Explore word processing skills by learning the basics of Microsoft Word and Google Docs, then see those skills applied to creating common business documents. This course is for people with little or no word processing experience.
This course will teach you how to create documents using Microsoft Word and Google Docs. It is designed for students with little or no experience with these word processing programs. We will review some basic editing and formatting tools and how to create and print a business letter. Google Docs and Microsoft Word share many of the same formatting features and functions, and most of the features we explore in this course can be used in both programs. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can use a free 30-day trial of Microsoft Office 365. Google Docs is available for free to anyone with a Google account. Many schools, universities, and public libraries also have at least one word processing program that you can use. Generally, word processing principles are the same or quite similar, regardless of the type of word processing program or version you use.
- Unit 1: Getting Started with Word and Google Docs
- Unit 2: Document Formatting, Layout, and Design
- Unit 3: Collaboration
- Unit 4: Creating Business Documents
- Use menus, commands, and tools in Microsoft Word and Google Docs;
- Create new documents from templates; and
- Format documents for personal and business use.
Get a comprehensive introduction to spreadsheets in this course that covers everything first-time users need to know.
Have you ever wished you had a magic tool to help organize your life or make sense of data for a work or school project? That's exactly what spreadsheets can do for you.
Whether you're managing a budget, organizing, or analyzing projects at work or school, spreadsheets offer practical solutions for everyday challenges. In this course, you'll discover the incredible power of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets – two of the most widely used and versatile spreadsheet programs available. We'll start with the basics, getting comfortable with spreadsheet terminology and understanding its core components. Then, we'll dive into hands-on applications, showing you how these tools can simplify your tasks and boost your productivity.
You might be wondering which program to use. Good news: Google Sheets was inspired by Microsoft Excel, and they share many of the same features and functions. So, you can use either program for this beginner-friendly course. Google Sheets is completely free with a Google account, and Microsoft offers a free 30-day trial of Excel 365. Plus, many colleges and public libraries provide computers equipped with spreadsheet software for your convenience. By the end of this course, you'll be well on your way to becoming a spreadsheet pro, ready to tackle any organizational challenge that comes your way.
- Unit 1: Getting Started with Spreadsheets
- Unit 2: Basic Commands and Functions
- Unit 3: Spreadsheet Design and Implementation
- Describe the basic components of a spreadsheet, such as workbooks, sheets, cells, rows, and columns;
- Perform basic calculations and apply formulas in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets; and
- Use spreadsheets for real-life applications, including budgets and invoices.
Learn how to format spreadsheets to make them easy to read, apply conditional formatting to draw attention to critical data, use formulas and functions, build multi-page spreadsheets, and add 3-dimensional formulas and functions across multiple worksheets and workbooks.
In this course, we explore how to format spreadsheet data to make the information easy to read and apply conditional formatting to draw attention to critical data. We will use formulas and functions with absolute and relative references to perform mathematical, statistical, financial, lookup, and logical computations. Then, we will learn how to build multi-page spreadsheets, add three-dimensional formulas to summarize data across several worksheets, and implement formulas and functions to present the consolidated information that exists in multiple workbooks.
This course builds on the concepts and skills covered in Saylor Academy's introductory PRDV004: Spreadsheets course, which introduces the definition of a spreadsheet, how to navigate and enter data, open and save files, format spreadsheets, and enter basic formulas and functions for real-life applications. Each unit in this course builds on the previous unit, so make sure you have mastered each unit before moving on.
- Unit 1: Formatting Spreadsheets
- Unit 2: Mathematical Computations
- Unit 3: Logical Functions
- Unit 4: Lookup Functions
- Unit 5: Multi-Page Spreadsheets
- Use formatting features to format text, cells, and numbers, and use conditional formatting as appropriate;
- Write basic formulas and use functions SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, MIN, PMT, and FV to perform basic, statistical, and financial calculations;
- Use logical functions including IF, OR, AND, NOT, COUNTIF, AVERAGEIF(S), and SUMIF(S) to summarize data;
- Use lookup functions, including VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP to retrieve data from a worksheet; and
- Format multiple worksheets at one time and use 3-dimensional references.
Learn how to create spreadsheets in collaboration with others to present data using charts, plots, graphics, and tables. Also, explore tools for formatting charts and adding graphics to better present and organize information.
This course focuses on collaborating and presenting data using charts, plots, graphics, and tables. We will learn how to create and format appropriate charts for a given data set. We also study how to create scatterplots for correlated data and fit those plots into an equation. We will add appropriate graphics to worksheets to help us communicate better with users. We will use the database functions of tables to organize information better. Finally, we use collaboration features to present data in various contexts.
This course is intended for students who understand spreadsheets from PRDV004: Spreadsheets and PRDV006: Spreadsheets II: Formatting and Functions. Each unit builds on the previous unit, so try to master each unit before moving on.
- Unit 1: Presenting Data with Charts
- Unit 2: More Work with Charts
- Unit 3: Incorporating Graphics
- Unit 4: Tables
- Unit 5: Data Collaboration
- Illustrate a line, column/bar, pie, and stacked column/bar chart that is appropriate for the given data;
- Diagram a scatterplot with a trendline and line equation for a data series;
- Explain how to add graphics, symbols, hyperlinks, headers, and footers to a worksheet;
- Create and filter a table; and
- Arrange collaboration features to present data in various contexts.
Explore the fundamental concepts behind Bitcoin and how everyone can use this open-source, strictly limited digital money that operates on a peer-to-peer network.
This course will take you through the basics of Bitcoin for beginners: Bitcoin economics, investment, philosophy, and history, as well as its technical and practical components. Once you have completed this course, you will have a basic level of Bitcoin knowledge and be able to start interacting with Bitcoin by buying, receiving, storing, and spending it.
- Unit 1: Bitcoin Economics
- Unit 2: Bitcoin Investment
- Unit 3: Bitcoin History and Philosophy
- Unit 4: Bitcoin Technology
- Unit 5: Bitcoin in Practice
- Describe how Bitcoin and other monetary candidates arise on the market;
- Compare and contrast Bitcoin with other assets for investment or holding;
- Explain the key elements of Bitcoin's predecessors and Bitcoin's history, such as proof of work;
- Identify important features of Bitcoin's technology, such as the difficulty adjustment; and
- Discuss methods for purchasing, storing, or sending Bitcoin and otherwise putting it into practice.
Learn fundamental programming concepts using JavaScript to produce code for browser-based interactive experiences using conditions and events.
This course is the first in a series of three short courses that will build your programming skills in the JavaScript language. JavaScript is a client-side scripting language for producing interactive content in a web browser. It is one of the most popular programming languages worldwide.
This course is for future JavaScript developers with some HTML and CSS knowledge. If you do not have this knowledge, we recommend you review Unit 1, which discusses HTML and CSS. Then, we begin this course with a brief history of JavaScript. We then introduce programming concepts such as variables, control statements, objects, exception handling, and best practices. You will also learn about the Document Object Model or DOM, which provides the structure for dynamically displaying and manipulating elements on a webpage written in HTML using JavaScript.
By the end of this course, you will explain and demonstrate how JavaScript is used to program the behavior of webpages as an interactive tool. You will use the concepts you learn in this introductory course in the subsequent JavaScript courses.
- Unit 1: HTML and CSS Prerequisite Overview
- Unit 2: Introduction to JavaScript
- Unit 3: Values, Variables, and Statements
- Unit 4: Control Flow Statements
- Unit 5: The Basics of Functions
- Unit 6: Objects, the DOM, and Best Practices
- Explain the use of HTML5 tags in a document;
- Model the structure of an HTML page;
- Create a simple webpage using HTML and CSS;
- Explain how JavaScript is used to program the behavior of webpages as an interactive tool;
- Utilize the tools to write and debug JavaScript programs;
- Utilize the steps for writing a JavaScript Program that includes proper values, operators, expressions, and keywords;
- List and explain the types of values and variables;
- Explain the proper use of internal and external JavaScript;
- Utilize objects including the structure of the DOM (Document Object Model);
- Identify the debugging process to correct code to produce the desired result from the code; and
- Construct appropriate control structures based on conditions.
Learn JavaScript programming with objects, data structures, and functions to create interactive JavaScript with event handlers and forms.
This is the second course in three mini-courses designed to enhance your beginning programming skills in JavaScript. If you have not completed the first course, we recommend doing so before starting this one. This course builds on the knowledge of objects from the previous course and delves into data structures such as arrays, maps, and sets. The next unit extends your understanding of functions and covers more complex concepts related to them. Finally, this course covers how to style and validate JavaScript forms.
This course includes articles, programming demonstrations, and hands-on coding exercises. Also, there is a discussion board where you can share your thoughts and code. Finally, you can access JavaScript coding exercises to practice the concepts you learn. By the end of this course, you will be able to use JavaScript and its features to construct interactive pages using objects, forms, functions, and data structures. These concepts will be extended in the next course.
- Unit 1: Working with Objects in JavaScript
- Unit 2: JavaScript Data Structures
- Unit 3: More on Working with Functions
- Unit 4: DOM Interfaces and Interactive JavaScript
- Unit 5: Introduction to Forms in JavaScript
- Explain how to utilize and manipulate objects;
- Explain how to customize JavaScript code to create custom pages;
- Dissect interactive responses in web pages;
- Model client-side scripting skills in JavaScript;
- Construct interactive JavaScript coding;
- Examine the Document Object Model (DOM); and
- Interpret client-side interfaces using the DOM.
Learn the basics of object-oriented (OO) programming, a paradigm that uses objects that contain data in the form of instance variables and methods that control the behavior of the objects. This course is suitable for anyone and uses Java to demonstrate key OO concepts.
We will begin this course with an introduction to the difference between traditional structural program design and object-oriented (OO) programming. This course will explore the unique, dynamic approach that OO offers, and discuss why it is an effective and flexible paradigm. We then move into the essential concepts that are part of all OO programming, including inheritance, polymorphism, abstract classes, encapsulation, and coupling.
There are many benefits to learning OO programming, and especially its modularity. Modularity lets you break your code into smaller parts. This makes it easier to troubleshoot, gives you the powerful ability to reuse your code elsewhere, and makes your code adaptive and flexible. Although this course uses Java to introduce OO programming, it should prepare you to explore other languages since you can apply these concepts to nearly any other OO programming language.
- Unit 1: Fundamental Concepts of OO Programming
- Unit 2: Using Java for OO Programming
- Discuss the differences between object-oriented and procedural languages;
- Explain the difference between classes and objects; and
- Explain object-oriented concepts such as inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.
Learn the basics of data manipulation and visualization in R – the world’s most popular language for statistical computing – even if you do not have prior programming experience.
Data analysis is essential for discovering trends and correlations and making informed decisions. The R programming language and software environment offer a free and ever-growing data analysis and visualization resource collection. Nowadays, R is used in governmental organizations, academia, and industry (that is, everywhere) for everything from sales forecasting and evaluating the impact of a marketing campaign to studying new health treatments.
The course provides hands-on experience for learning R language basics and engages students in programming in this open-source language for statistical computing. This course is for all new R users and does not require prior programming experience. You will learn the foundations – how to install R and load data into it – and continue with data manipulation, visualization, and implementation of standard statistical functions. By the end of the course, you will be able to find relevant R resources (packages), read R code, and write your code to visualize and analyze your data.
- Unit 1: Introduction to R and RStudio
- Unit 2: Basic Object Types and Operations in R
- Unit 3: Data Import and Export
- Unit 4: Data Visualization
- Unit 5: Common Statistical Functions
- Install and update R, R packages, and the RStudio interface on your computer;
- Operate with common types of R objects;
- Import and export data for analysis;
- Visualize data using R; and
- Work with common statistical functions.
Explore how AI, particularly generative AI, is revolutionizing business operations and unlock innovation with cutting edge AI tools.
This course offers an in-depth exploration of AI, focusing on its transformative impact and practical applications in business. We will explore generative AI, learning how it can streamline various tasks while examining the ethical considerations and responsible use of AI technologies. A dedicated module on prompt engineering for business will equip you with strategies to craft effective prompts tailored to business needs. The final unit will demonstrate how generative AI can enhance decision-making, optimize business operations, and personalize customer experiences. By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge to leverage cutting-edge AI tools, simplifying and elevating your professional workflows.
- Unit 1: AI Concepts, Terminology and Applications
- Unit 2: Prompt Engineering for Business
- Unit 3: Transforming Business through Generative AI
- Explain what generative AI is and how it differs from traditional AI;
- Describe the real-world use cases of AI;
- Identify the ethical implications associated with the use of AI technologies;
- Apply prompt engineering to effectively craft prompts for business; and
- Explain the potential and impact of generative AI in transforming business operations and strategies.
