is going to vary depending on the local culture
and the context (such as business or pleasure) of the email messages. Below are some major
factors to keep in mind when communicating via email.
28
Tone. In most cases it is important to keep the tone of email messages positive and
productive. Most recipients will appreciate the effort and be more likely to respond than if an
email message portrays anger or frustration. It is also possible that emails meant for one
recipient will be forwarded to others, so senders should think carefully before including
information that is sensitive or inflammatory.
Style. The style of an email message depends significantly on the context and the
audience for the email. For business situations, it is probably best to err on the side of
formality and include greetings, closings and thanks for assistance/involvement as appropriate.
It is also generally good in business situations to proofread emails and make sure that the
grammar and spelling are correct.
Language. Language use also depends on context, but is worth considering carefully.
Avoid using words that some recipients might find offensive or might not understand.
Replying. What happens when an email is sent and no one replies? If the email was
designed to start a conversation or collect information the sender often ends up feeling quite
frustrated. The sender is usually unclear about why there was no response: Did they use the
wrong email address? Is the recipient not interested in the topic? Or is the recipient too busy to
reply? Therefore it is good etiquette to reply promptly to emails received unless they are
clearly sent to a large group and as information only. These replies can be brief statements,
including “I got your email but am busy and will get back to you soon” or “thanks for including
me but I am not available to help with this project now”.
4.2.3. Cross Cultural Issues
Cross cultural communication can be very challenging. Even amongst English speakers,
there are huge variations in the way the language is used in different countries. There are also
many different cultural norms that are reflected in communication. For example, in some
cultures greeting rituals are very important and should always be carried out before the topic of
a meeting is discussed. Also cultural standards for disagreeing or sharing bad news vary widely.
In some cultures it is disrespectful to disagree with people who are perceived to be superior,
whereas in other cultures it is considered disrespectful to withhold information, even if that
information contradicts what others are saying.
Unfortunately email does not come with body language and facial expressions that help
people manage challenging communication situations. It is therefore helpful if people seek out
face to face opportunities to communicate cross culturally as well. When email is the best or
most efficient way to communicate, the tip box here gives some general advice for being
culturally sensitive.
29
Tips for Cross Cultural Email Communication
1. Include formal greetings (such as “Dear Mr. Tembo”) and closings (such as “Sincerely,
Grace Banda”) in all emails until it is clear that a higher level of familiarity has been
reached.
2. Err on the side of respect. This includes showing gratitude for the time your
correspondent is giving to work with you. Assume that all correspondents are busy
individuals who are valuable members of their communities.
3. Avoid discussing topics that might be culturally sensitive (such as religion or politics)
unless these are specifically a part of the reason you are writing. If these topics are a
part of your email subject, do not assume that the reader shares your same religious
or political views.
4. Avoid using slang, abbreviations or acronyms that your readers might be unfamiliar
with. For example, the acronym LOL (meaning “laughing out loud”) is going to be very
familiar amongst young people who often send text (SMS) messages, but may be
baffling to others.
4.3. Web 2.0: Part I – Web 2.0 for Communication
The term Web 2.0 represents the concept of “second generation” uses of the Internet.
The general idea is that in the first generation of the Internet, the information presented on
the Internet changed slowly and was entirely under the control of the individuals or
organizations that hosted web pages, but in Web 2.0 information is produced and shared more
collaboratively. The term Web 2.0 is now used to describe a collection of web applications
that allow users to share information quickly and create collaborative and dynamic web
content. In short, Web 2.0 applications change Internet users from being passive recipients of
information to being actively involved in creating that information. There are different
opinions about which web applications are considered Web 2.0 and whether or not the term
Web 2.0 is necessary. Below is this author’s list of useful applications (for computer lab
managers) that could be considered Web 2.0. In this section the applications described have
to do with using the Internet for communication. In the next section the focus is on using the
Internet for group collaboration, organization and teaching.
Readers who would like more examples of how Web 2.0 can be useful for development
work are encouraged to visit the Web 2.0 for Development Gateway website:
www.web2fordev.net. One good resource there is a video about Web 2.0 use in African
agriculture projects: http://www.web2fordev.net/component/content/article/1-latestnews/65-part-video-translation. For people working on educational projects, a free e-book of
Web 2.0 educational projects is available from www.ictineducation.org/free-stuff/.
4.3.1. Online Chatting
Online chatting allows computer users to have a typed conversation in real time over
the Internet. A user types a short note to a friend who is also online, and clicks Enter to send
30
the chat. The friend immediately sees the chat and can reply similarly. Web email providers
(such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail) offer online chatting, and chatting is also a feature of some
social networking sites (described below). Chatting can be difficult with slow Internet
connections.
4.3.2. VOIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is the term used for Internet phone services. These
services allow users to use a microphone and headphones or speakers to have an audio
conversation over the computer as though it was a telephone. One well known VOIP service is
Skype (www.skype.com). A VOIP service can be used to call cell phones, land line phones or
other computers with the same VOIP service. The costs for these services vary and depend on
the country and type of phone being called. Skype calls between two computers are free. It is
important to note, however, that VOIP services are illegal in some countries. Users should
consult local laws before proceeding.
4.3.3. Blogs
Blog is the shortened term for web log, an online journal kept by an individual, group or
organization. Blogs are used for a variety of purposes. For example, someone might use a blog
to keep distant relatives informed about family news. Someone else might use a blog to
express political opinions or share news that he or she doesn’t feel is represented well in the
formal media. Organizations can use blogs to share news about recent events or developments
at their organization. A blog can include photos and videos as well as text. The blogger (the
author of the blog) can decide whether or not he or she wants the blog listed publicly on the
blog host’s website and/or found using Internet search engines. Bloggers should assume,
however, that their blogs are not entirely private and that information published in a blog can
be found by persistent web users. There are several free blog hosting services available on the
Internet. Two common ones are Blogger (www.blogger.com) and WordPress
(www.wordpress.com). By going to these websites a computer user can also view public blogs
and become familiar with the broad variety of blogs that can be found on the Internet. For
those involved in education projects, the blog service Class Blogmeister
(http://classblogmeister.com/) has been created to host classroom blogs from around the
world. Teachers can create their own class blogs or browse the site to read blogs from other
classes.
4.3.4. Online Forums
An online forum is a website that is set up to allow users (who usually have to sign up
for free memberships with that website) to communicate amongst themselves on a specific
topic. For example, a forum could be set up for African network technicians to share ideas and
post questions for other members of the group to answer. One forum that might be of interest
to readers of this document is the Telecentre.org forum (www.telecentre.org), that hosts
discussions on a variety of issues related to the development and running of telecentres
(community computer centers).
4.3.5. RSS Feeds
31
A computer user who is interested in keeping track of updates on a variety of blogs,
forums or news websites can find it frustrating or time consuming to visit all of these websites
on a regular basis. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a tool that was developed to address this
problem by collecting new information (updates) from websites of interest to a computer user
and putting them all in one location. The collected new information from a web page is called
the “RSS feed” for that webpage and a website where RSS feeds are collected for a particular
user is usually called a reader. There are a variety of free reader services available on the
Internet including the Google reader (www.google.com/reader) and Bloglines
(www.bloglines.com). Once a computer user has set up a reader account, they then need to
subscribe to the websites that they would like to follow on the reader. The reader service
website will provide simple instructions for doing this. For computer users that do not want to
subscribe to a reader service, another option is to download the free RSS Reader program
called RSSOwl (www.rssowl.org).
Some Internet browsers (such as Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer) also allow users
to subscribe to RSS feeds and view the contents of these feeds by clicking on the RSS feeds
listed in their Bookmarks (for Mozilla Firefox) or Favorites (for Internet Explorer) menus. If a
website offers an RSS feed, the RSS feed symbol (circled in red on Figure 4, below) will appear
to the right of the URL in the address box. The computer user then can click on this symbol to
subscribe.
Figure 4 -Subscribing to an RSS Feed, Image from Mozilla Firefox Knowledge Database:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Live+Bookmarks?bl=n&s=view%20RSS%20feed&as=q
4.3.6. Social Networking
The term social networking describes a variety of web based services that help
computer users connect with friends and colleagues around the world. Individual users have
different motivations for their social networking that include sharing personal news and
pictures, sharing political information, building business contacts or playing online games.
Many social network sites are free and sustain themselves by providing advertising on their
sites. Some popular social networking sites are described briefly below.
 Facebook. This website allows users to create a profile (containing personal information
of the user’s choice) and share updates (posts) about his or her life and interests with
friends and colleagues that are also Facebook members. There are opportunities on
Facebook to share photos, play games, join interest groups and follow the activities of
various organizations. www.facebook.com.
 My Space. MySpace is similar to Facebook but with a greater emphasis on social
connections and entertainment. www.myspace.com.
32


LinkedIn. This website also involves creating a profile and connecting to friends and
colleagues. LinkedIn has an emphasis on making business connections and can be used
to make new business contacts and share business information. www.linkedin.com.
Twitter. This is the fastest paced of the popular social networking websites. Twitter
allows users to post short messages (known as tweets, with a 140 character maximum)
on any topic of interest. People can then subscribe (known as following) to track the
tweets of as few or as many people as they desire. Some people follow the tweets of
their friends and family members, and other people follow the tweets of businesses,
news reporters and public figures. Relevant tweets often appear on business and
organizational websites, and tweets can also be sent to mobile phones as text (SMS)
messages. www.twitter.com.
One important note of caution: despite the best efforts of social networking websites to
allow users to control who sees their profile, posts and tweets, users cannot assume privacy
when using social networking websites. Users should consider carefully before posting
anything that might affect their jobs or desirability as a future employee. The tip box here
suggests some guidelines. It is particularly important to educate students and other young
adult users of the risks that inappropriate posts can present to them.
Tips for Using Social Networking Privately and Appropriately
1. Don’t assume that any information you put on a social networking website is entirely
private. These websites do have privacy settings that can help you control who sees
which parts of your profile or posts, but these settings don’t always work perfectly and
it is challenging to make sure that you have the settings exactly right.
2. Think carefully when posting or updating your profile. Do you want people to see
pictures of you and your family members? Do you want all of your friends and
colleagues on the social networking site to know who you are dating?
3. Don’t post while angry. Take some time to think first about whether or not your posts
are appropriate or if they will have repercussions for you.
4. Avoid posts that are negative about your current job or employers. It is true that many
of us have times when we are bored or frustrated with our work, but it is important to
be very careful when sharing this information even semi-publicly. Your coworkers or
supervisor might see this information and feel that it reflects badly on the company.
There are many stories in the U.S. of people losing jobs because of Facebook posts that
were critical of their workplace or revealed something negative about themselves as
employees.
5. Avoid posts that could give present or future employers a bad impression of you. For
example, posting about a wild party could seem like harmless fun to you and your
friends, but could give others the impression that you are frivolous or too wild.
Similarly, posting suggestive pictures should always be avoided.
4.4. Web 2.0: Part II – Web 2.0 for Collaborating, Organizing and Teaching
4.4.1. Web 2.0 and E-learning
33
There are a variety of tools that have been developed for use on the Internet that
provide significant assistance to the education process. Some of these are designed for use as a
part of classroom learning and others are designed to facilitate or assist with online (distance)
learning. They are only valuable, however, when the teachers and learners have at least
periodic access to the Internet. What distinguishes these tools from other educational
resources on the Internet is that their purpose is not to provide educational content but to help
teachers, learners and other users to connect with each other, organize a course or provide
their own educational content. Some common web 2.0 tools for e-learning (electronically
assisted learning) are described in the sections below. Some of these tools were already
introduced in Module 3 but are included here for review.
4.4.2. Learning Management Systems
Learning management software (also known as course management software) is a tool
that instructors can use to manage communication with their learners over the internet. It is
used in both face-to-face courses and as a part of online e-learning courses. Some of the tasks
that instructors can do over the Internet using Learning Management Software are the
following:
 Provide a syllabus and learning materials to students
 Suggest Internet learning materials for students
 Give assignments and collect assignments (as electronic documents)
 Take polls of students, and give online quizzes
 Keep track of the progress and performance of students
 Inform students of their progress and performance
 Send and receive messages with students
If both the instructors and the students are reasonably comfortable using computers
and have frequent access to the internet, learning management software can be a great tool for
improving communication between an instructor and a student. Instructors can have
opportunities to “check in” with learners regularly to assess their knowledge, rather than
waiting to see how they perform on a big exam further on in the course. It also can be very
useful for students who have missed a class to find out what they need to do to catch up with
the group.
While using learning management software is fairly simple, setting up a website and a
server to host the software is a more involved process. A lab manager or technician with
significant server and web experience could perform these steps, but many small institutions
will be better off if they contract with an outside organization to set up and host the website
for their learning management system.
One common learning management software program that is freely available and opensource (meaning that it can be adapted to meet local needs) is called Moodle. It is available for
free download from the internet at www.moodle.org. Their web page includes basic
34
information and tutorials on how to use Moodle, and also includes links to commercial
organizations that can host Moodle websites for a reasonable fee.
4.4.3. Online Survey Generators
For educators, students and people working on a variety of projects there are times
when it is valuable to collect the opinions of others involved in a course or project. Here are
some examples: A teacher might want to collect anonymous information on how well learners
think he or she is doing at delivering a course. Students might be assigned to collect opinions
on certain social issues. Community project organizers might want to survey community
members to find out what services they are most interested in or what they might pay for these
services. There are several online survey generators available that are free and easy to use.
These tools allow computer users to create and store their own surveys. Once the survey has
been created, the survey creator then distributes the web address for the survey to individuals
that he or she thinks would be willing to participate in the survey. Participants then go to that
web address and are lead through the process of answering the survey questions. One example
of a free online survey generator is Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com).
4.4.4. Quiz Generators
Online quiz generators are handy tools for teachers to use to make quizzes for their
students to complete online. The websites lead the teachers through the process of creating
customized quizzes, and then the students log in to take the quizzes. The quizzes are then
automatically marked by the website for the teacher to review. Two examples of online quiz
generators are Quiz Center (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/quizcenter/quizcenter.html)
and Classmarker (www.classmarker.com).
4.4.5. Online Document Sharing
An online document storage and sharing system is a convenient way to share and
collaborate on documents. Using Google Docs (available at http://docs.google.com), for
example, anyone with a Gmail account can upload documents (word processing documents,
presentations or spreadsheets) for others to view or (if the person uploading chooses) edit.
This is a very easy way for students engaged in group projects to share information and
collaborate in the writing of reports.
4.4.6. Social Bookmarking
Using an online service to store and organize websites of interest is called social
bookmarking. The Delicious website (http://delicious.com) allows a user to save and organize
bookmarks (including web addresses and key words) for websites of interest on any topic. The
user then can access these bookmarks from any computer connected to the Internet. A teacher
or instructor can also use Delicious to share bookmarks on a specific topic with students.
4.4.7. Wikis
A wiki is a website that is collaboratively created and edited by users. Wikis allow for
the flexible addition of text as users have the time and expertise available to make the
additions. This allows for significantly greater content than if the website was left in the hands
35
of a few designated experts. It also results in a more dynamic experience, with content that
can be changed as the knowledge base changes (for example – as a software application
changes, a wiki user’s guide could also change). One drawback is that if a wiki is available for
the general public to edit, there is a chance that the content will not be entirely correct or
reliable. As a result, some wikis require users to obtain special permission (from the website
owners or assigned experts) before edits can be made. Other wikis have experts that oversee
changes that have been made. Four wikis that are particularly valuable in education are listed
here:
 Qedoc. This wiki is a collection of e-learning resources for learners of all ages. Over
1200 e-learning modules have now been submitted by educators from around the world
(in 11 different languages). Most of these modules are in the form of interactive
quizzes. The web address is www.qedoc.org.
 Wikibooks. This wiki is a large and growing collection of free educational textbooks that
have been created by volunteers and can be edited by users. The topics include a
variety of academic subjects and the texts are written for a variety of age levels. There
is a special Wikijunior section for nonfiction books written for children age 12 and
under. The web address is www.wikibooks.org.
 Wikieducator. This wiki was designed to help educators develop and share educational
content. It houses educational content in a variety of topics that has been developed by
users and can be browsed and edited by registered users. It also hosts educational
projects that are underway and that users can contribute to. These projects are in a
variety of academic subjects but also include projects to improve education and
education access overall. The web address is www.wikieducator.org.
 Wikipedia. This web encyclopedia has a large and ever-growing collection of articles in
over 260 languages. There are over 3 million articles in the English language. It is
particularly valuable for its content related to developing countries, which are
underrepresented in most encyclopedias. The web address is www.wikipedia.org.
4.5. Building a Simple Web Page
Why might a computer lab manager want to build a web page? One possibility is that
he or she might want to advertise a computer project to the wider public. This would be
particularly useful if the computer project was an internet café or any other organization
offering some fee based services to the public. Another possibility is that a computer lab
manager or an instructor might want to use a web page to share learning resources with
students. Or a computer lab manager may be asked by the steering committee or board to
produce a web page for the organization that describes their overall work.
Although producing intricate and highly professional websites requires significant
training in web programming, there are many online services available now to allow users to
create simple and functional websites without any prior training and then host (store on their
servers) these websites for free or a minimal cost. These online services typically allow the
user to start with standard templates (designs) and then add in the text and links they desire.
Two examples of online services that offer easy website creation and free hosting are Google
Sites (www.google.com/sites) and Weebly (www.weebly.com).
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Users of the free services mentioned above need to consider whether or not they would
like to register a customized domain name (URL or website address) for their website. This can
be handled through the two websites mentioned above, but for a small annual registration fee.
For example, if someone named Simon Zulu owned an internet café he might like to have the
domain name www.zuluicafe.com. This would be easy for people to remember and therefore
find his website on the Internet. However, Simon Zulu would need to register this domain
name and pay a fee to maintain the address. If instead Simon Zulu wanted to have a free
domain name through Google Sites he could have http://sites.google.com/site/zuluicafe or
through Weebly his address could be http://zuluicafe.weebly.com.
For the more adventurous computer lab manager who would like to build websites that
are more customized or complicated than can be done with the above services, the next step is
to learn how to use a web content management system. Like the services mentioned in the
above paragraphs, the user of a web content management system is still not building a website
“from scratch” in the way a web programmer would, but he or she is able to have significant
control over the content of the website in a way that does not require programming
knowledge. Some popular free web content management systems are Drupal (drupal.org),
ImpressCMS (www.impresscms.org), Joomla! (www.joomla.org), WordPress (wordpress.org),
and eXeLearning (www.exelearning.org, for academic use). These web content management
systems do not offer hosting of websites, so the computer lab manager would need to
separately arrange for website hosting (usually requiring an annual fee).
4.6. Assignments/Activities
4.6.1. Send your instructor (or a coworker) an email on any subject you choose. Make sure
that you have an appropriate and informative subject line and have used a spell-checker
on the message itself.
4.6.2. Send your instructor an email with an attachment. As always, make sure the email has
an appropriate subject line. Ask your instructor to reply stating whether or not the
attachment was received.
4.6.3. Learn about the features available with your email service for organizing email
messages. These features could include sorting, tagging or labeling emails, or making
folders to store email messages in. Summarize the tools you found that seem most useful
for you.
4.6.4. Learn more about email scams by asking friends and coworkers to tell you about their
experiences with email scams. What scams have they heard about or experienced
personally? You can also do an Internet search on email hoaxes, scams and/or fraud.
4.6.5. Join an email discussion group (as described in section 4.1.3) and participate in the
discussion
4.6.6. Subscribe to (or download) an RSS reader and set up an RSS feed for a website of
interest to you.
4.6.7. Participate in one of the wiki projects described in section 4.4.7 by adding text to an
existing page or creating a new page. Then check back one week later to see if your
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contribution is still available on the website and whether or not anyone else has modified
your contribution.
4.6.8. Start a blog (as described in section 4.3.3) or build a free website as described in section
4.5. Report your URL to your instructor.
4.6.9. Investigate some of the free and fee-based web hosting services available. What are the
restrictions on the free sites? How much does fee-based web hosting typically cost?
What benefits are gained by using a fee-based service?
4.6.10. Workshop Activity: Participate in a discussion about email ethics and cross-cultural
issues with email.
4.6.11. Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play about an email scam. A new user has
received an email stating that he or she has won a lottery and the user wants to reply to
claim the prize.
4.6.12. Workshop Activity: As a team, start an email discussion group and practice discussing
topics relevant to the workshop. Also experiment with sharing documents online through
the discussion group (or Google Docs).
4.6.13. Workshop Activity: Share your personal website or blog with a small group. Request
their feedback on your work.
4.6.14. Workshop Activity: Participate in building a class website using a web content
management system.
Table of Contents
5. Overall Assignments/Activities
5.1. Evaluate your own knowledge and skill. What do you need to learn to improve your abilities in
either networking or use of web 2.0 for your organization? Develop a plan to gain these skills.
5.2. Have a discussion with your steering committee or supervisor about your organization’s
network or use of the Internet.
5.2.1. Option 1 – Help them gain an understanding of the importance of web 2.0 as a learning
tool (as opposed to just learning IT skills). Use relevant examples and demonstrations
where possible.
5.2.2. Option 2 – Review your current network infrastructure and ISP contract with the
steering committee or your supervisor. Lead a discussion about what changes (if any)
should be made.
5.2.3. Option 3 – If your project does not currently have an Internet connection, discuss the
costs and benefits of obtaining an Internet connection. If the committee decides to
pursue getting an Internet connection, make sure there is also a plan in place for paying
for the ongoing connectivity costs.
5.3. Workshop Activity: Obtain a copy of the UNESCO Bangkok ICT in Education Teacher Training
Series disk titled “Web Tools for Educators” from your instructor. Browse through the disk and
then participate in a follow up group discussion about what useful resources were found.
5.4. Workshop Activity: Participate in a workshop evaluation process.
Table of Contents
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6. List of Internet Resources
The table below provides a list of the Internet resources previously mentioned in this
document. The resources are listed in the order they appeared in this module.
Title
Web Monkey
Windows Reference
Firestarter
Untangle
Google Mail
Yahoo
Hot Mail
Google Groups
Yahoo Groups
Web 2.0 for Development Gateway
ICT in Education
Skype
Blogger
WordPress (for blogging)
Class Blogmeister
Telecentre.org
Google Reader
Bloglines
RSSOwl
Facebook
My Space
LinkedIn
Twitter
Moodle
Survey Monkey
Quiz Center
Classmarker
Google Docs
Delicious
Qedoc
Wikibooks
Wikieducator
Wikipedia
Google Sites
Weebly
Web Address (URL)
www.webmonkey.com
www.windowsreference.com
www.fs-security.com
www.untangle.com
www.gmail.com
www.yahoo.com
www.hotmail.com
http://groups.google.com
http://groups.yahoo.com
www.web2fordev.net
www.ictineducation.org
www.skype.com
www.blogger.com
www.wordpress.com
http://classblogmeister.com/
www.telecentre.org
www.google.com/reader
www.bloglines.com
www.rssowl.org
www.facebook.com
www.myspace.com
www.linkedin.com
www.twitter.com
www.moodle.org
www.surveymonkey.com
school.discoveryeducation.com/quizcenter/quizcenter.html
www.classmarker.com
http://docs.google.com
http://delicious.com
www.qedoc.org
www.wikibooks.org
www.wikieducator.org
www.wikipedia.org
www.google.com/sites
www.weebly.com
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Drupal
ImpressCMS
Joomla!
WordPress (web content mgmt.)
eXeLearning
http://drupal.org
www.impresscms.org
www.joomla.org
http://wordpress.org
www.exelearning.org
Table of Contents
7. Bibliography
2G. (2010). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2G&oldid=351283538
Bradley, T. (2010). Introduction to Firewalls. (2010) In About.com: Internet/Network Security .
Retrieved February 17, 2010. http://netsecurity.about.com/od/hackertools/a/aa072004.htm
Brewer, D. (2009). Picture Yourself Networking Your Home or Small Office. Boston: Course Technology.
Camara (2009). Networking Course. Unpublished. For more information contact info@camara.ie
Computer Network. (2010, February 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 3,
2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Computer_network&oldid=341486930
Dionys, D. (2008). How to Make a Network Cable. Unpublished. Produced for the VVOB Program in
Zambia 2008-2013. For more information about VVOB see www.vvob.be.
General Packet Radio Service. (2010, February 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved
February 10, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Packet_Radio_Service&oldid=341574212
High-Speed Downlink Packet Access. (2010). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 23,
2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HighSpeed_Downlink_Packet_Access&oldid=350191690
Live Bookmarks. (2009). In Mozilla Firefox Support, Knowledge Database. Retrieved March 24, 2010,
from http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Live+Bookmarks?bl=n&s=view%20RSS%20feed&as=q
Mitchell, B. (2010). Computer and Wireless Networking Basics. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from
About.com:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicneworkingconcepts/u/computer_networking_basics.htm
Mitchell, B. (2010). Introduction to Client Server Networks. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from About.com:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicnetworkingfaqs/a/client-server.htm
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Mitchell, B. (2010). Wireless Standards. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from About.com:
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireless80211/a/aa80211standard.htm
Network. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 02, 2010, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/network
Network topology. (2010, February 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 9,
2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Network_topology&oldid=342762416
Proxy server. (2010, February 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 16, 2010,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proxy_server&oldid=344406104
Router. (2010, February 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Router&oldid=342691135
RSS in Plain English. (2007). CommonCraft. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
Web 2.0. (2010, February 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Web_2.0&oldid=341572338
WifiDocs: Wireless Trouble Shooting Guide. (2009, November 25). In Ubuntu Documentation. Retrieved
February 16, 2010 from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/WirelessTroubleShootingGuide
About Zambia Pacific Trust
There are many challenges for schools and community organizations in Zambia to consider when
starting or maintaining computer projects. Sourcing good quality computers is just the beginning. The
organizations also need to consider infrastructure issues, staff training, computer education curricula,
and internet connectivity. Zambia Pacific Trust (ZPT) helps institutions address these challenges
through advice, training, and a cost-sharing grant process. ZPT currently works with five schools in the
Lusaka area, but has plans to add other organizations in the future. For more information please
contact info@zptrust.org.
About Heidi Neff
Heidi Neff is a former high school science teacher with 15 years of experience in the classroom. While
teaching in Seattle, Washington, she used computers extensively as a part of her curriculum. She also
assisted with computer training in Zambian schools as a part of the Seattle Academy Zambia Program.
Ms. Neff starting working with ZPT in 2006, assisting their efforts to support school computer projects
in Zambia. She is currently a consultant specializing in IT in Education. For more information please
contact her at heidi.h.heff@gmail.com.
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