Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, 14th Edition
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Understanding Computers
Chapter Four: Input and Output
A Guide to this Instructor’s Manual:
We have designed this Instructor’s Manual to supplement and enhance your teaching
experience through classroom activities and a cohesive chapter summary.
This document is organized chronologically, using the same heading in brown that you see in
the textbook. Under each heading you will find (in order): Lecture Notes that summarize the
section, all Figures and Boxes found in the section, Teacher Tips, and Classroom Activities. Pay
special attention to teaching tips and activities geared towards quizzing your students,
enhancing their critical thinking skills, and encouraging experimentation within the software.
In addition to this Instructor’s Manual, our Instructor’s Resources CD also contains PowerPoint
Presentations, Test Banks, and other supplements to aid in your teaching experience.
For your students:
Our latest online feature, CourseCasts, is a library of weekly podcasts designed to keep your
students up to date with the latest in technology news. Direct your students to
http://coursecasts.course.com, where they can download the most recent CourseCast onto their
mp3 player. Ken Baldauf, host of CourseCasts, is a faculty member of the Florida State
University Computer Science Department where he is responsible for teaching technology
classes to thousands of FSU students each year. Ken is an expert in the latest technology and
sorts through and aggregates the most pertinent news and information for CourseCasts so your
students can spend their time enjoying technology, rather than trying to figure it out. Open or
close your lecture with a discussion based on the latest CourseCast.
Table of Contents
Chapter Objectives
Keyboards
Pointing and Touch Devices
Scanners, Readers, and Digital Cameras
Audio Input
Display Devices
Printers
Audio Output
Glossary of Key Terms
End of Chapter Material
Chapter Quiz
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Chapter Objectives
Students will have mastered the material in Chapter Four when they can:
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Explain the purpose of a computer keyboard and the types of keyboards widely used today.
List several different pointing devices and describe their functions.
Describe the purposes of scanners and readers and list some types of scanners and readers in
use today.
Explain what digital cameras are and how they are used today.
Understand the devices that can be used for audio input.
Describe the characteristics of a display device and explain some of the technologies used to
display images.
List several types of printers and explain their functions.
Identify the hardware devices typically used for audio output.
KEYBOARDS (pg. 129)
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Many students will be familiar with the typical desktop keyboard as shown in Figure 4-1, but
may not be as familiar with some of the specialized keyboards, such as the keyboards for
mobile devices shown in Figure 4-2.
Discuss the different types of keyboards available today and their pros and cons.
FIGURES
 Figure 4-1, Figure 4-2
TEACHER TIP
Mention that there are also assistive input and output devices and that these devices are covered in
Chapter 16.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Ask the students to share any experiences they have entering text-based
data into a tablet PC, a handheld PC, or a mobile phone. Was it difficult? Take a poll and
determine the different types of keyboards students have used with devices. Is there a
consensus on the favorite type? What about tablet, netbook, and notebook users? Do they
find a difference between keyboarding on a tablet PC, a netbook PC, a notebook PC, and a
desktop PC?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. The key on a conventional keyboard used to end paragraphs and commands typed into
the computer is the ____________. (Answer: c)
a. space bar
b. Escape key
c. Enter key
2. True or False: Keyboards designed for desktop PCs and keyboards built into mobile
phones typically have the same key layout. (Answer: True)
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3. Wireless keyboards connect using a(n) ____________ wireless connection.
(Answer: Bluetooth)
POINTING AND TOUCH DEVICES (pg. 131)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain the various types of mice (optical, mechanical, laser, wireless, and so forth). Mention
that many notebook users choose to use a small travel mouse with their notebooks for
extended computing sessions.
 Review the mouse operations listed in Figure 4-4.
 Mention that electronic pens (often called a stylus) are becoming much more common with
desktop and notebook PCs, in addition to being standard for many handheld PCs. Most
students will likely have signed a credit card receipt electronically at a retail store. Explain
that other types of electronic pens work in a similar fashion—they write on the screen, but
can’t be used to write on paper.
 Explain the concept of handwriting recognition and direct the students’ attention to Figures
4-5 and 4-6.
 Briefly mention the other pointing devices mentioned in the section (touch screens, joysticks,
trackballs, control buttons and wheels, and touch pads)—refer to Figures 4-7, 4-8, and 4-9.
 Stress that pointing devices are usually used to select objects on the screen to provide input
(contrast with a keyboard).
BOXES
 Trend: Gesture Input (pg. 133)
 Ask the Expert: Martin Smekal, President and Founder, TabletKiosk (pg. 135)
 Ask the Expert: Vincent John Vincent, President and Co-Founder, GestureTek, Inc. (pg. 136)
 How It Works: Mobile Augmented Reality (pg. 138)
FIGURES
 Figure 4-3, Figure 4-4, Figure 4-5, Figure 4-6, Figure 4-7, Figure 4-8, Figure 4-9
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Ask students to share any experiences they have with using electronic pens.
Have any students used a stylus to enter alphanumeric data? If so, did they use an onscreen
keyboard or Graffiti or another handwritten input method? How do they rate the experience?
Move on to touch screens. Likely many students have used a touch screen in a retail setting.
Did they find the system easier to use than inputting data on a keyboard? Why or why not?
What do they think will be the most common type of pointing device in three years?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. An optical mouse is ____________. (Answer: b)
a. the same as a wireless mouse
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b. a mouse that tracks movements with light instead of a ball
c. a mouse that contains a scroll wheel on the top
2. True or False: With handwriting recognition, text is input as a graphical image so the text
cannot later be edited as text. (Answer: False)
3. An input device that looks like an upside-down mouse with the ball on top is called a
____________. (Answer: trackball)
TEACHER TIP
Students may occasionally be in the situation where their mouse or keyboard doesn’t work on a home
or campus PC. Be sure to mention that it is fairly common for these devices to become disconnected
from the system unit, so they should check that connection first, before becoming frustrated. With
wireless devices, they should also check the batteries if the device suddenly stops working.
SCANNERS, READERS, AND DIGITAL CAMERAS (pg. 138)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that scanners and readers are used to input data from its original source. For example,
scanners can be used to input printed documents, photographs, and other paper-based
documents into the PC. Explain that most of the time, scanned input is a single graphical
image so any text contained in the scanned document looks like text on the computer screen,
but can’t be edited with a word processor. For that to happen, optical character recognition
(OCR) software must be used.
 Discuss the term resolution and how it applies to scanned images.
 Explain that barcode readers use lasers, which reflect the light parts of a bar code, so the
numbers or letters represented by the bars can be interpreted. Students may not realize that
bar codes can be customized. Explain that businesses can use software to create their own bar
codes that correspond to their products or any other items (such as patient records or rental
DVDs and videos) that they want to uniquely identify. Refer students to Figures 4-13 and 414 to see a few different types of barcodes and barcode readers. Have students noticed bar
codes on their mail in recent years?
 Discuss RFID and its use in the retail industry. Have students seen RFID tags on any
products? Refer students to Figure 4-15. Have any students used RFID payment systems?
Discuss some of the privacy concerns surrounding RFID use on consumer products and their
new use in U. S. Passports and driver licenses.
 Virtually all students will have taken a Scantron test at some point in time. Refer students to
Figure 4-17. Explain that the technology behind such a device is optical mark recognition
(OMR). The pencil marks on an OMR form reflect the light and can be read by an OMR
machine.
 Explain that optical character recognition (OCR) documents can be read by both humans and
computers with appropriate software. Refer students to Figure 4-18 and ask them to match up
the data represented in the OCR characters at the bottom of the sample bill shown with the
information on the bill. Does it match?
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Discuss the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) used on checks. If students have ever
looked at a cashed check, have they noticed the amount is imprinted? If any students have
access to viewing their processed checks online with online banking or if they receive their
processed checks in the mail from their bank, encourage them to look at a check and see what
MICR characters were added during processing.
Explain that biometric devices include fingerprint readers, hand geometry readers, face
readers, and iris scanners. Refer students to Figure 4-20. Explain that these devices are
increasingly being used for facility access purposes, as well as to identify computer users to
grant access to a PC or to authorize a transaction. Mention that biometrics will be explained
in more detail in Chapter 9.
Discuss still and video digital cameras. Ask students to share their experiences with using
digital cameras. Refer students to Figure 4-21 and discuss cameras integrated into their mobile
phone. What type of storage media do they use? How many photos can they take before the
media is full? How easy is it to transfer the photos or video to a PC or printer?
BOXES
 Technology and You: Mobile Phone Check Deposits (pg. 145)
 Ask the Expert: Louis Kaneshiro, Senior Technology Manager, Kingston Digital, Inc. (pg. 147)
FIGURES
 Figure 4-10, Figure 4-11, Figure 4-12, Figure 4-13, Figure 4-14, Figure 4-15, Figure 4-16,
Figure 4-17, Figure 4-18, Figure 4-19, Figure 4-20, Figure 4-21, Figure 4-22
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Group Activity: Have the students take out their mobile phones and discuss the different
types of camera features. How many do not have a camera? Of those that do, what are the
different capabilities like pixel size, storage capacity, ability to take movies, ability to send the
picture to someone else, to post on a Web site, etc.?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following is used in conjunction with Scantron test forms, voting ballots,
and other documents in which the selection is bubbled in with a pencil or special colored
pen? (Answer: c)
a. OCR
b. MICR
c. OMR
2. True or False: Flatbed scanners can be used to scan photographs, as well as documents on
conventional paper. (Answer: True)
3. The most common type of bar code for groceries and other retail products is the
_____________. (Answer: UPC)
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3. Critical Thinking Activity: Does computer innovation happen in a logical order? For instance,
the development of graphics capabilities of PCs led to the popularity of monitors and printers
that could display and print sophisticated graphics images. Another example is the large size
of photos and other types of graphics files leading to the development of larger-capacity
storage media. Can the class think of other examples where advances in one piece of the
technology influence development in other areas?
AUDIO INPUT (pg. 148)
LECTURE NOTES
 Introduce the idea of voice input and review the scenario shown in Figure 4-23. Have any
students used voice input with their PCs? What about with their mobile phones? How about
when they call a business and have to answer questions posed by a computer?
 Direct the students to look at the MIDI keyboard in Figure 4-24 and discuss ways of inputting
music into a computer.
FIGURES
 Figure 4-23, Figure 4-24
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Group Activity: Divide the class into three groups and ask each group to brainstorm and come
up with a list of five different situations an individual might encounter in a day that are
appropriate for voice input. Alternating between the groups, have each group share one
application and contrast the use of voice input with the current input method. Do the other
groups agree that voice input is advantageous in this situation?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following is the term that means the basic elements of speech? (Answer: a)
a. phonemes
b. biometrics
c. MIDI
2. True or False: Music can be input into a PC via an optical drive. (Answer: True)
3. A voice input system requires software and a(n) _______________________ in order to
input voice data or commands into a PC. (Answer: microphone)
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DISPLAY DEVICES (pg. 150)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that display devices display output in soft copy format (just on the screen, not on
paper).
 Discuss the various properties of display devices. Explain that all types of displays divide the
monitor screen into pixels, a grid of small dots that, when turned on or off (and when
assigned specific colors) create the image.
 Define screen resolution and have the students look at Figure 4-27 to see how the screen
resolution being used affects how much fits on the screen. Do they realize that they can
change the resolution of their home PC monitors? Also mention that some programs—
particularly games—are written to particular display specifications and may display a message
when they are run suggesting the user change their screen resolution or number of colors
displayed. If you have a PC with a computer projection device attached in the classroom,
demonstrate how to change the screen resolution (use the Display option in the Control
Panel for Windows PCs).
 Explain that the video adapter being used determines much of the capabilities of your
computer’s display device. Include wired and wireless, 2D and 3D, and wearable displays.
 Discuss the various flat-panel display technologies and direct the students’ attention to the
displays in Figures 4-25, and 4-31 through 4-33.
 Mention data projectors and point out the different types shown in Figure 4-34. You may also
wish to discuss the E-Paper Inside the Industry box at this time.
BOXES
 Inside the Industry: E-Paper (pg. 156)
FIGURES
 Figure 4-25, Figure 4-26, Figure 4-27, Figure 4-28, Figure 4-29, Figure 4-30, Figure 4-31,
Figure 4-32, Figure 4-33, Figure 4-34
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Review the display applications in Figure 4-25 and ask the class to think of
any other locations or applications where a display device is not normally found, but would
be beneficial. What about other e-paper applications? Have them think five years into the
future and predict where we might find built-in displays. In what form would they like to
find displays in the next few years?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following types of display devices should have the largest footprint (the
amount of room taken up on a desk)? (Answer: a)
a. CRT monitor
b. OLED display
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c. LCD display
2. True or False: A monitor using a screen resolution of 1,024 x 768 would display more data
on the screen than a monitor using a screen resolution of 640 x 480, but everything would
be smaller. (Answer: True)
3. A small area on the screen of a display device that is lit up to display the image is called
a(n) _______________________ . (Answer: pixel)
PRINTERS (pg. 159)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that printers are used to produce hard copy output, usually on paper, but many
printers can print on other materials—labels, envelopes, transparencies, decals, etc.—as well.
 Mention that print quality is measured in resolution and most printers today are nonimpact.
Contrast dot-matrix (impact) printers with ink-jet and laser (nonimpact) printers, and
personal vs. network printers.
 Explain that some printers are network printers and some are multifunction devices (MFDs).
 Use Figures 4-38 and 4-39 to explain in more detail how laser printers and ink-jet printers
work.
 Ask students to share what type of printers they have at home. Are they happy with the
speed and quality of their printers? Do any students print photographs on their printers?
Discuss the price of toner cartridges vs. ink cartridges.
 Use Figure 4-40 to explain that other types of printers are available for specific purposes
(photo printers, barcode printers, portable printers, wide-format printers, and 3D printers).
FIGURES
 Figure 4-35, Figure 4-36, Figure 4-37, Figure 4-38, Figure 4-39, Figure 4-40
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Discuss impact vs. nonimpact printers. Are there applications today that
require the use of an impact printer (hint: impact for printing carbon copies, such as invoices
and credit card receipts)? Discuss 3D printers. Have the students brainstorm applications for
the use of a 3D printer and make a list on the board or overhead. What advantages do 3D
printers have for the applications?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Dots per inch (dpi) is a measurement of ______________________. (Answer: a)
a. printer quality
b. printer speed
c. printer expense
2. True or False: Laser printers can only print in black and white. (Answer: False)
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3. ______________________ printers form images with drops of liquid ink. (Answer: Ink-jet
printers)
AUDIO OUTPUT (pg. 165)
LECTURE NOTES
 Mention that the most common audio output devices are speakers, headphones, and voiceoutput systems.
 Explain that voice output systems can be used by Web sites, computer systems, and
telephones.
 Discuss the various types of speakers available today (regular computer speakers, surround
sound, iPod speakers, etc.) How often do students use their computer speakers?
FIGURES
 Figure 4-41
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Brainstorm with the class about situations where voice output is
appropriate. Make a list on the board or overhead. Have the students think about situations
that already use voice output and other situations that currently don’t but the students think
it would be beneficial. Take a vote on these latter situations—do students expect those
situations to use voice output in the next five years?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following is not an output device? (Answer: b)
a. speaker
b. microphone
c. headset
2. True or False: A digital answering machine is one example of a voice-output system.
(Answer: True)
3. In order to use headphones with a PC, the speakers, sound card, or CD/DVD player must
contain a(n) _______________________ . (Answer: headphone jack)
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, 14th Edition
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
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3D printer (164)
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RFID (142)
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Barcode (140)
Barcode printer (164)
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RFID reader (142)
RFID tag (142)
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Barcode reader (141)
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Scanner (139)
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Biometric reader (146)
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Speech recognition system (149)
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Computer speakers (165)
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Stylus (132)
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CRT monitor (151)
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Touch pad (137)
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Data projector (158)
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Touch screen (135)
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Digital camera (146)
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Display device (150)
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Display screen (150)
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Flatbed scanner (139)
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Flat-panel display (152)
Graphics tablet (135)
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Handwriting recognition (133)
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Headphones (165)
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Ink-jet printer (162)
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Keyboard (129)
Laser printer (161)
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LCD (155)
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Liquid crystal display (155)
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MFD (161)
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Monitor (150)
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Mouse (131)
Multifunction device (161)
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OCR (144)
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OLED (155)
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Optical character recognition (144)
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Organic light emitting diode display (155)
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Photo printer (163)
Pixel (151)
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Plasma display (158)
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Pointing device (131)
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Portable printer (164)
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Portable scanner (140)
Printer (159)
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Radio frequency identification (142)
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END OF CHAPTER MATERIAL (solutions for the Review Activities and Projects are located
in the Chapter 4 Solutions file)
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Summary: Summarizes the main concepts of the chapter-by-chapter objective. Includes all bolded
key terms in the chapter.

Review Activities: Helps students test their knowledge of the chapter concepts. Includes the
following:
 Key Term Matching. Includes 10 key terms from the chapter to match up with their
corresponding definitions.
 Self-Quiz. Includes five True/False and five Completion and/or Matching objective
questions. The answers to the Self-Quiz are included in the References and Resources
Guide at the end of the textbook.
 Exercises. Includes five Matching, Completion, and/or Short Answer questions.
 Discussion Question. Introduces a topic and some questions to start a class discussion
on that topic.
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Projects: A total of six projects are included in the following seven categories. Projects that
require Internet access are marked with an Internet icon.
 Hot Topics. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are asked to
submit a short summary of their findings.
 Short Answer/Research. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are
asked to write a short summary of their findings.
 Hands On. Includes directions for a hands on activity that students need to perform.
Typically, they are asked to write a short summary of their experience.
 Ethics in Action. Includes a topic for students to research and form an opinion about.
Typically, they are asked to discuss their position in class, via an online class
discussion group, in a class chat room, or via a class blog, depending on the
instructor’s direction. They may also be asked to write a short paper expressing their
opinion.
 Presentation/Demonstration. Provides students with a topic to research or an activity
to perform. They are asked to present their findings to the class in the form of a
presentation, as well as to submit a written summary, if instructed.
 Web Activities. Directs students to go to the Web site that accompanies this text and
work the Student Edition Labs and Crossword Puzzle; watch the Video Podcasts and
Online Videos associated with the chapter; and explore the Further Exploration links
and the Flashcards. They are also instructed to review the Online Study Guide, and
then test themselves with the Key Term Matching and Beat the Clock games, and
then taking the Interactive Quiz.
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Expert Insight On … Hardware: Review this special feature beginning on page 172 to get the
perspective of Sumit Agnihotry, Vice President, Product Marketing, Acer Pan America, on hardware
and computers now and in the future.
Reproducible Chapter Quiz
The Chapter Quiz on the following page may be reproduced to distribute to your students for
additional homework or an in-class quiz.
Top of Document
Page 12
Name:
______________
Course:
______________
Instructor: ______________
Chapter Quiz
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow 14/e, Chapter 4
True/False
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
T F 1.
A mouse is an example of an output device.
T F 2.
Mobile devices often use touch and electronic pens for input.
T F 3.
The ISBN barcode is most commonly found on retail products, such as groceries.
T F 4.
A flat-panel display takes up more room on a desktop than a CRT monitor.
T F 5.
Laser printers typically have higher-quality output than ink-jet printers.
Multiple Choice
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question and write the corresponding letter in the blank at
the left of each question.
______ 6.
The speed of a printer is typically measured in _________.
a. DPI
c. pixels
e. resolution
b. PPM
d. MIDI
______ 7.
Which type of scanner would be most appropriate for scanning a photo located in a bound
book?
a. sheetfed
c. flatbed
e. barcode
b. drum
d. 3D
Matching
Instructions: Select the term that best matches each of the following statements and write the
corresponding letter in the blank at the left of each statement (all terms will not be used).
a. barcode reader
b. OMR
c. OCR
d. OLED
e. digital camera
______ 8.
A device that can be used to capture electronic images of people, objects, and locations.
______ 9.
A device used to read data encoded into codes such as UPC or CODE 39.
______ 10. A type of flat-panel display.
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