COURSE INTRODUCTION

Avoid the confusion traditionally associated with a new version of Microsoft Office by investing in the MS Office 2010 – New Features course. Students taking this course will no longer have to rely on randomly clicking buttons and menu options until they find the feature they are looking for – this course will tell them where to find each function, and highlight the differences of which they need to be aware.

Simple and accessible, this course is best suited to:

• Users of Microsoft Office who are about to upgrade to the 2010 edition.
• Users who have already upgraded to Office 2010 but who are struggling to adjust to the new system.
• Support professionals who will need to help their users adjust to the new version following a network-wide upgrade.
• Super users who will be responsible for helping other employees get up to speed with a new version of Office.

Using a mix of interactive examples and instructor-led videos the MS Office 2010 – New Features course is available for access anyplace anytime using the online learning platform. A series of practical exercises will help students familiarise themselves with the new features and functions, and provide a visual indicator of their progress.

Students taking the MS Office 2010 – New Features course can also use our social networking platform to request assistance from other learners, or to share their own observations. At the end of this course students will be fully aware of the new functions included in Office 2010 and how they are properly used.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Designed for users of any skill level, the only pre-requisite is that they have used a previous version of Microsoft Office at some point in the past. The course opens with an outline of general changes including:

• The new Fluent user interface and how to use it.
• Modifying and customising application settings (eg Saving in Previous Office formats, Setting default file locations, etc)
• Using the Status Bar and Enhanced Screen Tips to provide additional clues about using the application.
• The ribbons, contextual tabs, Quick Access and Mini Toolbars that make up the menu bars and screen elements.
• The new XML file formats and the benefits they offer over older file formats.

The course then goes on to look at the new features of Word 2010 and how they are used:

• Uncovering the new location of old menu items.
• Using Quick Styles to improve document appearance quickly and easily.
• How to use the Style Set, Colour and Font Galleries to speed up formatting.
• Other document design elements including table styles and headers and footers.
• How to use the new MailMerge function to automatically populate letter templates with data from an external source.

A similar process is repeated for Excel 2010, showing:

• The new location of old menu items.
• New formula features and how to apply them to spreadsheets.
• Using instant conditional formatting to improve data calculations and appearance.
• The new spreadsheet dimensions.
• Applying cell and table styles, enhancing cell and font colours and using the new chart features to improve the appearance of reports.

PowerPoint has also undergone some revisions in the 2010 iteration. Students will learn:

• Where to find old features in their new location.
• How to use ribbons which replace old task panes.
• How to build custom layouts, slide libraries, and new slide masters to speed up the process of building a new presentation.

Outlook, the Office email and calendaring application has been updated to include:

• A new RSS reader to help stay on top of website updates.
• How to use the To Do pane to stay on top of tasks.
• How to share contacts with other Excel users.
• How to preview email attachments quickly and simply.
• Changes to the Calendar views, including snapshots and overlays to simplify the display of data.

The changes to Office 2010 are quite extensive, and this list is not exhaustive. They do however give an idea of what students can expect.

ADVANTAGES OF THIS COURSE

The MS Office 2010 – New Features course is a simple but effective primer in Office 2010, that reduces the learning curve and helps students become more productive, more quickly. By helping students know what to expect from Office 2010 in advance, they will immediately be more productive once they begin using the system for real.

The main benefits of the MS Office 2010 – New Features course are:

• A reduced learning curve for students once they begin using Office 2010, keeping productivity levels up.
• A cost-effective way to learn about the new features of Office 2010 and how to use them.

The MS Office 2010 – New Features course is an investment in ensuring that the move to a new version of Office is both smooth and efficient, and that productivity levels remain high.