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.

HRD100 - Access 2003: 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

• Introduction to tables, queries, forms, and reports
• Using tables and forms for data entry and to view data
• Opening and using existing queries and reports
• Using the Find feature
• Creating simple queries and reports using the Wizard

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HRD110 - Access 2003: 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

• 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 three normalization tests to evaluate the integrity of the database design

Tables

• Create relationships between tables to be able to link them
• Enforce referential integrity between tables to keep records in related fields valid and accurate; use subdatasheets to enter data in related tables
• Create lookup lists and set different properties of a field in the Design view of a table
• Create an input mask and use the Input Mask Wizard to specify input masks
• Set validation rules and messages for entering data in a field

Queries

• Understand the purpose of various queries
• Create a query from scratch and use parameters to specify criteria
• Create queries that are based on more than one table; that update, delete, append, make a new table, and export information; that make calculated fields, and that find duplicate and unmatched records
• Use queries to view summarized and grouped 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
• Create and modify charts, customize headers and footers, hide duplicate values, and add calculated values in forms and reports

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HRD120 - Access 2003 Advanced

This workshop is designed for those who have a strong, functioning database and wish to add some advanced features. Prerequisite: Access 2003: Building a Database or equivalent experience.

Key Points

• Create switchboards for easier access to forms, reports, and queries
• Create a custom splash screen
• Password protect your database
• Create an MDE file to restrict the ability to make changes to forms or reports
• Create a start-up form
• Create and use simple macros

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HRD150 - Excel 2003: 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, and edit existing worksheets and develop new ones and how to make the most of Excel by creating formulas to analyze data quickly.

Key Points

• 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

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HRD160 - Excel 2003: Functions and Data Analysis

Participants learn to use Excel's built-in computational and analytical tools to make complex calculations quickly and easily, perform date and time arithmetic, create rank-and-percentile tables, and use regression analysis to predict data trends based on the tendencies of known data. Prerequisite: Excel 2003- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Use mathematical functions (sum, round, mean)
• Use logical functions (if, and, or, not, nested if)
• Format and calculate date and time
• Calculate investments (PV, PMT, NPER, RATE)
• Analyze data distributions (rank, percentile)
• Calculate linear regression (trend, forecast)
• Use descriptive statistical tools
• Create scenario summary report

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HRD170 - Excel 2003: Working with Charts and Multiple Worksheets

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 2003 - Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create different types of charts using Excel's Chart Wizard
• Format all objects in a chart
• Change a chart's source data
• Add titles, gridlines, annotations, and a data table to a chart
• Create and work with a custom 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 Data Consolidate command
• Use 3-D formulas and external links to perform calculations on data from multiple worksheets and workbooks

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HRD180 - Excel 2003: 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. Participants also learn to use auditing features to trace errors in a worksheet. Prerequisite: Excel 2003- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create a structured list to maximize current and future data productivity
• 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
• Create a powerful and flexible custom filter
• Use the Auditing feature to trace and correct errors such as [#DIV/0!] and [NAME?]
• Protect a workbook by enabling a password and locking cells to prevent unauthorized changes

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HRD400 - Word 2003 - 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.

Key Points

• 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
• Arrange text in multiple columns and tables
• Adjust margins and tabs and control where a page breaks
• Add page numbering to documents
• Insert section, page, and column breaks
• Add borders to tables, paragraphs and pages
• Align and indent text in paragraphs and adjust paragraph spacing
• Use and customize styles and templates

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HRD410 - Word 2003: Managing Long Documents, Revisions and Forms

This advanced-level workshop is for those who work with long reports, lengthy research papers, documents requiring multiple revisions and forms that solicit information. Prerequisites: Word 2003- Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key points

• Create and modify forms with fill-in-the-blank fields, check boxes, and drop-down lists
• Prevent unauthorized layout changes when others enter data in fields of a form
• Use Word's Master Document feature to organize ideas and topics and see the overall structure of a long document
• Add bookmarks to be able to jump to locations quickly
• Add footnotes and endnotes that automatically renumber with changes
• Create a table of contents and an index quickly
• Track changes with Word's built-in reviewing tools
• Create, save, and compare versions with the Compare Document feature
• Insert, edit, print, and delete reviewer comments and use the Highlight tool to mark text

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HRD310 - Office 2003 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 2003 - Beyond the Basics or equivalent skills.

Key Points

• Create form letters, labels, and envelopes
• Attach different data sources, such as Excel and Access files
• Insert preconstructed data blocks
• Edit a data source
• Preview the merged document
• Merge the document

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HRD300 - Office 2003 Fundamentals

Ideal for new users, this workshop 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

• 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 Word's built-in help function

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HRD320 - Outlook 2003

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 moving to Outlook from Eudora and those who wish to use Outlook more effectively.

Key Points

• Brief overview of moving to Outlook from Eudora
• Components of Outlook and the Outlook environment
• Working with e-mail (i.e., sending, receiving, and managing the inbox)
• 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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HRD350 - PowerPoint 2003

This full-day workshop provides the techniques to turn ideas into professional presentations. In the morning participants learn the foundations and technical aspects of Microsoft PowerPoint to create electronic slideshows. In the afternoon they learn how to best convey their 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 environment
• Learn elements of a good presentation
• Start a new presentation; save and update work
• Manipulate slides- layout, add, move, and delete
• Work in various views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Outline, Notes, and Slide Show
• Format text and backgrounds
• Insert images, charts, and tables
• Use Slide Master
• Use templates that won't distract from the message

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HRD210 - Photoshop CS2

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
• 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

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HRD200 - Acrobat 7.0

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 adept 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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HRD250 - Dreamweaver MX 2004 Fundamentals

This workshop introduces the fundamentals of creating and maintaining a web page with Macromedia Dreamweaver, a toll 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.

Key Points

• Understand basic HTML and Internet concepts
• Create, save, edit, and set properties for documents
• Create a table that makes displayed text and images easier to format
• Create and apply cascading style sheets (CSS) to a page
• Add, delete, find, replace, format, and import text and images
• Plan and define a site
• Add hyperlinks, named anchors, and e-mail links to text and graphics
• Maintain a site with updates, deletions, and other modifications

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HRD260 - Dreamweaver MX 2004 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; create rollovers to enhance web pages; create timelines and animate an image; and analyze a web page for browser compatibility. Prerequisite: Dreamweaver MX 2004 Fundamentals or consent of instructor.

Key Points

• Create meta tags to describe the content of a site, making it easier for search engines to find
• Create, use, and edit a page template
• Edit, create, and delete an HTML style and use the styles file
• Create a rollover image that changes when a visitor's cursor moves across it
• Work with Flash text and Flash button objects
• Build an HTML form that gathers data from a site visitor and sends it to an Internet address
• Add, modify, nest, and attach behaviors to layers
• Create a timeline and add behaviors and additional animation to it
• Check a web site for browser compatibility and plug-ins

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HRD330 - Project 2003

This workshop is designed to help project managers coordinate a variety of tasks that need to be completed within a timeframe and a set amount of resources. It can keep track of all of the project details, resources, and costs while focusing on the project goals.

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

Key Points

• Create project plan file, calendar and custom report
• Create and assign resources
• Outline task and link dependent tasks
• Update and exchange project plan data with other

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

• Introduction to tables, queries, forms, and reports in the new Office 2007 Suite environment
• Using tables and forms for data entry and to view data
• Opening and using existing queries and reports
• Using the Find feature
• Creating simple queries and reports using the Wizard

Not an NU employee? Register here	Workshop Locations	Back to top

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

• 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 three normalization tests to evaluate the integrity of the database design

Tables

• Create relationships between tables to be able to link them
• Enforce referential integrity between tables to keep records in related fields valid and accurate; use subdatasheets to enter data in related tables
• Create lookup lists and set different properties of a field in the Design view of a table
• Create an input mask and use the Input Mask Wizard to specify input masks
• Set validation rules and messages for entering data in a field

Queries

• Understand the purpose of various queries
• Create a query from scratch and use parameters to specify criteria
• Create queries that are based on more than one table; that update, delete, append, make a new table, and export information; that make calculated fields, and that find duplicate and unmatched records
• Use queries to view summarized and grouped 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
• Create and modify charts, customize headers and footers, hide duplicate values, and add calculated values in forms and reports

Not an NU employee? Register here	Workshop Locations	Back to top

HRD125 - Access 2003 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 or equivalent experience.

Key Points

• Create switchboards for easier access to forms, reports, and queries
• Create a custom splash screen
• Password protect your database
• Create an MDE file to restrict the ability to make changes to forms or reports
• Create a start-up form
• Create and use simple macros

Not an NU employee? Register here	Workshop Locations	Back to top