OSX Beginners Workshop

7/29/2019 OSX Beginners Workshop

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Adam Mann

Mac OSX Workshop lesson plan

8/0212

Topic:

This is a lesson plan for a one hour Mac OSX workshop for GSLIS students wanting to learn how to

better use the Mac operating system. After attending the workshop, students should be able to navigate

Mac OSX in order to do simple tasks like place programs on the dock and change the name of a folder,

and will also be expected to do more complicated tasks, such as connect to their I: Drives in the GSLIS

building by using the Finder.

Audience and Setting:

This workshop will be held in the GSLIS building, which is an academic setting. Sessions will be heldin the computer lab (known as the LRL) in the basement of the GSLIS building where workshops of

this nature are often held: the space has twenty-one Mac mini computers and two wall-mounted LCD

monitors that can be used for desktop sharing. The audience is a group of on-campus GSLIS studentswho are primarily Windows users (or possibly even Linux users) but who wish to learn how to use Mac

OSX; I therefore expect them to have some sort of proficiency with Windows, but few skills with Mac

OSX. Judging from the attendance of similar sessions that have been held in the past, I expect 6-8

students to attend each workshop.

Learning Outcomes:

1) Students will recognize the differences in functionality between Mac and Windows in order to

determine the advantages of using one operating system over another.

2) Students will be able to use Finder, in conjunction with Spotlight, in order to select applications and

navigate to storage spaces, and to locate files stored in unknown locations.

3) Students will be able to use the Mac OSX menu bar in order to access program options, access

system settings, and customize system options.

4) Students will be able to use and customize the desktop environment in order to access programs,modify the dock, and view/change file and folder information.

Assessment:

To assess the second learning outcome, students will be asked to upload a plain text document

to their I:Drives using Finder. The document will be saved under their name, and I will ask them to typein some kind of simple text. This will require several levels of proficiency in using Finder: students will

be asked to use Finder to access the applications folder and open a plain text editor, they will use the



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spotlight feature in Finder to locate the text file once it is saved to their documents folder, and they will

use Finder to navigate to their I: Drive folder and upload the file. This assessment will allow me to test

all parts of the second learning outcome. To assess this outcome, I will check the students' I: Drives

after class to see which students were able to successfully upload the plain text document.

Before the assessment, I will demonstrate a similar search in Finder by having students go to a

file I have set up in my I: Drive. They will navigate to the I: Drive folder using Finder, and in this folder

will be a Word document titled "MaxOSX_Workshop." Since the LRL computers are numberedaccording to which machine a user is on, I will have the students open the text document that

corresponds to the number of their machine and type in their NetIDs under the correct date. This serves

two purposes: I actually do want their NetIDs so I can check after class to see whether they were

successful in uploading their plain text documents, but also, I want to demonstrate what they will bedoing in the assessment. If students become stuck in the demonstration, I will come around and assist

them.

If a student is unable to upload the plain text file to the I: Drive, there will be no way for me to

tell which of the steps the student had trouble with without having to ask each student. Because of this

shortcoming, I have developed this brief survey that I will have students fill out before they leave thesession. The last question of the survey encourages critical thinking and gives me an idea of how my

workshop has changed user behavior.

"Were you able to upload the file to your I:Drive?"

a. Yes

b. No

"If not, how far were you able to get in the process?"

a. I was able to open a plain text editor and save the file to the desktop.

b. I was able to access the GSLIS I: Drive space, but wasn't able to upload the file to the correctfolder

c. I wasn't able to do either of these things

"After attending this session, do you think you'll start using Mac more regularly? Why or why not?"

This will be a simple paper slip that I will have them fill out rather than giving them an online quiz. In

doing this, I believe I will get a higher number of responses than if I asked them to complete the quiz

after class. Also, this is quicker than having students go to a website, log in, and take a quiz.



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Handout (see page 10):

This will be a black-and-white handout that I will distribute to students early on in the session. The

handout will include screenshots of Mac and Windows desktops. I will use the handout to compare

Windows with Macintosh to fulfill learning outcome #1. The handout will also include a walkthrough

of how to access the I:Drive with Finder in case students forget after the session.

Session Outline:

Before class preparation (10-15 minutes):-- I will create a folder on my I:Drive that will contain text files numbered after each computer

in the computer lab. I will set the preferences of this folder to “Read and Write” so that students will beable to make changes to the files here. This preparation will facilitate the assessment process as

described above.

-- I will set up the flat screen displays to show my screen. I will be using an ITD laptop while I

run the session so I can face the students while I'm teaching. This will enable me to demonstrate what

I'm talking about and will allow students to emulate what I'm doing, which will make for a more active

learning experience.

I. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION (5 minues)

A. I will introduce myself to the students and let them know that I work for the ITD

(Instructional Technology Design) department. I will explain what the ITD department does and help

anyone who is having trouble logging in on the lab computers.

-- As the students are getting logged in and settled, I will briefly run through the

different types of Mac computers that are sold and the different versions of the Mac OSX

operating system — for example, there are Mac mini computers in the computer lab and they run

OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard). I may use Apple’s website to show examples.

-- Students will be encouraged to experiment on the Macs as we're going through

the first ten minutes or so of class, and to follow along on their own machines as I demonstrate

how to us OSX.

II. INTRODUCE CLASS CONTENT/ TALK ABOUT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WIN AND MAC

(10 minutes)



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A. Distribute handouts. I will run through an outline of what I’ll be covering during the session.

(2 minutes)

B. Question for the class:

-- Ask students what is different about what they see on the Mac desktop they are using

and what they know about Windows.

--Use these responses to launch into talking about the differences between Mac

and Windows (3 minutes)

C. Go over the main differences between Mac and Windows 7

--Note that Mac doesn't have a Windows-style start menu, note that programs in Mac

stay open once you hit the "X" in the corner to close them, explain that expanding and minimizing

windows works differently, point out the differences between the dock on Mac and the WindowsTaskbar, etc.

--I’ll have screenshots of a Windows 7 desktop handy, which I will project onto

the room’s flatscreen TV so that students can see what I’m talking about. Many of these differences will

also be shown as screenshots on the handout. (5 minutes)

III. CUSTOMIZING THE DESKTOP (10 minutes)

A. Explain the dock and customization options

-- Explain that the dock is a place for frequently used programs and folders. Showstudents how to increase and decrease the size of the dock. Show students how to add

programs to and remove them from the dock.

-- Inform students that frequently-used folders can be added to the dock. (2

minutes)

B. Activity:

-- Have students double-click the Finder icon on the dock, then click the "Macintosh

HD" icon. The first folder here is called "Applications." Have students drag this folder to the dock.

-- Now they have access to all the programs on their Mac right from the dock! (2minutes)

C. Go over creating folders on the desktop and moving files

--- This will be a rather brief explanation, since creating folders and moving files around

on the desktop is virtually the same on Mac and Windows. (1 minute)

D. Demonstrate how to rename files and folders. This involves right-clicking an icon, selecting

"Get Info," and modifying the "Name and Extension" field. (2 minutes)



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E. Show students how to customize the background and display options on the desktop. This

will require going to the "Apple" icon in the upper left corner of the screen and modifying the "Desktop

and Screen Saver" option in the system preferences.

-- Encourage students to change their desktop background. Give them around a minute to

browse the options. (3 minutes)

IV. MAC OSX MENU BAR (7 minutes)

A. Reiterate that this menu bar (which is at the top of the screen on a Mac) is analogous to both

the Windwos “Start” toolbar and the "Tools" options in Windows 7.

-- Show students how to access the "System Preferences" menu by clicking on the Apple

icon on the left side of the menu bar. Explain that many system settings can be changed byselecting the options in the System Preferences menu. (2 minutes)

B. Click on the desktop and show that Finder options are what appear in the menu bar bydefault.

-- Open a program (Microsoft Word) and show how the options change: there is now a"file" option, a "format" option, etc.--all of which allow you to manipulate the way a

program functions. (3 minutes)

C. Go over options on the right side of the toolbar, which include systems settings such as

network options and the time, as well as Dropbox (if installed) and Spotlight. Give a brief explanation of these features

-- Use the mention of Spotlight to transition to a discussion about Finder. ( 2 minutes)

V. FINDER AND SPOTLIGHT (10 minutes)

A. Question:

-- Ask for a show of hands whether people have trouble finding files on their computers.

--Explain what Spotlight does: it indexes the files on your computer and allowsyou to search for things very quickly.

-- Tell students that finding files like this used to be a difficult thing to do

before Windows 7. Windows 7 now has a Spotlight-like feature.

--There is also a "Spotlight Preferences" option at the bottom of

the Spotlight window that allows you to customize how and where

Spotlight searches. (2 minutes)

B. Activity:



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-- Have students type the term "Download" into the Spotlight search bar. This should

bring up the "downloads" folder.

-- Explain that when a file is downloaded using a browser, the file often gets putin the "downloads" folder and can be difficult to find. You can use Spotlight to access the downloadsfolder and search the folder for the file, which is far more efficient than looking through your folders

for the downloaded file.

-- If you want to know very quickly whether a Mac computer has a certain program, just

search for it in Spotlight. If the program is on the computer, it will show up here. (2 minutes)

C. Have students click the Finder icon on the dock

-- The Finder is a tool that allows you to search through all the files, folders, and

programs on your computer.

-- There are many customization options for Finder: you can, for instance, change

the way items are displayed by clicking the boxes near the top of the Finder window. For now,

however, we're just going to cover the basics of

-- Notice that there is a search bar to the right side of the Finder window:

this concentrates the search to whichever location you've selected on the left side of the window. ( 3

minutes)

D. Clicking on the "Macintosh HD" folder will allow you to view all your system files, though

you won't be able to access all these folders here since this is a computer lab and you have limited

rights.

-- Other useful spaces to look in include "Applications" and "Desktop"

-- The Applications folder holds all the programs on your computer. Look in this folder

when you want to select a program but don't see it on the desktop or in the dock.

--Using Finder to access the desktop space can also be helpful. Sometimes you

overlook files even though they are on your desktop, so looking in the desktop space with Finder can

help you locate things that you're having trouble seeing otherwise. (3 minutes)

VI. DEMONSTRATING I: DRIVE ACCESS (5 minutes)

A. Inform students that there is a simple and quick way to get to their I:Drive folders by using

the Finder. This method only works when using GSLIS machines, but is a handy shortcut if you're in a

class that requires you to upload files to your I:Drive. (1 minute)

B. Instruct students to click on "Finder" icon on the dock. Have students click the "Macintosh

HD" icon to the left side of the Finder menu. From here, have them navigate to the "Users" folder, then

navigate to the folder called "aemann2" (my netid) (2 minutes)



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C. Have students select the text file that corresponds with the machine they're using. Instruct

them to type in their net IDs, along with the date, in the text file. Provide help as necessary. (2 minutes)

VII. ASSESSMENT AND SURVEY (10 minutes)

A. Instruct students to open a program called TextWrangler. This program can be found either

by using the Spotlight or by selecting the program from the Applications folder, which can be located

by using the Finder.

--Make sure all students are able to open TextWrangler (1 minute)

B. Instruct students to save their files in the following format: "lastname_macworkshop". Ask

them to put their year in the program and their area of interest or specialization as the text of the

document. They can choose to save this on their desktop, or they can let Mac save it to the defaultlocation and use Spotlight to locate the file. (1 minute)

C. Instruct students to upload the file to their I:Drive folder, following the same process that

was done to access my I:Drive folder. The only difference is that now they'll select their NetID from the

list of folders instead of mine and add a file that is not there. (2 minutes)

-- The file can be uploaded by dragging it from where it has been saved to the I:Drive

folder. These instructions will be featured on the handout in case students need help.

D. Pass out survey as students are uploading their text file to their I:Drive folder. Instruct them

to get as far as they can in the directions, and if they don't finish in time, not to worry. (6 minutes)

VIII. WRAP UP/ GOODBYE (3 minutes)

A. Reiterate what has been shown to the students. Tell students about upcoming ITD

workshops. (2 minutes)

B. Ask students to return paper surveys as they're leaving. Give students contact information.

Thank everyone and tell them goodbye! (1 minute)

Discussion

INFORMATION LITERACY

In terms of ACRL Information Literacy standards, this session mostly falls under Standard Two.

While the setting for this session is an academic one and has been tailored to an academic audience, this

session also happens to fulfill the portion of the Equipped for the Future Adult/Public standards forinformation literacy that deals with technological skills. I think many of these Equipped for the Future



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Adult/Public standards can be applicable in any situation where adults are learning information literacy

skills, so I have included one set of the Adult Public standards in this review.

2: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

-- A significant amount of time in this session is dedicated to using Finder and Spotlight on

Mac, both of which are helpful in accessing information effectively and efficiently. Without knowing

how to use these tools, users will likely have trouble with information-related tasks when using a Mac,

such as finding files and accessing programs when using a Mac.

Equipped for the Future Adult/Public: Use Information and Communications Technology

-- It’s obvious how this session fits in with this objective, but it’s especially relevant for students

in the GSLIS building. The computer labs in the building have Mac computers in them, and though theywill boot to Mac or Windows, the Mac side functions better on these computers. It’s simply a good skill

to have now, with Mac computers becoming much more popular and widely used.

CRITICAL THINKING

As my learning outcomes indicate, the critical thinking in this session involves comparing Mac

OSX and Windows operating systems: I want users to see how the operating systems differ so they candecide which OS suits them best. For this reason, I do things like include screenshots in my discussion

of the differences between Windows and Mac, as well as in the handout I give students. Early on in thesession, I ask students questions about the aspects of Windows they are familiar with and how theydiffer from what they know about Mac OSX. In doing this, I'm encouraging students to compare and

contrast their options and am fostering a critical attitude that I hope carries through the entire session.

I also added an additional question to my assessment quiz which wasn't in my draft: "After attendingthis session, do you think you'll start using Mac more regularly? Why or why not?" In addition to givingme an idea on what effect my workshop has had on students, this question requires students to consider

which operating system suits them best and why while the information is fresh in their minds.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

A big part of my instructional design method stresses visual learning, which I think is a

necessity with a tech-based workshop such as this. I have noticed not only with myself, but also with

others, that when it comes to technology demonstrations, the best way to teach someone how to dosomething is to show them. This is why screen shots are so popular on websites that offer tech support--

it's very easy to become confused if someone tells you how to do something on a computer but doesn't

actually show you how. Using the flat screens in the room to share my screen is essential. Perhaps thiscan be considered kinesthetic learning, but I think having the students practice the things I show them in

the session is an important part of the learning process. For this reason, I ask students to do objective-

based activities--the assessment being the most demanding of these--so they can see and get the feel of



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what they've been shown. I also try to appeal to auditory learners by giving students a handout with

information on how to access the I:Drive in case they have trouble remembering the demonstration.

I've tried to make the session as active as possible, structuring the class so that I address students

with questions to keep them thinking critically and have them do several activities so that they stayengaged with what I'm showing them. Depending on how much students know about Windows,

scaffolding has the potential to be a big part of the learning experience, as much of what I do on MacOSX is compared to Windows, especially on the handout. The way I teach students how to use the

Finder comes with a purpose, as students seem to be more likely to learn something when they can see

how it will directly benefit them. Since the I:Drive can be difficult to access using SFTP clients (which

is the recommended way to access an I:Drive if students are off campus or are using Windows), I showstudents a shortcut while at the same time teaching them how to navigate Mac OSX with the Finder.



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Presentation: Mac OSX Workshop

Presenter: Adam Mann ([email protected])

GSLIS Instructional Technology Design

8/02/2012

Similarities Between Windows and Mac OSX

Window Resizing Menus

Mac OSX and Windows have very similar window resizing menus.

-- To the left is a window resizing menu for Windows. The leftmost option minimizes the

window, the middle option maximizes the window, and the rightmost option closes the window.

-- To the right is a window resizing menu for Mac OSX. The leftmost option closes the window,the middle option minimizes the window, and the rightmost option is similar to the maximize button on

Windows, expanding the window to the amount of space needed to display all the content in the

window.

Start Menu and Apple Menu

The Windows Start menu and the Mac Apple menu are similar, but have some key differences which

make for a very different user experience.

-- To the left is the Windows Start menu. As you can see, this menu allows you to navigate to

different spaces on your computer and also allows quick access to different programs. This menu alsoprovides shut down and search options.

-- To the right is the Apple menu. To modify your system settings, select "System Preferences"

from the menu. "About This Mac" give hardware information and tells you what operating system

version you're using. Like the Windows Start menu, the Apple menu gives shut down options.



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Menu Bars

Menu bars appear at the top of the screen on both Windows and Mac. There are few differences

between Windows and Mac menu bars.

--The top menu bar is for Microsoft Word on Windows. This bar appears at the top of the screen

and offers various options for using Word.

--The bottom menu bar is for Firefox on Mac OSX. The key difference offered by the Mac

menu bar is the "Preferences" menu. By selecting the program's title from this menu, you have anoption of clicking a "Preferences" menu, which gives customization options depending on the program

you're using.



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Task Manager and Force Quit Menu

The Task Manager and Force Quit menus allow you to see which programs are open and let you

manage open programs quickly and efficiently.

-- To the left is the Windows Task Manager. Selecting a program from the "Applications" tab

and clicking "End Task" will close a program that is being unresponsive. You can also select the"Processes" tab to see which programs are running in the background of windows. To access this

window, press ctrl+alt+delete simultaneously.

-- To the right is the Mac Force Quit menu. Selecting programs from this menu and clicking

"Force Quit" will close unresponsive programs. The Force Quite menu tends to work more reliably than

the Task Manager. The Force Quit menu can be accessed by selecting "Force Quit" from the Apple

menu.

Utility Menus

Windows and Mac have similar utility menus, which allow users to see date and time and modify things

such as network options

-- The top menu is a Windows utility menu. Date and time can be changed by right-clicking on

the time display. Network options, sound volume, and laptop battery options can also be changed from

this menu.

--The bottom menu is a Mac utility menu. It offers virtually the same customization options asthe Windows utility menu, while also containing the Spotlight menu (the magnifying glass to the right

side of the menu).



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Connecting to the I:Drive in Finder1) Log in to the Mac side of a GSLIS computer with your username and password

2) Select “Finder” from the dock

3) To the left side of the Finder menu, there should be an option that says “Macintosh HD”. Select this.

4) Double-click the option in the center of the screen that says “homei”. This is the I:Drive space for

students.

5) Select the folder called “Users”. This should be the last folder on the list.

6) A long list of user names will appear. Select the folder with your NetID from this list.

7) Place your files in one of the folders: courseweb_html, courseweb_htmls, and people_html. The

default folder is courseweb_html, while courseweb_htmls is password protected and can only be seen

by GSLIS students who log in. The people_html folder is often used for resumes and personal

webpages.

8) That’s it! You've just used the Finder to add files to your I:Drive.

Documents

OSX Beginners Workshop