Unit 6: Week 1: Using the troubleshooting model on internal system components

Lesson Ideas

Prior to beginning this unit, you may want to review active listening and questioning techniques with students. Students can participate in role-play scenarios in which they serve either as Help Desk technicians or users with a device issue. They should be reminded when to use open versus closed questions, as both have value in diagnosing problems. This type of role play or use of scenarios is something that can be replicated each week, especially at the beginning and end of each week as students are being introduced to troubleshooting different issues and following up once they have had that experience exploring them.

By the end of the Unit, students should have the steps of the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model memorized and should be able to apply them in order without any reminders or support. The model is not very long and most students should be able to memorize the steps fairly easily. They will have ample opportunity to apply the model in the unit. Students may want to create signage of the steps of the model they can post in the room, job aids or checklists that can be posted at workstations, and reminders in the knowledge base. The troubleshooting model should be reinforced each week.

Prior to beginning the week, review Activity 5-7: Diagnosing Power Problems and Activity 4-8: Troubleshooting Storage Devices for suggestions on how to simulate problems that students will address in their hands-on activities. Students can work independently or in teams depending on how many devices you have access to use to simulate issues.

Much of this module requires following recommended steps to troubleshoot issues, this week focusing on the internal components of hardware including power supply units, disk drives, and RAID configuration issues. There are many resources for step-by-step directions for most issues presented in this module. Some may require researching online or through product manuals, which is one of the steps of the troubleshooting model.

Notes for Instructors: There is also flexibility in the number and types of problems that can be addressed each week. They do not need to be completed in the order they are presented, and if students need more time on specific issues one week, it is likely they can carry them over to the next and the schedule can be adjusted to accommodate. Week 3 includes troubleshooting mobile devices, which is not a 1001 outcome, so that section can be reduced or removed, if necessary; although, it will likely be of great interest to students. It is strongly encouraged budgeting at least a full week to address networking issues and using command-line tools.

This module requires actually having devices with issues that can be resolved and tools used to diagnose them, like multimeters and power supply testers. You can set some of the device issues up for your students, but some may be difficult to replicate. Or it may be difficult to have enough equipment available. In those cases where you do not have the equipment or it is difficult or even not recommended to replicate an issue, like resetting a personal mobile device by factory default reset, students should still be able to explain how they would go about troubleshooting an issue.