Computer Applications

All computer application workshops are held in a Windows lab, but the concepts are platform independent. Macintosh users are encouraged to sign up if they can work comfortably in Windows.

Meet Cythina Manika, our computer workshop facilitator!

HRD250 - Dreamweaver Fundamentals

This workshop introduces the fundamentals of creating and maintaining a web page with Macromedia Dreamweaver, a tool requiring no programming knowledge. Participants examine the three main steps in the Web publishing process: plan content and design; create a web site; and transfer files to the web.

*Special Note: All Dreamweaver classes are held in a Windows lab. However, the concepts are platform independent. Macintosh users are encouraged to sign up so long as they are comfortable working in a Windows environment, or you may bring your won MAC laptop.

Key Points

• Become familiar with basic HTML and Internet concepts
• Plan and define a site
• Create, save, edit, and set properties for documents
• Create a table that makes displayed text and images easier to format
• Add, delete, format, and import text and images
• Add hyperlinks, named anchors, and e-mail links to text and graphics
• Discuss maintaining a site with updates, deletions, and other modifications

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HRD260 - Dreamweaver Advanced

This workshop explores Dreamweaver features that are easy to incorporate into new and existing web pages.  Participants learn to create effective meta tags; use styles to consistently format web pages; create forms with text fields, lists, radio buttons, and check boxes; plus create rollovers to enhance web pages. Prerequisite: Dreamweaver Fundamentals or consent of instructor.

Key Points

• CSS – Cascading Style sheets and understand all 3 types of styles
• Create Library items
• Create, use, and edit a page Template
• Create a rollover images and navigational bar
• Work with Flash text and Flash button objects
• Build an HTML form that gathers data from a site visitor (binding to a database is discussed only)
• Insert multimedia content
• Insert meta tags to describe the content of a site, making it easier for search engines to find

Dreamweaver Advanced will be offered again in the Fall quarter. Please check our website for new offerings in August.
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HRD105 - Access 2007: Enter/View/Find Data

This workshop is designed for those who need to use an existing database to enter and find data. Please note that this course does not cover how to create a database.

Key Points

• Quick overview of tables, queries, forms, and reports in the Office 2007 Suite environment
• Using tables and forms for data entry and to view data
• Open and use existing queries and reports
• Using the Find feature
• Creating simple queries from scratch and reports using the Wizard

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HRD115 - Access 2007: Building a Database - Design, Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports

This two-day workshop is designed for both those who wish to create a database from scratch and to make design changes to an existing database.

Key points:

Database Design & Relationships

• Define a structured purpose, scope, and objectives for the database
• Learn data-gathering techniques that enable quicker starts, clarify the types if information needed from the database, and help in naming fields, grouping them into tables, and relating tables to each other
• Consolidate data into user friendly critical content areas
• Understand and implement three types of table relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many) and eliminate weak relationships with a junction table
• Apply normalization tests to evaluate the integrity of the database design

Tables

• Create relationships between tables
• Enforce referential integrity between tables to keep records in related fields valid and accurate; view sub-datasheets to related tables
• Create lookup lists and set different properties of a field in the Design view of a table
• Create an input mask for data entry and formatting
• Set validation rules and text for a field

Queries

• Understand the purpose of queries
• Create a query from scratch and use parameters to specify criteria
• Create queries that are based on more than one table
• Create a calculated field
• Use queries to summarized data from tables

Forms and Reports

• Add buttons (toggle, option, command) and boxes (check, combo, list) to a form
• Move fields to change the order in which they appear on the form
• Modify properties to define an object's appearance, behavior, and characteristics
• Customize headers and footers and add an unbound fields that perform a calculation

Date Time Campus Location NU Employees Non NU Registrants Fee   Fee   8/11, 8/12/09 9am - 4pm Chicago Wieboldt 415 $325 Register online $405 Register here 8/26, 8/27/09 9am - 4pm Evanston Parkes Hall Room 127 $325 Register online $405 Register here   Workshop Locations Back to top   HRD125 - Access 2007 Advanced This workshop is designed for those who have a strong, functioning database and wish to add some advanced features. Prerequisite: Access 2007: Building a Database. Key Points Create advanced forms and reports Modify data with Action queries Create a Make Table Query Import/Export Data from/to Excel Create single and multi-field parameter queries Use Database Documenter Create and use simple macros   Date Time Campus Location NU Employees Non NU Registrants Fee   Fee   8/4/09 9am - noon Evanston Parkes Hall Room 127 $90 Register online $125 Register here
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HRD155 - Excel 2007: Beyond the Basics

This full-day workshop is ideal for self-taught users of Microsoft Excel who would like to fill in the gaps in their know-how as well as learn time-saving tips and tricks. Techniques to produce reliable Excel workbooks are covered, including how to display, format, edit existing worksheets and develop new ones plus how to make the most of Excel by creating formulas to analyze data quickly. Prerequisite: Office 2007: Fundamentals or equivalent experience.

Key Points

• Tour of the Excel 2007 Environment
• Enter and edit labels, values, and formulas in a worksheet
• Use Autofil to quickly fill in predefined labels and to copy text, numbers and formulas
• Move and copy data, insert and delete ranges, and work with relative and absolute references when creating and copying formulas
• Use functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, and COUNT to perform calculations in a worksheet
• Format text, numbers, rows, and columns in a worksheet to make them more prominent and easier to read
• Preview, control Page Setup options for, and print worksheets and set and clear a print area
• Learn about the new SmartArt

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HRD175 - Excel 2007: Working with Charts

This workshop provides the techniques needed for mastering Excel's charting capabilities and working with multiple workbooks to illustrate data, relationships, and trends. Participants learn to quickly transform hard-to-read numbers from a table or spreadsheet into professional-looking charts, to update several worksheets at once using 3-D formulas, and to effectively manage large workbooks with multiple worksheets. Prerequisite: Excel 2007 - Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create different types of charts
• Format charts with themes and styles
• Add titles, gridlines, annotations, and a data table to a chart
• Work with a 3-D chart
• Change viewing options, hide and display data, and print large worksheets
• Insert, delete, rename, move, and copy multiple worksheets
• Summarize data from different worksheets using the Consolidate command
• Use 3-D formulas and external links to perform calculations on data from multiple worksheets and workbooks

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HRD185 - Excel 2007: Sorting, Filtering, Subtotals and Pivot Tables

This workshop provides the techniques for mastering some of Microsoft Excel's data-management and analysis features. Participants learn to create a list in Excel to keep track of related data. After a list is created, it is easy to find, organize, and analyze its information with Excel's rich set of list-management features. Prerequisite: Excel 2007- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create a structured list to maximize current and future data productivity
• Format as a Table - new list capabilities in 2007
• Sort a list using several techniques
• Add subtotals to worksheets without writing any formulas
• Use the AutoFilter to display only the records that meet one's criteria
• Examine the new filtering options for Dates and Numbers
• Create a powerful and flexible custom filter
• Create Pivot tables and Pivot Charts to summarize a data list
• Protect a workbook by enabling a password and locking cells to prevent unauthorized changes

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HRD165 - Excel 2007: Advanced Functions

Participants learn to use Excel's built-in computational and analytical tools to make complex calculations quickly and easily. Learn tips and tricks from the expert to make your spreadsheets efficient in this new 2007 Environment.

Prerequisite: Excel 2007- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Use additional Statistical functions not previously covered
• Use logical functions
• Nest multiple functions
• Lookup function and naming ranges for pulling in data
• How and when to use Error functions
• Format and calculate date and time functions
• Calculate investments using financial functions
• Concatenate, left, right, middle and other text functions
• Plenty of time to answer your specific questions - Bring your files if desired
• Loads of Tips and Tricks
  

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HRD405 - Word 2007 - Beyond the Basics

A complete guided tour of Microsoft Word's best features, this workshop is ideal for self-taught Word users who would like to hone their skills and improve their efficiency. It covers how to display, format, and edit existing documents and create new ones. Participants learn all the techniques necessary to produce professional-looking word processing documents. Prerequisite: Office 2007: Fundamentals or equivalent experience.

Key Points

• Tour of the Word 2007 Environment
• Lots of tips and tricks to make working in Word fast and efficient
• Add, delete, and format text in documents
• Use the Undo, Redo, and Repeat commands
• Change font type, color, and size; copy formats with the Format Painter
• Create bulleted and numbered lists
• Create and format Word tables
• Adjust margins and tabs and control where a page breaks
• Add page numbering to documents
• Add borders to tables, paragraphs and pages
• Align and indent text in paragraphs and adjust paragraph spacing
• Use Word styles and templates

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HRD415 - Word 2007: Advanced

This advanced-level workshop is for those who work with long reports, lengthy research papers, and documents requiring multiple revisions. Prerequisites: Word 2007- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key points

• Learn Styles and themes for quick and consistent formatting
• Learn to use the Outline Mode in Word
• Learn to create a Table of Contents and index
• Add footnotes and endnotes that automatically renumber with changes
• Add bookmarks to be able to jump to locations quickly
• Insert sections breaks, change document settings such as orientation and different odd/even page numbering
• Track changes with Word's built-in reviewing tools
• Insert, edit, print, and delete reviewer comments and use the Highlight tool to mark text
• Plenty of time to answer your specific questions - Bring your files if desired
  

Word Advanced will be offered again in the Fall Quarter. Please check our website for new offerings in August.
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HRD315 - Office 2007: Mail Merge

This workshop provides the techniques to master one of Microsoft Office's greatest features for automating routine and time-consuming tasks. Participants learn step by step to use Word's Mail Merge feature in conjunction with data sources such as Microsoft Excel and Access files to create letters, envelopes, and labels for mass mailings. Prerequisite: Word 2007 - Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create form letters, labels, envelopes and lists
• Discuss broadcast emails using Outlook contacts as your data source
• Attach different data sources, such as Excel and Access files
• Understand how different data sources required a different method of inserting the field placeholders
• Edit a data source
• Preview and merge documents

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HRD305 - Office 2007 Fundamentals

This workshop is ideal for new users and those that haven’t had to work in these applications daily. It covers the basics of Microsoft Office's Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications. Participants learn how to display, format, and edit new and existing Word documents, Excel spreadsheet, and PowerPoint presentations.

Key Points

• Tour of the Office Suite 2007 Environment
• Open, edit, save, and navigate through files in all of these applications
• Use templates to create new documents, workbooks, and presentations
• Add, delete, and format text; change font type, color, and size
• Use the Undo, Redo, and Repeat commands
• Run the Spelling, Grammar, and Thesaurus features
• Find answers quickly using the application’s built-in help function

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HRD210 - Photoshop

This workshop explains how to use Photoshop to optimize images. Participants work with digital or scanned images and save them as PSDs, JPGs and GIFs - formats that are widely used in printing and web-based environments. Prerequisite: Intermediate computer skills.

Key Points

• Get to know the Photoshop environment by using tools and palettes
• Resize and crop images
• Optimize and adjust the resolution of images based on the output medium, such as Web or print
• Use selection techniques to change specific parts of an image
• Darken, lighten, and clean-up photos
• Work with layers and flatten images
• Create a composite image for image maps or flyers
• Explore the many filter options to change the look of your image

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HRD325 - Outlook 2007

This introduction covers all aspects of Outlook - mail, contacts, calendar, and tasks. It is ideal for those who are new to the Outlook environment or wish to use Outlook more effectively. Tips and tricks to help manage your email more effectively.

Key Points

• Components of Outlook and the Outlook environment
• Working with e-mail (i.e., sending, receiving, and managing the inbox)
• Create personal folders to store and organize your mail
• Learn how to run on you Out of Office message
• Managing contacts (personal addresses and Northwestern directory)
• Using the calendar to manage your time
• Using the tasks function to organize to-do list

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HRD355 - PowerPoint 2007

This full-day workshop provides the techniques to turn ideas into professional presentations. Learn the foundations and technical aspects of Microsoft PowerPoint to create electronic slideshows. Plus, learn how to best convey the messages, focusing on streamlining information for impact without losing anything important; to develop presentations for many audiences; and to be prepared for last-minute requests for presentations.

Key Points

• Explore the PowerPoint 2007 Environment
• Learn elements of a good presentation
• Create, edit and save a new presentation
• Manipulate slides- layout, add, move, and delete
• Work in various views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Outline, Notes, and Slide Show
• Format text and backgrounds with the new Slide Designs
• Insert images, create charts, diagrams, SmartArt and tables
• Learn about Slide Masters
• Choose templates that won't distract from the message

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HRD205 - Acrobat 9.0

This workshop provides the knowledge and skills needed to use Adobe Acrobat effectively.  Participants learn how to create, modify, and distribute PDF (Portable Document Format) files and to increase the readability and versatility of PDF documents. Using the Acrobat work area and toolbox, participants practice setting up navigational structures, creating forms, and adding actions, movies, and sounds to documents.

Key Points

• Become familiar in the Acrobat environment by using tools and palettes
• Page through a PDF document using Acrobat's built-in navigational controls
• Create and edit links to different areas within a document
• Create a document with links to other documents and web sites
• Convert files to PDF for easy viewing
• Add and activate buttons that enable various interactive functions
• Assign page actions and movie and sound clips to a document
• Maximize the quality and readability of documents

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HRD335 - Project 2007

This workshop is designed to help project managers coordinate a variety of tasks that need to be completed within a time frame and a set amount of resources. It can help keep track of all of the project details, resources, and costs so that project goals are met.

 Pre-requisite:  Project Management Essentials or Foundations of Project Management (SCS).

Key Points

• Create project schedule, calendar and custom reports
• Create and assign resources
• Outline tasks and link dependencies between tasks
• Update project plan data with others

Pre-requisite:  Project Management Essentials or Foundations of Project Management (SCS).
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HRD340 - Transitioning to Microsoft Office 2007

Learn what's new in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Key Points

• Learn to navigate through the new tabs and ribbons
• Add your favorite commands to the Quick Access Toolbar
• Learn what’s been added, changed and removed from this new version
• Plenty of time to answer your specific questions - Bring your files if desired

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One-on-one & Group Coaching

One-on-one and group coaching sessions are available. One-on-one sessions, are conducted at the participant's desk, around his or her schedule, and focus on how to work successfully on his or her own computer. To schedule one-on-one coaching or to inquire about customized group coaching and fees, please contact us at 847-467-5081 or training@northwestern.edu. We provide coaching for the following:

• Dreamweaver and Photoshop
• Microsoft Access, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, and Word
• Basic computing skills for Windows and Macintosh
• Database design and web site design

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