What is your IT IQ?

A WCC student works on her laptop in the Student Center, December 13, 2021. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice

A glimpse at basic professional technologies

by ETHAN BERMAN
Staff Writer

What is IT IQ?

Students are on phones and laptops all the time, but many say they’re not actually tech-savvy. So, what does it mean to be tech literate?

David Rodgers, a computer science teacher at WCC, wanted to elaborate on what it means to understand technology (have a high IT IQ).

Rodgers explained that being tech-literate is having a basic understanding of the tools you use to accomplish your daily tasks. “A non-tech literate person spends a lot of time either frustrated or unaware that there are simple solutions to their needs,” he said.

Students must know the required basic programs to succeed in school: Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In addition, students are highly encouraged to reach out for help whenever they have technology issues—one of many uses of the internet.

The internet is the largest resource for students to utilize. With billions of web pages available to students at the press of a button, Rodgers recommends students to seek help through a quick Google (or Bing, if you’re into that sort of thing) search. “Ask somebody for help or web-search when something seems frustrating to you,” he said.

With most classes still being online, students spend many hours per week on their personal computers. So, it’s essential to understand technology, especially when someone is new to the technological world.

“When you obtain a new device or application, spend time learning its ins and outs. You do not have to become an expert but don’t be in the dark about the features that can help you. Tech is designed to save time and make you more productive,” said Rodgers. “If you have a gripe, know that thousands of people have that same issue and, often, have figured out the solution.”

Regardless of whether students attend in person, there is innate importance to knowing the particulars of technology. One of the essential topics for beginners is security, according to Rodgers. If PC users have ever had a parent or grandparent fall victim to an online ad-placement scam, then they already know this.

Rodgers encourages students to learn how to frustrate people who want to misuse their information. “After that, it is up to the user how far they go in learning a particular technology or application.”

He explained that most folks use Word processors and spreadsheets on an elementary level and that taking a few minutes to learn valuable tricks may save students time and make them more productive.

What’s my IT IQ?

IT IQ is not measurable; however, grasping the fundamentals can help establish a baseline. The editorial team at Indeed.com, an online catalog of jobs and careers, made a list of computer skills that will aid students in their career endeavors.

Operating Systems. It is important to know the basics of the most commonly used operating systems, such as macOS and Windows. They suggest a visit to your local library, as most of their computers will be fitted with one or the other.

Office Suites. Indeed suggests that a basic knowledge of productivity software suites can add value to a resume, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Google Docs.

Presentation Software. During one’s career in college, a student may need to understand how to use Microsoft PowerPoint (Windows) or Keynote (macOS). In the professional world, knowing presentation software is essential for organizing and presenting ideas in a company. How do you think the president started?

Spreadsheets. Organizational software such as Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheets is invaluable to a company that requires data sorting or calculations. Having a basic grasp of this software is often a necessity for employers.

Communication Tools. Common examples of 21st-century tools for communication include Zoom, Skype, and Slack. Knowing these programs would be helpful for students seeking work in telecommunications or related fields.

Accounting Software. Suppose students are interested in finance or business careers, or even simple jobs behind a counter working as a receptionist or secretary. In that case, employees need to have experience with accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Xero, or FreshBooks.

Social Media. As we approach 2022, it is clear that social media will be relevant for a long time. It has become a tool for recruiting, business expansion, online presence, and marketing. The most popular sites are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Data Visualization. This skill is needed for advanced visualization methods and analysis. Data visualization has become more popular over the years; thus, this has become a practical computer skill.

Nik Hunt, the user services manager at the WCC helpdesk, says that technological literacy is the ability to use, manage, understand, and assess technology.

“Technological literacy is related to digital literacy in that, when an individual is proficient in using computers and other digital devices to access the Internet,” Hunt said. “it gives them the ability to use the Internet to discover, review, evaluate, create, and use information via various digital platforms.”

Web browsers, databases, online journals, magazines, newspapers, blogs, and social media sites are the most common digital platforms.

The following is Hunt’s list of need-to-knows about basic technology:

Regularly updating antivirus software can help improve security.
Set your operating system to install updates automatically.
How to keep applications (Adobe Acrobat, Google Chrome, etc.) up to date with security patches.
The internet can be unsafe at times, hosting some bad actors conducting malicious activities. It’s important to understand what phishing emails are in addition to many other risks.
How to search the web.
How to use email.
How to cut, copy, paste, and print.
And today, how to Zoom!

Hunt also had some suggestions for specs when students are trying to buy a PC for themselves. He recommends a quad-core processor, a minimum of 8GB of RAM (preferably 16GB), and an SSD (Solid State Drive) with 256GB or more storage space.

Additionally, Hunt says to avoid using cloud storage when possible, suggesting that everybody should increase internal storage in their PC instead. SSDs are valuable because they are much faster than HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and make the computing experience “a bit more fluid,” he said.

Javen O’Connor, a computer science student at WCC, uses technology every day of his life, so he finds it essential to stay up-to-date with the latest technological trends.

O’Connor considers himself a technologically literate person because he uses technology every day of his life. “It’s also what I am going to school for,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor uses technology primarily on his phone and PC for school and play. His future plans involve computer science or computer programming, so he must stay connected and aware of changes in technology as they come.

Students proficient in basic technical skills are on track to becoming professionals. However, these skills are only a starting point— it’s up to individuals to figure out the knowledge they need to succeed later in life in their career fields.