Documentation:Information Technology Literacy Resources
Word Processing Software
Microsoft Word
Overview
- Free download for UBC students as part of Office 365
- Installed on all computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows and macOS operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Word help center: Microsoft’s official Word documentation and training materials
- GCFLearnFree.org Word 2016 tutorial: Word 2016 tutorial (text and video formats)
Google Docs
Overview
- Free, cloud-based word processing software
- No download required; works in browser
- Requires a Google account
- Part of Google Drive
- Good for collaboration
- Compatible with modern web browsers
Documentation & tutorials
OpenOffice Writer
Overview
- Word processing program within the Apache OpenOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Word
- Installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Apache OpenOffice User Guide: Writer (wiki page)
- Documentation - User Guides (PDF format, book for entire OpenOffice Suite; see Chapter 3)
- The Apache OpenOffice Documentation Project (wiki)
- Apache OpenOffice Community Forum
LibreOffice Writer
Overview
- Word processing program within the LibreOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Word
- Based on OpenOffice.org
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Writer Guide: official documentation from LibreOffice (PDF format, entire book)
- The Document Foundation: LibreOffice Writer Guide (ODT and PDF format, can download individual chapters)
Pages
Overview
- Only compatible with macOS operating system; also available for iOS
- Word processing program within the iWork suite
- Free software for Mac users
Documentation & tutorials
- Pages Support: official support page with links to resources
- Pages for Mac user guide
Spreadsheet Software
Microsoft Excel
Overview
- Free download for UBC students as part of Office 365
- Installed on all computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows and macOS operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Excel help center: Microsoft’s official Excel documentation and training materials
- GCFLearnFree.org Excel 2016 tutorial: Excel 2016 tutorial (text and video formats)
Google Sheets
Overview
- Free, cloud-based spreadsheet software
- No download required; works in browser
- Requires a Google account
- Part of Google Drive
- Good for collaboration
- Compatible with modern web browsers
Documentation & tutorials
OpenOffice Calc
Overview
- Spreadsheet program within the Apache OpenOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Excel
- Installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Apache OpenOffice User Guide: Calc (wiki page)
- Documentation - User Guides (PDF format, book for entire OpenOffice Suite; see Chapter 4
- The Apache OpenOffice Documentation Project (wiki)
- Apache OpenOffice Community Forum
LibreOffice Calc
Overview
- Spreadsheet program within the LibreOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Excel
- Based on OpenOffice.org
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Calc Guide: official documentation from LibreOffice (PDF format, entire book)
- The Document Foundation: LibreOffice Calc Guide (ODT and PDF format, can download individual chapters)
Numbers
Overview
- Only compatible with macOS operating system; also available for iOS
- Spreadsheet program within the iWork suite
- Free software for Mac users
Documentation & tutorials
- Numbers Support: official support page with links to resources
- Numbers for Mac user guide
Presentation Software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Overview
- Free download for UBC students as part of Office 365
- Installed on all computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows and macOS operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- PowerPoint help center: Microsoft’s official PowerPoint documentation and training materials
- PowerPoint 2016 Quick Start
- GCFLearnFree.org PowerPoint 2016 tutorial: PowerPoint 2016 tutorial (text and video formats)
Google Slides
Overview
- Free, cloud-based presentation software
- No download required; works in browser
- Requires a Google account
- Part of Google Drive
- Good for collaboration
- Compatible with modern web browsers
Documentation & tutorials
OpenOffice Impress
Overview
- Presentation program within the Apache OpenOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint
- Installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Apache OpenOffice User Guide: Impress (wiki page)
- Documentation - User Guides (PDF format, book for entire OpenOffice Suite; see Chapter 5)
- The Apache OpenOffice Documentation Project (wiki)
- Apache OpenOffice Community Forum
LibreOffice Impress
Overview
- Presentation program within the LibreOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint
- Based on OpenOffice.org
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Impress Guide: official documentation from LibreOffice (PDF format, entire book)
- Document Foundation: LibreOffice Impress Guide (ODT and PDF format, can download individual chapters)
Keynote
Overview
- Only compatible with macOS operating system; also available for iOS
- Presentation program within the iWork suite
- Free software for Mac users
Documentation & tutorials
- Keynote Support: official support page with links to resources
- Keynote for Mac user guide
Prezi
Overview
- Cloud-based presentation software
- Standard version is free with school email address
- Although not “.edu”, UBC email works
- Good for visual, animated presentations
- Compatible with modern web browsers
Documentation & tutorials
Relational Databases
Relational Database Concepts
Overview
These resources provide a conceptual overview of relational databases. Although these tutorials refer to specific relational database management systems (e.g, Access, SQL Server) in their examples, the specific sections linked here apply across multiple relational database management systems.
Books
- Coronel, C., & Morris, S. (2016). Database Systems: Design, Implementation, & Management (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. [ISBN-13: 978-1305627482]
- Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2015). Fundamentals of Database Systems (7th edition). Hoboken: Pearson. [ISBN-13: 978-0133970777]
Documentation & tutorials
- Sections of the Microsoft Access documentation on Tables covering key relational database concepts:
- Sections of the GCFLearnFree.org Access 2016 tutorial covering the concepts of databases and objects:
- QuackIt database tutorial: focuses on concepts, examples use Access and SQL
- Lynda: Learning Relational Databases: video tutorial (free access through VPL for Vancouver residents)
Microsoft Access
Overview
- Popular database management system with a graphical user interface (GUI)
- Only compatible with Windows operating system
- Free download for UBC students as part of Office 365
- Installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
Documentation & tutorials
- Access Help Center: Microsoft’s official Access documentation and training materials
- GCFLearnFree.org Access 2016 tutorial: Access 2016 tutorial (text and video formats)
- QuackIt MS Access 2016 Tutorial
SQL
Overview
- SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used for creating and manipulating relational databases
- Used in several relational database systems, including Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL
- Microsoft SQL Server 2017 is installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Proprietary software
- Developer and Express versions are free to download
- Compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems
- MySQL Workbench 6.3 is installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat lab
- Open-source software
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Tutorials
- Codecademy SQL courses: interactive SQL lessons and coding exercises
- Codecademy: Learn SQL: introduction to SQL
- Codecademy’s glossary of common SQL commands: list of common commands with examples
- Khan Academy SQL course: video-based course
- Udacity – Intro to relational databases: 4-week online course covering SQL and the Python API
- W3Schools – SQL tutorial: text-based tutorial with interactive examples
- SQLZOO – SQL tutorial: text-based tutorial with interactive examples
Documentation & other resources
- MySQL Documentation
- Microsoft SQL Server Documentation
- SQL Fiddle: interactive editor and interpreter for different versions of SQL, including MySQL 5.6 and My SQL Server 2017
OpenOffice Base
Overview
- Database program within the Apache OpenOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Access
- Installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat Lab
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Documentation - User Guides (PDF format, book for entire OpenOffice Suite; see Chapter 7)
- The Apache OpenOffice Documentation Project (wiki)
- Apache OpenOffice Community Forum
LibreOffice Base
Overview
- Database program within the LibreOffice suite
- Open-source software
- Free alternative to Microsoft Access
- Based on OpenOffice.org
- See this overview of differences between OpenOffice and LibreOffice
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
Documentation & tutorials
- Base Handbook: official documentation from LibreOffice (PDF format, entire book)
- Document Foundation: LibreOffice Base Handbook (ODT and PDF format, can download individual chapters)
Web Development
HTML & CSS
Editors
- Brackets: HTML and CSS editor with live preview functionality; installed on the Windows computers in the Kitimat lab
- Atom: popular text editor for web development
- See Atom Flight Manual for help
- Adobe Dreamweaver: web development tool from Adobe; installed on the computers in the Kitimat lab
- Mozilla Thimble: a web-based, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, basic HTML and CSS editor to try out your HTML skills and visualize results in real time
- W3Schools - TryIt Editor: another web-based HTML editor
Books
- Robbins, J. N. (2018). Learning Web Design (5th edition). O’Reilly Media. [ISBN-13: 978-1491960202]
- Meyer, E. & Weyl, E. (2017). CSS: The Definitive Guide (4th edition). O’Reilly Media. [ISBN-13: 978-1449393199]
- Frain, B. (2017). Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS3 (2nd edition). Packt Publishing. [ISBN-13: 978-1784398934]
- Freeman, E., & Robson, E. (2012). Head First HTML and CSS (2nd edition). O’Reilly Media. [ISBN-13: 978-0596159900]
Documentation & tutorials
- Mozilla Developer Network: web standards documentation and learning resources
- HTML: HyperText Markup Language: MDN main page for HTML tutorials and resources
- Learning HTML: Guides and Tutorials: HTML educational resources
- HTML reference: lists of HTML elements and attributes
- CSS: Cascading Style Sheets: MDN main page for CSS tutorials and resources
- Learn to style HTML using CSS: CSS educational resources
- CSS reference: alphabetical list of CSS properties
- HTML: HyperText Markup Language: MDN main page for HTML tutorials and resources
- W3Schools: popular website for learning web development, includes tutorials and examples
- Codecademy: HTML & CSS courses
Social Media
Tumblr
UBC Wiki
- UBC Wiki - LIBR 500: UBC Wikispace for SLAIS information technology literacy test
- UBC Wiki - Main Page
- UBC Wiki - Tutorial