MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007

Become a Microsoft Office 2007 advanced user with this course. Combining five courses into one cost-effective bundle, the Microsoft Office 2007 course shows students how to master five of the world’s most popular productivity tools in use today – Word 2007, Excel 2007, Outlook 2007, PowerPoint 2007 and Access 2007.

Upon completion of this course, students will have mastered the advanced techniques involved in document creation, spreadsheets and calculations, email and scheduling, presentations and desktop databases. Starting with the basic concepts of each package, the bundled courses quickly move on to advanced principles, making this course best suited to:

• Professionals who need to learn how to be more productive with all five applications that make up Office 2007.
• Employees who want to learn more about using the Microsoft Office 2007 suite of applications.
• Workers and individuals who want to develop the knowledge required to earn the world-famous Microsoft Office Specialist qualification.
• Employees who need to prove their Microsoft Office expertise with an industry-recognised qualification.
• Individuals who would like to improve their productivity skills for work or home.

Using a blend of instructional videos, hands-on exercises and interactive quizzes the Microsoft Office 2007 course is hosted on the learning platform, allowing students to work at their own pace, as and when best suits them. The online course materials also provide a handy reference for when students try to apply their new found knowledge in the workplace.

Learners can also repeat training modules and practical exercises to ensure that they have fully understood each application included in in the Office 2007 suite. The social networking platform is another excellent resource for seeking help or sharing tips and ideas with other learners.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

The Microsoft Office 2007 package is a comprehensive, five course introduction to each of the applications included in the package. Students will learn both introductory and advanced techniques for using Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access, giving them an all-round education in office productivity.

The Word 2007 section of the course will teach students all the basics of document creation and editing before moving on to:

• Building and using templates and the Styles function to streamline document creation.
• Creating, modifying and sorting tables and columns.
• Using page headers and footers.
• Inserting graphics, symbols and charts.
• Using the Track Changes tools to audit changes made during editing.
• Using Mail Merge tools to create a set of individualised documents (such as addressed letters) in a single file, and repeating the process to print labels and envelopes.
• Utilising academic tools to implement referencing, footnotes and indexes.
• Protecting documents from unauthorised access with encryption and passwords.
• Working with multiple document formats, including PDF files.
• Organising long documents using outline view and inbuilt heading tools.
• Creating forms to collect data.
• Programming advanced functions with macros and XML.

The Excel 2007 course takes students through the process of creating simple spreadsheets and manipulating numerical data before looking at a range of advanced techniques including:

• Create and using a Sparkline to analyse data trends.
• Filtering data to focus only on the information that matters.
• Autosizing columns to fit data and improve visibility.
• Editing and auditing formulae to ensure they continue to generate the required calculations correctly.
• Freezing panes to help better navigate large spreadsheets.
• Using Excel spreadsheet data to create charts.
• Moving and copying cells between sheets.
• Using the VLOOKUP function to locate key data quickly.
• Using Paste Special (Transpose Values) to automate data copying.
• Working with XML Data for use in other applications.
• Mark the Workbook as Final and Read Only to prevent further editing.
• Deleting duplicate records to maintain data integrity.

The third course module concerns Outlook 2007, showing students:

• How to read, write, edit and send emails.
• How to use address lists to choose message recipients, and mail folders to file emails.
• How to personalise messages with a signature, adding attachments and printing mail.
• Creating, using, sorting and categorising contacts in the Outlook address book.
• Working with rules and junk mail folders to streamline and simplify message management.
• Sending automatic replies, like out of office notices, or requesting read receipts to further simplify messaging.
• Working with the calendar to plan and arrange appointments, and use the address book to inform invitees and confirm attendance.
• Using Notes and Tasks to stay on top of other non-mail related jobs.
• Using the Outlook Journal to track activities and workload.
• Using data import and export functions to back up important information or transfer data between computers.
• How to use personal and public files to share messages and information with other Outlook users.

The PowerPoint section of the Microsoft Office 2007 course will help students build compelling, professional-grade presentaions:

• Working with text boxes, and formatting text to improve slide appearance.
• Using shapes, object snapping and WordArt Styles to add visual variety.
• Moving and copying slides, or creating slide templates to speed up the creation process.
• Using tables to display data – including tables from other applications like Excel.
• Adding formatted charts to display data visually.
• Using video clips and animated pictures to create additional visual interest.
• Proofing and autocorrection tools to prevent spelling mistakes being left in the final presentation.
• Using themes, format editing and sections to create a consistent “look” for a presentation.
• Applying slide transitions, animation effects and object actions to further improve appearance of the slideshow as a whole.
• Building a slide show and editing the timing to fit with a script and time constraints of the presentation.
• Adding speaker’s notes and comments to the presentation to assist with delivery.

Finally, students will be introduced to Microsoft Access 2010, the desktop database component of Office 2007:

• Understanding table creation and design.
• Finding, editing, sorting and filtering data to highlight key information.
• Building table relationships and enforcing referential integrity to keep data “clean”.
• A basic introduction to functions and using the formula creator.
• Using aggregate functions and totals to simplify calculations.
• Building forms using the forms wizard to simplify data collection and display.
• Using form controls to create a true application interface for the database.
• Building reports, and using calculations and graphics to improve the appearance of data.
• Building macros and assigning actions to form buttons, increasing the functionality of database applications.
• Importing and exporting data.
• Using the SQL language to manipulate data in the database directly.

ADVANTAGES OF THIS COURSE

The Microsoft Office 2007 bundle is designed for complete beginners to get started with Office 2007, before moving on to master the most advanced techniques, helping them to become more productive. By completing this course, learners will not only be more proficient with Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access, but they will also be ready to sit the Microsoft Office Specialist exam.

Among the benefits of the Microsoft Office 2007 package are:

• Gaining the skills and experience required to be more efficient when using Office 2007 to create documents, capture numerical data, manage communications, build presentations and analyse datasets.
• A marked boost in productivity, allowing Office 2007 users to spend more time on other, more profitable tasks.
• An in-demand skill set that will help learners perform better in their jobs.
• An in-depth understanding of Office 2007 that can be used to provide ad-hoc training to colleagues.

Upon completion of the Microsoft Office 2007 courses, students will have an advanced knowledge of using the Office 2007 productivity suite and will be fully prepared for the Microsoft Office Specialist qualification exam. Completing the Office 2007 course is a pre-requisite for MOS certification.