While your students may know how to use Windows to surf the Internet or send e-mail, that doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to use the mouse, menus, or keyboard to perform basic Windows file operations.

Using the right mouse button seems like a given for those of us who are regular computer users. However, not everyone picks up this function right away. When you think of all the things a student is expected to learn in the first few of hours of a typical Windows class, it’s not surprising that some students can’t remember how to do basic Windows operations. I’ve found that beginning students get confused trying to remember which mouse/menu/keystroke combination is used for which operation.

I first ran into this problem with a student who had already been to Windows classes and still couldn’t save or delete files. She learned how to do both these functions and more in less than an hour just by learning to use the shortcut menus provided by right-clicking.

A quick assessment
One way to find out for sure what your students can do is to “pre-test” them at the start of class. (If you try this, be sure to tell them they won’t be graded; it’s just a way to let you know at what level you should start the class.)

Ask them to tell you how they would typically perform such operations as deleting a file, naming a file, or copying a file on to their diskette. Their answers may surprise you. What surprised me was that while many said they used the Windows shortcut menus by right-clicking on the mouse, those who only knew how to left-click were at a loss to explain how to do many of the operations on the test.

Getting started with basic explanations
To get your students started with right-clicking, first have them sit and relax and just look at their screens. Show them how their computer is nothing more than an electronic desktop and, like their desks at work or home, has objects to help them do their work. For instance, there’s a wastepaper basket to throw away papers they don’t need, folders to organize the papers they’re working on, a calendar, briefcase, etc. Explain that each object (represented by an icon) lets you do a number of things. To find out what they are, you move the mouse pointer to an object’s icon and press the right mouse button.

Here is where a demo comes in, preferably with an overhead projector. Be sure to show them how to first move the mouse without touching any buttons. Then point to anything on the screen and click the right button.

Emphasize that the shortcut menu that appears tells them everything they can do with that object. So if they want to delete an object, they right-click it and look down the menu to where it says Delete and click on that. If they want to name an object, they click on Rename and type the new name.

Teaching right-clicking at this stage can reduce the number of mishaps that arise when the traditional “point and left-click” method is used. For example, some students have a tendency to click and hold, then point, which can cause them to unintentionally change the size of a window or move icons to folders where they don’t belong. Such students will not get into trouble when they are using the right button—they will still get the shortcut menu, whether they click before or after they point the mouse.

While your students may know how to use Windows to surf the Internet or send e-mail, that doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to use the mouse, menus, or keyboard to perform basic Windows file operations.

Using the right mouse button seems like a given for those of us who are regular computer users. However, not everyone picks up this function right away. When you think of all the things a student is expected to learn in the first few of hours of a typical Windows class, it’s not surprising that some students can’t remember how to do basic Windows operations. I’ve found that beginning students get confused trying to remember which mouse/menu/keystroke combination is used for which operation.

I first ran into this problem with a student who had already been to Windows classes and still couldn’t save or delete files. She learned how to do both these functions and more in less than an hour just by learning to use the shortcut menus provided by right-clicking.

A quick assessment
One way to find out for sure what your students can do is to “pre-test” them at the start of class. (If you try this, be sure to tell them they won’t be graded; it’s just a way to let you know at what level you should start the class.)

Ask them to tell you how they would typically perform such operations as deleting a file, naming a file, or copying a file on to their diskette. Their answers may surprise you. What surprised me was that while many said they used the Windows shortcut menus by right-clicking on the mouse, those who only knew how to left-click were at a loss to explain how to do many of the operations on the test.

Getting started with basic explanations
To get your students started with right-clicking, first have them sit and relax and just look at their screens. Show them how their computer is nothing more than an electronic desktop and, like their desks at work or home, has objects to help them do their work. For instance, there’s a wastepaper basket to throw away papers they don’t need, folders to organize the papers they’re working on, a calendar, briefcase, etc. Explain that each object (represented by an icon) lets you do a number of things. To find out what they are, you move the mouse pointer to an object’s icon and press the right mouse button.

Here is where a demo comes in, preferably with an overhead projector. Be sure to show them how to first move the mouse without touching any buttons. Then point to anything on the screen and click the right button.

Emphasize that the shortcut menu that appears tells them everything they can do with that object. So if they want to delete an object, they right-click it and look down the menu to where it says Delete and click on that. If they want to name an object, they click on Rename and type the new name.

Teaching right-clicking at this stage can reduce the number of mishaps that arise when the traditional “point and left-click” method is used. For example, some students have a tendency to click and hold, then point, which can cause them to unintentionally change the size of a window or move icons to folders where they don’t belong. Such students will not get into trouble when they are using the right button—they will still get the shortcut menu, whether they click before or after they point the mouse.

Right-clicking with the Task Bar
One way to start students off with the shortcut menu is to have them open and close a window, such as My Computer. Have them point to My Computer, right-click, and click Open. Point out that the My Computer window now has a button in the Windows Task Bar and right-clicking that brings up another shortcut menu that lets you maximize/restore and minimize the window. Many students get confused with the maximize, minimize, and close buttons in the Title Bar; by teaching them to use the shortcut method, they don’t get sidetracked by spending their time trying to identify which button is which.

New students also find it hard to switch gears when the lesson turns to scrolling. To keep the students on track, a better method for showing them how to view their entire window is to have them right-click the window’s button in the Task Bar and click Maximize. Similarly, you can have them close the window by right-clicking the window’s button in the Task Bar and clicking Close.

Moving on to folder management
Now they are ready to work with folders on their desktop. Have them create a folder by right-clicking the desktop and clicking on the New and then the Folder menu listings, then use Rename to give it a name, and finally use Open to open it. Then, have them right-click inside the Folder window and repeat the same procedure, only this time create a new Word document. Have them use the Send To menu to copy it to their diskette.

Next, open the My Computer window, then open the diskette window, and finally open the Word document. Have them type a few words. Then have them close Word by right-clicking on the Word icon in the Title Bar, and then click Close. (Of course, when they get the message asking whether they want to save the file, they will have to be told to left-click to get the Yes button to work; or as an alternative, have them press the Y key on the keyboard.)

They are now ready to copy their Word file to another folder. Have them create a second folder on their desktop. Rather than teaching them to resize or move a window, show them how to make two windows visible together on the screen by right-clicking a blank area of the Windows Task Bar and clicking on Tile Windows Vertically.

From there, you can teach them how to move and copy the Word file they created to the second folder by using the corresponding Cut, Copy, and Paste shortcut menus. Finally, have them use the shortcut menu to delete one of the Word files. (Again, they will need to use the left mouse button to confirm the delete.)

Leaving with a sense of accomplishment
While the students will eventually need to learn to use the left mouse button, keys, menus, and toolbars, this technique helps them come away from their first class with an easy-to-remember method for managing their Windows files. They will learn some very necessary Windows concepts without having to master the intricacies of such things as double-clicking and click-and-drag.

Does it work? I returned one week later to see if a student from one of my classes could perform the file operations she needed to do. She showed me she could, just by right-clicking! She also picked up a few tricks on her own, now that she had the confidence to do so.

Mary Ann Richardson is an independent computer consultant and trainer who provides a wide range of services, including development of stand-up training courses on PC desktop applications and programming, analytical reports for IT management, and technical manuscript preparation and editing.

How many times have you had to say that in class when a student insists on left-clicking? Does this article sound like a good solution? Write to Mary Ann and share your tales of teaching the right-click.
Right-clicking with the Task Bar
One way to start students off with the shortcut menu is to have them open and close a window, such as My Computer. Have them point to My Computer, right-click, and click Open. Point out that the My Computer window now has a button in the Windows Task Bar and right-clicking that brings up another shortcut menu that lets you maximize/restore and minimize the window. Many students get confused with the maximize, minimize, and close buttons in the Title Bar; by teaching them to use the shortcut method, they don’t get sidetracked by spending their time trying to identify which button is which.

New students also find it hard to switch gears when the lesson turns to scrolling. To keep the students on track, a better method for showing them how to view their entire window is to have them right-click the window’s button in the Task Bar and click Maximize. Similarly, you can have them close the window by right-clicking the window’s button in the Task Bar and clicking Close.

Moving on to folder management
Now they are ready to work with folders on their desktop. Have them create a folder by right-clicking the desktop and clicking on the New and then the Folder menu listings, then use Rename to give it a name, and finally use Open to open it. Then, have them right-click inside the Folder window and repeat the same procedure, only this time create a new Word document. Have them use the Send To menu to copy it to their diskette.

Next, open the My Computer window, then open the diskette window, and finally open the Word document. Have them type a few words. Then have them close Word by right-clicking on the Word icon in the Title Bar, and then click Close. (Of course, when they get the message asking whether they want to save the file, they will have to be told to left-click to get the Yes button to work; or as an alternative, have them press the Y key on the keyboard.)

They are now ready to copy their Word file to another folder. Have them create a second folder on their desktop. Rather than teaching them to resize or move a window, show them how to make two windows visible together on the screen by right-clicking a blank area of the Windows Task Bar and clicking on Tile Windows Vertically.

From there, you can teach them how to move and copy the Word file they created to the second folder by using the corresponding Cut, Copy, and Paste shortcut menus. Finally, have them use the shortcut menu to delete one of the Word files. (Again, they will need to use the left mouse button to confirm the delete.)

Leaving with a sense of accomplishment
While the students will eventually need to learn to use the left mouse button, keys, menus, and toolbars, this technique helps them come away from their first class with an easy-to-remember method for managing their Windows files. They will learn some very necessary Windows concepts without having to master the intricacies of such things as double-clicking and click-and-drag.

Does it work? I returned one week later to see if a student from one of my classes could perform the file operations she needed to do. She showed me she could, just by right-clicking! She also picked up a few tricks on her own, now that she had the confidence to do so.

Mary Ann Richardson is an independent computer consultant and trainer who provides a wide range of services, including development of stand-up training courses on PC desktop applications and programming, analytical reports for IT management, and technical manuscript preparation and editing.

How many times have you had to say that in class when a student insists on left-clicking? Does this article sound like a good solution? Write to Mary Ann and share your tales of teaching the right-click.