Part of Lesson Plan: Now You See It, Now You Don't: Video Cards and Monitors

Activity Overview / Details

I set up computers/monitors around the room (in stations) for students to practice troubleshooting on.  I set these up in advance, number each station, have students work in pairs or small groups and go around to each station and try to figure out what is wrong.  I use online timer and give 5 minutes (time can be adjusted) for how long they get to figure out the problem. http://www.online-stopwatch.com

Some problems I set up for students to identify are:

- monitor not plugged in  (or power cable loose)

- surge protector not turned on

- monitor cable loose

- bent pin

- brightness turned down on monitor

- video card loose (not seated in slot all the way)

- whatever else fun and interesting ways you can think of