ONE-TO-ONE COMPUTER TRAINING


TOPICS COVERED IN STANDARD COURSE NOTES

 

  

Microsoft:       Basic Windows/File Management, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, Project, FrontPage, Outlook, Visio

 

Sage Line 50: Accounts

 

 

One-to-One Training

 

The course notes are designed for complete beginners and it would typically take two days to cover everything in each set of notes to give an overview of a program’s features.

However the programs are designed to meet the requirements of all types of business and home users so most people do not need to use the full programs.  Each person is quite individual in the features he/she will want to regularly use. Everybody working in an office environment will probably have picked up tips from their colleagues, school or college, Help Screens etc. – but again this will be quite individual. For this reason I now only offer one-to-one tuition. I have found this to be the most effective.

 

Often a single half-day session is enough to cover just what the trainee requires from one of the software packages above.

The exception to this would be if the trainee required help to develop a complex project e.g.

-        a large spreadsheet

-        templates using Styles for long documents on Word

-        set up an accounting system on Sage

-        create a database

(Access is a powerful developer’s tools and harder to comprehend than the others so at least a full day would be required for Access beginners)  

 

Working this way, trainees can use training sessions to develop something useful and they are more likely to understand and remember the features covered when it has been applied to their own data.

 

 

Basic Windows and File Management

 

q  Components of a Computer

q  Windows Operating System

q  Windows Desktop

q  Mouse Techniques

q  Terms - Disks, Files, Folders etc.

q  Running Programs - Open, Save, Print Files.

q  Using Windows Help

q  Toolbars & Shortcut Keys

q  Managing Files and Folders Using Windows Explorer or ‘My Computer’

q  Dealing with Window’s Crash

 

 

 

Microsoft Word


Basic Word

q  Loading Word, The Word Window

q  Basic Word Processing:
Typing Text, Automatic Error Correction, Spell Check, Page Break, Save/Print/Close/Open a Document

q  Using Word Help

q  Modify a Document:
Select text, change Font Attributes, Cut/Copy/Paste, Find and Replace

q  Change Document Views

q  Toolbars and Shortcut Keys

q  Page Layout:
Page Set-up, Tabs/Margins

q  Formatting Paragraphs:
Alignment, Indentation, Numbers/Bullets, Copy a Paragraph Format, Paragraph Borders and Shading

q  Headers, Footers and Page Numbering

 

Advanced Topics

q  Tables

q  Standard Phrases and Paragraphs:
AutoCorrect, AutoText, AutoFormat 

q  Formatting Documents:           
Sections, Columns, Paragraph Styles, Outlines, Table of Contents, Templates

q  Mail Merge

q  Word Graphics:
Insert Picture, Drawing Toolbar

q  Forms  

q  Bookmarks, Captions, Cross-References etc.

q  On-Line Reviews and Revisions (tracking changes)

q  Record a Macro

 

 

Microsoft Excel

 

Basic Excel

q  The Microsoft Excel Window:
Cells, Rows, Columns, Worksheets, Workbook
Select/Copy/Move cells

q  On-Line Help, Tutorials

q  Customize Toolbars

q  Enter and Format Data:
Labels, Values (decimals, currency, date etc), Formulae, Functions (Sum, Average), Shortcut keys

q  Excel Workbook Files:
Save/Close/Open a Workbook File

q  Modify or Format a Worksheet:
Edit cell contents, Select Rows/Columns/Cells, Adjust ‘Column Width’/‘Row Height’, Change Font/Alignment, Cut, Copy and Paste, Add Borders or Shading, Centre Heading Across Selected Cells, Format Cells, AutoFormat

q  Print a Worksheet:
Page Set-up: Fit to Page, Page Breaks, Margins, Headers and Footers

q  Build a Spreadsheet Model:
Guidelines, Notes/documentation, Absolute References

____________________________________________________________________________

Advanced Topics

q  Charts and Graphics

q  What-If Analysis:
Goal Seek, Data Tables, Solver, Scenarios

q  Multiple Worksheets:
Manage Sheets, Enter Data to Several Sheets, Sheet Formulae, Display Sheets in Separate Windows, Create a Chart Sheet

q  Templates:
Protect Cells, Create a Template, Automatically Load a Template

q  Manage Data in Excel (database features):      
Data Forms, Sort/Filter Data, Subtotals/Outlines, Pivot Tables

q  Consolidate Spreadsheets

q  Record a Macro  

q  Hyperlinks

 

 

 

Microsoft PowerPoint

One of the easier packages to use – most people require all the topics to a greater or lesser degree.  Using Masters and colour schemes can reduce the work involved in creating and modifying slides and help to achieve a consistent professional look throughout the presentation.

q  The Microsoft PowerPoint Window:
Customize the PowerPoint Window, Use Help, Slide Set-up, PowerPoint Views

q  Create a Presentation using pre-set Wizards or Templates

q  Create a presentation from a ‘Blank Presentation’

q  Layouts, Templates, Masters, Fonts/Bullets/Alignment

q  Drawing Toolbar: 
WordArt, Lines, Rectangles, Ovals & Arcs, Autoshapes

q  Insert Objects:
Clipart, Organisation Chart, Table, Graphs, Word Document, Sound, Music, Motion Clip  

q  Animation Effects

q  Slide Show Features:
Slide Sorter/Transitions, Hide Slides, Slide Branching, Run Slide Show, Running Demo (Set Timings), Custom Slide Shows

q  Black & White View (for printing)

q  Printing:
Slides, Handouts, Notes, Headers & Footers

q  Review Presentation

 

 

Microsoft Access

The training requirements for Access are very specific to the database being set up. It is the most difficult of the MS Office Suite to learn, but, with persistence, it can also be the most rewarding. Trainees usually require more one-to-one help with this than other programs.  As part of the training I can help set up an efficient database structure – which beginners find particularly hard, but which is essential to the development of the database.

q  Create an Access Database File:
The Microsoft Access Window      

q  Create a 'Customers' Table using Table Wizard, Modify Table Design (Data Types, Field Properties)

q  Create a Customers Form Using AutoForm

q  Manage Data in Table View:
Print Data from a Table, Sort Data, Filter Data, Create Filter Query

q  Indexes

q  Create a Report using Report Wizard

q  Create a New Table for ‘Orders’

q  Create Relationships

q  Multi-Table Queries and Forms:          
Create a Multi-Table Query, Create a LookUp Form from a Multi-Table Query

q  Form Design:
Tab Order, Form Design Toolbox, Form Properties, Form ‘Field Properties’, Create a Form with a Sub-Form

q  Calculations:               
Calculations In Queries, Calculations in Forms

q  Queries for Reports:
Select Query, Parameter Query

q  Create a Report using the Wizard:
Modify Report in Design View

q  Create a Switchboard Menu

 

 

Microsoft Publisher

Like PowerPoint, this package is fun and relatively easy to learn.

q  Microsoft Publisher Getting Started:
The Opening Window, Wizard Example, Personal Information Sets

q  Editing a Wizard Publication:
The Publisher Window, Change Wizard Options, Change Text Content, Change Clipart, Delete an Object, Move/Resize an Object, Save and Print a Publication

q  Wizard Options for Blank Publications: 
Quick Publication Wizard, Design Gallery Objects

q  Default and Background Settings: 
Default Settings, Margins and Guides, Create Objects to Appear on Every Page

q  Microsoft Publisher Help

q  Text Objects:
Text Frames, Connecting Text Frames, Tables, Word Art

q  Picture Objects

q  Drawing Tools: 
Line Tool, Oval and Rectangle Tools, Custom Shape Tools, Create Drawings by Grouping Shapes

q  Mail Merge: 
Create a Data Source, Attach a Data List to a Publication, Insert Mail Merge Fields, Merge and Print, Create Labels

q  Web Site Publications

 

 

Microsoft Project

Relatively easy to use the basic features, but can be tricky to set up non-standard work hours, particularly if you require detailed costing. As part of the training I would help set up suitable working calendars. There are several automated features that are better to be switched off – at least at beginner level.

q  Create a New Project: 
Enter Project Information, Save and Name the Project File

q  Enter Tasks and Durations      

q  Structure Tasks into a Logical Outline             

q  Schedule Tasks

q  Special Tasks:
Tasks with Constraints, Milestone Tasks, Recurring Tasks

q  Resources:
Set up the Project/Resource Calendars
Create a Resource List, Assign costs to Resources, Assign Resources to Tasks,

q  Assign a Fixed Cost to a Task

q  Review the Project:                             
Check the Summary Information in ‘Project Information’
Shorten the Schedule using Lead/Lag Time, Critical Path, Slack

q  Format the Schedule’s Appearance:
Format Text, Format the Gantt Chart Task Bars, Format the Time Scale

q  Printing and Reporting:                                   
Reports, Views/Filters, Page Set-up

q  Track the Progress of the Project:       
Create a Baseline Plan, Periodic Updates, Compare Actual Information with Baseline

 

Microsoft FrontPage

 

Can be surprisingly easy to create web pages – provided you know the right way to start i.e. with the Navigation structure.
More complex pages can be created using Frames/‘Database Links’ /Forms etc., but this is not covered in the standard notes. However I can help with this on an individual basis.

q  Web Background, FrontPage/Web Terminology

q  FrontPage - Getting Started:
The FrontPage Window, Create a Web, Web Folders, Backup Web

q  Create a Navigation Structure

q  Create Shared Borders with Navigation Bars

q  Apply/Modify a FrontPage Theme

q  Add Text, Tables, Clipart, FrontPage Components

q  Create Hyperlinks:
Text, Graphics, Bookmarks, Hover Buttons

q  Publish Web:
Check Web for Errors (Reports), Mark Pages to Publish, Flag Pages for Search Engines, Publish Your Web

 

 

 

 

Microsoft Outlook

q  The Outlook Window

q  Contacts        
Add Contacts, Contacts Views, Find/Organise Contacts, Print Contact Details, Import Contacts, Distribution Lists (Groups)

q  Create/Send an Email Message
Create a New Message, Attach a File to Send with the Email, Personal Signature and Business Card, Send a Message

q  Manage Emails          
Read Messages, Respond to Messages, Group Messages, Keyboard Shortcuts for Commands, Find Messages, Create New Sub Folders, Move Messages to Another Folder, Apply Message Rules

q  Calendar
Appointments, Events, Meeting, Recurring Meetings/Appointments/Events, Printing Calendar Details

q  Tasks

q  Notes             

q  Journals

 

 

 

 

Microsoft Visio

q     Microsoft Visio - Getting Started   
Loading Microsoft Visio
The ‘Visio' Window

q  Creating Shapes
Shapes drawn with drawing tools
Shapes dragged from stencil
Connector Lines
Blocks of text
Objects from other programs
Guides
Modifying Shapes    
Shape Handles        
Merging Shapes

q     Create Stencil from Drawn Shape

q         Layers

q     Custom Properties - Data  
Reports
Export Data to Access

q     Drawing to Scale  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sage Accounts

If you are new to computer accounting, you will probably need training and support throughout your first year.  

Typically this would require:

q  1 to 2 Half-Days...Set Up Nominal Structure and Customer/Supplier Details
1 to 2 Half Days...Enter Data, Corrections
1 to 2 Half-Days...Reports, Reconcile Bank, VAT Return 
1 to 2 Half-Days...Year End Routines