One of the key skills needed for operating a computer is effective mouse control combined with a knowledge of the various conventions and jargon involved. It’s a bit like learning to drive a car! The mouse controls the pointer that you see displayed on the screen, usually as a little arrow. Moving the mouse causes the arrow to move, at least until it reaches the edge of the screen. A mouse also has two or three clickable buttons – one on the left, one on the right and sometimes one in the middle that looks like a wheel. The wheel is used less for clicking and more for scrolling up and down, by rolling it forward or backward, for example when browsing through a long document which doesn’t fit on the screen. The left mouse button is used more frequently than the right one. It has two distinct functions – a single-click and a double-click.
People that are learning to use the mouse for the first time have to get used to the double-click operation – two clicks of the left button in quick succession. If the second click comes too slowly after the first, the double-click operation will fail. For example, when trying to “open a program” by double-clicking on the program icon, a slow second click will fail to launch the application. In terms of jargon, people often simply say “click the mouse button”, meaning click the left mouse button, and “double-click on….”, meaning use the left button to double-click on something. Clicking once on the right button usually brings up a little menu window that has various options. These options will change depending on what application is being used at the time. People will usually say “right-click on…. and choose the…..”, when instructing someone to use the right mouse button.
Some studies have been done that show that people new to using a computer actually get on better with a touch-screen. Recently, a whole generation of touch-screen computers has launched, giving people the option to use a mouse as well as be able to touch the screen in certain ways, to complete various operations. Laptops often have a touchpad that can be used in place of a mouse. There are larger touchpads available as add-on accessories for computers that don’t have them.
There are also various devices that do the job of a mouse but operate slightly differently, such as a trackball device, where the thumb is used to “roll” the cursor around the screen, using a little ball. It’s worth testing and experimenting a bit, to discover what works best for you.
Finally, there are settings that control various aspects of the pointer system. They will be different depending on whether you are using a mouse, touchpad or whatever. Unfortunately, they are often hidden away in a settings page that beginners may find difficult to locate. However, the settings are very important in enabling users to operate the pointer system effectively. For example, if a user is simply not able to execute the double-click operation quickly enough, it should be possible to change the settings to accommodate a slower double-click.
Correct operation and control of the pointer system is critical. People can get themselves into all sorts of troubles, for all sorts of reasons, if they don’t have some level of understanding and competence using a mouse or touchpad. It takes a little practice, but it can soon be learned and mastered, so do take the time to do that!
Here’s a website that has some helpful mouse training exercises….
http://seniornet.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=975