Course Information

Course Description:

This course is designed to teach the student how to create number-intensive documents such as payroll records and sales analysis. Spreadsheets simplify what-if analysis, chart creation, and multiple worksheet analysis, and simple database functions. The students will learn to create and format spreadsheets and charts, to develop problem-solving skills through the development of formulas mandatory in spreadsheets, and to understand the flat file database feature of a spreadsheet.

Course Objectives:

In this module, the student will learn to:

1. Insert, delete, copy and move cells
2. Enter and edit cell data including text, numbers, and formulas
3. Create workbooks using templates
4. Use editing tools such as spelling and find and replace
5. Apply and modify cell formats including font styles, number formats, decimal places, autoformat, borders, shading, merge, rotate, indents, and conditional formats
6. Modify row and column settings and formats including insert, delete, size, hide, unhide, freeze, unfreeze and alignment
7. Define, apply, and remove styles
8. Use automated tools to format worksheets
9. Create and revise formulas including absolute and relative references
10. Use basic functions (AVERAGE, SUM, COUNT, MIN, and MAX)
11. Use statistical, date and time, financial, and logical functions in formulas
12. Create, modify, position, and print charts
13. Create, modify, position graphics
14. Create, sort, filter, query, and subtotal databases
15. Create hyperlinks
16. View and edit comments
17. Modify page setup options including page orientation, page breaks, scaling, margins, centering, print area, headers, footers, print titles and other options
18. Preview and print a selection, worksheets and workbooks
19. Insert, delete, rename, move, and copy worksheets
20. Link worksheets and consolidate data using 3-D references
21. Convert worksheets into web pages
22. Manage workbook files and folders
23. Save workbooks using different names and file formats

Prerequisites and Corequisites:

Microsoft Excel

Project 1 (Approx.10 hours)	Creating A Worksheet and Embedded Chart
Project 2 (Approx.10 hours)	Formulas, Functions, Formatting, and Web Queries
Project 3 (Approx. 15 hours)	What-If Analysis, Charting, and Working with Large Worksheets
Web Feature (Approx. 5 hours)	Creating Static and Dynamic Web Pages Using Excel
Project 4 (Approx. 15 hours)	Financial Functions, Data Tables, Amortization Schedules, and Hyperlinks
Project 5 (Approx. 15 hours)	Creating, Sorting, and Querying A List
Project 6 (Approx. 15 hours)	Creating Templates and Working with Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks
Integration Feature (Approx. 5 hours)	Linking Documents

For this course the student should have basic Internet skills and basic math skills.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  http://rodp.bkstr.com

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  http://rodp.bkstr.com

Hardware requirements for Microsoft Office 2003/Excel 2003 may be found at

http://www.microsoft.com/office/excel/prodinfo/sysreq.mspx

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Your hardware must meet the minimum specifications for Microsoft Office 2003.

SAM System Requirements

IBM PC Compatible

Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher

Macromedia Flash Player 7

Live Internet connection (a T1 or ISDN connection is recommentded; a 56K minimum connection is required)

Pentium 350 MHz or faster

128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)

1.8 GB minimum hard disk space

SVGA graphics (800x600/256 color or higher)

One of the following operating systems must be installed: Windows Xp or Windows 2000

You will need Microsoft Office 2003 or Excel 2003 installed using the custom installation and selecting to install all components to be run from your harddrive to complete this course.

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.

Instructor Information

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Assessment and Grading

Students will be expected to submit project assignment, complete SAM training for each project, complete quizzes, and complete SAM exam for each project. The project assignments will come from the projects found at the end of each unit of study. Chapter Quizzes will be a combination of true/false and multiple choice questions. The SAM exam is a skills assessment test where actual hands-on skills are tested. The student will also be expected to communicate with the instructor and other students via email and discussion groups.

Grades will be determined from the following sources:

Project Assignments - 30 points
Chapter Quizzes - 30 points
SAMs Exams - 30 points
Participation - 10 points

Averages will be determined for each grade component (project assignments, chapter quizzes, SAMs, and participation). Then the average will will be multiplied by the number of points each grade component is worth. The results will be added together to get the final grade.

For example, if a student has the following averages: 100 for project assignments, 90 for chapter quizzes, 80 for SAMs Exams, and 100 for participation. Multiplying these as percentages against the number of points for each grade component yields the following results: 100% * 30 = 30 for Project Assignments, 90% (.90) * 30 = 27 for chapter quizzes, 80% (.80) * 30 = 24 for SAMs Exams, 100% * 10 = 10 for participation, Now add the results together: 30 + 27 + 24 +10 = 91. The final average for the course will be 91.

If you have any questions regarding the grading system, please email me.

93-100---A
85-92---B
77-84---C

All Students are expected to maintain a satisfactory progress throughout the course. Satisfactory progress is defined as a minimum of 77. A score of 77 or better must be achieved to receive credit for this course.

Assignments and Participation

Students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource and must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements. Students must also participate in threaded discussion events with the instructor and other students. Even if you do not actively participate in all discussions, you are expected to read all of them and be familiar with their contents. You just might have the answer to someone's questions. Many times a student can answer a question in a way that an instructor never would. The instructor will post topics for students comments, and the students may post their own topics.

Students will email the instructor at the beginning of the course using the WebCT email to notify the instructor that they are in the system and that they have mastered this communication medium.

Students are permitted to work ahead of the timeline in this course. Students are expected to consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates. Assignments are required to be turned in by these dates. There will be 2 point deductions for each day past due on any given assignment or quiz. Assignments and quizzes will not be accepted past one week of the scheduled due date.

Course Ground Rules

The following are recommendations for students taking this class:

• Learn how to navigate in WebCT if you are not familiar with the system. A tutorial is provided at http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au/top/induct/web.htm.
  

• View the Course Calendar for exams and assignment deadlines.

• Check the Discussion Board several times a week for course announcements, course information and discussion topics.

• Manage your time wisely. Give yourself enough time complete assignments and properly prepare for exams. Do not get behind. Catching up will be difficult. 

• Keep in contact with the instructor on a regular basis by emails and discussion board.

• Use the assigned e-mail address as opposed to a personal e-mail address for everything related to the course.

• Address technical problems immediately.

• Students must respect the rights of others at all times when communicating in chat, email, or discussions. Observe course netiquette at all times.

• Participation in this course is the key to doing well. Be sure all assignments are completed by the due date as posted on the Course Calendar. 

• If you have a technical issue address it at once to avoid falling behind in the class. 

• If you have questions, the discussion board is a great place to ask it. Remember that the only bad question is the one not asked. So, if you are unsure of something, ask. If you prefer, you may also email the instructor.

Guidelines for Communications

• Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor 

• Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support