About this course: In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT. This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. You’ll learn about the different facets of Information Technology, like computer hardware, the Internet, computer software, and job-related skills. You’ll also learn about the history of computers, and the pioneers who shaped the world of computing that we know today. This course covers a wide variety of topics in IT that are designed to give you an overview of what’s to come in this IT Support Professional Certificate. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: - understand how the binary system works. - assemble a computer from scratch. - choose and install an operating system on a computer. - understand what the Internet is, how it works, and the impact it has in the modern world. - learn how applications are created and how they work under the hood of our computer. - utilize common problem-solving methodologies and soft skills in an Information Technology setting. Except as otherwise noted, the contents on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Who is this class for: This program is intended for beginners who are interested in developing the skills necessary to perform entry-level IT support. No pre-requisite knowledge is required. However, if you do have some familiarity with IT, you can skip through any content that you might already know and speed ahead to the graded assessments.
Created by: Google
| Basic Info | Course 1 of 5 in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Specialization |
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 8 - 10 hours per week |
| Language | English |
| Hardware Req | You’ll need to complete some of the assessments (e.g., Qwiklabs and plugins) on a desktop or laptop web browser. |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction to IT
Welcome to Technical Support Fundamentals, the first course of the IT Support Professional Certificate! By enrolling in this course, you are taking the first step to kickstarting your career in tech. In the first week of the course, we'll learn about how computers were invented, how they've evolved over time, and how they work today. We will also learn about what an "IT Support Specialist" is and what they do in their job. By the end of this module, you will know how to count like a computer using binary and understand why these calculations are so powerful for society. So let's get started!
14 videos, 7 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: What is IT?
- Video: What does an IT Support Specialist do?
- Video: Course Introduction
- Reading: Navigating Coursera
- Reading: Program Surveys
- Reading: How to Use Discussion Forums
- Reading: Get to Know Your Classmates
- Discussion Prompt: Meet and Greet
- Reading: Copy of Program Surveys
- Video: From Abacus to Analytical Engine
- Video: The Path to Modern Computers
- Discussion Prompt: Your History of Computing
- Video: Kevin Career
- Video: Computer Language
- Video: Character Encoding
- Video: Binary
- Reading: Supplemental Reading on Logic Gates
- Video: How to Count in Binary
- Practice Quiz: Binary
- Video: Abstraction
- Video: Computer Architecture Overview
- Video: Kevin Advice
- Practice Quiz: Computer Architecture
- Reading: Graded Plugin
Graded: How to Count in Binary
WEEK 2
Hardware
In the second week of this course, we'll learn about what's inside a computer. We'll learn all about the hardware components or different pieces inside a computer. We'll discover what each component does and how they work together to make a computer function. By the end of this module, you will also know how to build a computer from scratch!
13 videos, 4 readings, 3 practice quizzes
- Video: Introduction to Computer Hardware
- Video: Programs and Hardware
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for CPUs
- Discussion Prompt: Overclocking
- Video: Joe Diversity
- Practice Quiz: The Modern Computer
- Video: CPU
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for CPU architecture
- Video: RAM
- Video: Motherboards
- Video: Storage
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Data Storage
- Video: Power Supplies
- Video: Peripherals
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for USB Peripherals
- Discussion Prompt: Taking Tech Apart
- Practice Quiz: Components
- Video: BIOS
- Video: Ben's Advice
- Video: Putting it All Together
- Practice Quiz: Starting It Up
Graded: Assembling a Computer
WEEK 3
Operating System
In the third week of this course, we'll learn about operating systems. We'll discuss the common operating systems that are used today and understand how they work with the computer hardware. We'll learn about the "boot process" of an operating system and show you how to install Windows, Linux and Mac OSX operating systems from scratch. By the end of this module, you'll use the Qwiklabs environment to interact directly with the Windows and Linux operating systems.
17 videos, 5 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Components of an Operating System
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Chrome OS
- Video: Files and File Systems
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for ReFS File System
- Video: Process Management
- Video: Memory Management
- Video: I/O Management
- Video: Interacting with the OS: User Space
- Video: Logs
- Video: The Boot Process
- Video: Cindy Drive & Career Path
- Practice Quiz: What is an Operating System?
- Video: Choosing an Operating System
- Discussion Prompt: What's Your Favorite OS?
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Choosing an OS
- Video: Virtual Machines
- Video: Installing Windows
- Video: Installing Linux
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Ubuntu
- Video: Installing Mac OS X
- Video: Tri Ngo Obstacles & How to be successful in IT
- Practice Quiz: Installing an Operating System
- Video: Instructions for Accessing Linux Qwiklabs
- Reading: Instructions for Accessing Windows Qwiklabs
Graded: Accessing Qwiklabs
Graded: Create a Folder with Windows
Graded: Create a Folder with Linux
WEEK 4
Networking
In the fourth week of this course, we'll learn about computer networking. We'll explore the history of the Internet and what "The Web" actually is. We'll also discuss topics like Internet privacy, security, and what the future of the Internet may look like. You'll also understand why the Internet has limitations even today. By the end of this module, you will know how the Internet works and recognize both the positive and negative impacts the Internet has had on the world.
13 videos, 1 reading, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Basics of Networking
- Video: Networking Hardware
- Video: Language of the Internet
- Video: The Web
- Video: Victor First Job
- Video: History of the Internet
- Video: Limitations of the Internet
- Discussion Prompt: Limitations of the Internet
- Practice Quiz: Limitations of the Internet
- Video: Impact
- Discussion Prompt: The Internet and You
- Video: Internet of Things
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Internet of Things
- Video: Gian What he does in Android Security
- Video: Privacy and Security
- Video: Heather Adkins Keeping Hackers Out
Graded: Networking
WEEK 5
Software
In the fifth week of this course, we'll learn about computer software. We'll learn about what software actually is and the different types of software you may encounter as an IT Support Specialist. We'll also explore how to manage software and revisit the concept of "abstraction." By the end of this module, you'll use the Qwiklabs environment to install, update and remove software on both Windows and Linux operating systems.
10 videos, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: What is Software?
- Video: Types of Software
- Reading: Supplemental Reading for Software Versioning
- Video: Revisiting Abstraction
- Video: Recipe for Computing
- Video: Phelan Navy
- Practice Quiz: Introduction to Software
- Video: Managing Software
- Video: Installing, Updating, and Removing Software on Windows
- Video: Installing, Updating, and Removing Software on Linux
- Video: Software Automation
- Discussion Prompt: Your Favorite Software
- Practice Quiz: Interacting with Software
Graded: Install, Update and Remove Software for Windows
Graded: Install, Update and Remove Software for Linux
WEEK 6
Troubleshooting
Congratulations, you've made it to the last week of the course! In the final week, we'll learn about the importance of troubleshooting and customer support. computer software. We'll go through some real-world scenarios that you might encounter at a Help Desk or Desktop Support role. We'll learn why empathizing with a user is super important when working in a tech role. Finally, we'll learn why writing documentation is an important aspect of any IT role. By the end of this module, you will utilize soft skills and write documentation to communicate with others.
17 videos, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Ask Questions!
- Video: Isolating the Problem
- Video: Follow the Cookie Crumbs
- Video: Start with the Quickest Step First
- Video: Troubleshooting Pitfalls to Avoid
- Discussion Prompt: Troubleshooting in Daily Life
- Practice Quiz: Troubleshooting Best Practices
- Video: Amir Attributes
- Video: Intro to Soft Skills
- Video: Anatomy of an Interaction
- Video: How to Deal with Difficult Situations
- Ungraded Plugin: Customer Service
- Practice Quiz: Customer Service
- Video: Ticketing Systems and Documenting Your Work
- Video: Process Documentation
- Video: Documenting in Ticketing Systems
- Video: Module Wrap Up
- Discussion Prompt: Your Learning Journey
- Video: Course Wrap Up
- Video: Sabrina No Degree
- Video: Congratulations!
Graded: Writing Effective Documentation
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
Google
The IT Support Professional Certificate program is part of Grow with Google, an initiative that draws on Google's 20-year history of building products, platforms, and services that help people and businesses grow. Through programs like these, we aim to help everyone– those who make up the workforce of today and the students who will drive the workforce of tomorrow – access the best of Google’s training and tools to grow their skills, careers, and businesses.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Great beginning course to really get my motivation up for continuing on with the courses.
A nice streamlined course with plenty of help and quick references to use. Never felt lost and the courses were easy to follow and understand.
Nice overview.
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Good introductory course