Course Syllabus CIT Excel Certification Preparation College of Southern Nevada Spring 2013

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1 Course Syllabus CIT Excel Certification Preparation College of Southern Nevada Spring 2013 INSTRUCTOR: Marilyn Robinson OFFICE: Henderson Campus, Building C, 100G OFFICE PHONE: E MAIL: me in Angel. Otherwise it could take up to 48 hours to respond. I check Angel twice a day, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 5 pm. WEBSITE: OFFICE HOURS: 9:00 am-11:00 am Tuesday and Wednesday at Henderson 5:00 pm 6:00 pm Wednesday at West Charleston, other times by appointment. CLASS LOCATION & TIMES: This is a three-credit course that meets three hours per week for the sixteen weeks of the semester, which runs from 22 January through 18 May. Class meets once each week (on Wednesdays) from 6:00 PM to 8:50 PM in room C116 on the West Charleston campus. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course is a comprehensive coverage of basic and advanced features of spreadsheet software including, but not limited to, the set of skills on Microsoft's certification exams for Excel. Prerequisite: IS 101 or CIT106B or equivalent experience. CERTIFICATION EXAM: After completing this course, you may want to validate your knowledge and skills by taking a certification exam in Excel. Certification in Excel is offered under the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) program. There are two exams: MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2010 Expert. There is an appendix for the textbook in the MOSExcel folder in the CIT 202 folder in the kate.pulling folder on the studentshared (T:) drive. This provides an explanation of the certifications, some additional exercises, and a cross-listing of the MOS skills with specific pages in the textbook. For information from Microsoft about MOS certifications, go to Note: Certification in Excel is not a requirement to pass this class, nor are the fees for these exams included in the tuition for this class. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Parsons, Oja, Ageloff, & Carey, New Perspectives on Microsoft Office Excel 2010 Comprehensive. SOFTWARE: The computers in the classroom and in the Campus Computer Labs are loaded with the software required for this course: Excel If you have a different version of Excel on your computer at home or at work, you may use it for learning the basic principles of spreadsheets. However, be aware that there are significant differences between Excel 2003 and earlier versions and the version in the classroom. Assignments and exams will be based on the classroom version of the software. Page 1 of 7

2 DATA FILES: Data files needed for tutorials and for the case problems are available in the CIT 202 folder in the Marilyn Robinson/CIT202 folder on the studentshared (T:) drive. They are also available for download at the publisher's web site: Click on the "Access" button associated with "Free Study Tools Only Available at CengageBrain." On the next page click on the Data Files link below "Book Resources." OTHER REQUIREMENTS: A removable data storage device and a 3-ring binder with 10 tabbed dividers (labeled "Tutorial 1" through "Tutorial 8", "Tutorial 10", and "Tutorial 11"). Bring paper and pen or pencil to class for taking notes. CSN: Starting Jan. 24, 2011, printing in CSN classrooms, computer labs and libraries falls under the new Print Wise initiative, designed to help save natural and fiscal resources. Print Wise provides each CSN student with a $10 credit toward printing at the start of each semester, which will provide for up to 200 black and white copies at 5 a page, or 40 color copies at 25 a page. After that, you may put money into your account online or at a CSN Cashier's Office to purchase additional prints at the same rate. It is your responsibility to maintain your printing accounts to cover printing expenses during each semester. More information about the Print Wise system may be found at COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the successful completion of this course, you will be able to Explain common spreadsheet concepts and terms Enter, copy and move numeric data, text data, and equations in an Excel spreadsheet Use Excel's formatting features to change the appearance of an entire worksheet and of cells in a worksheet Use equations and built-in functions to interrelate numeric data in an Excel worksheet Perform what-if analysis using Data Tables, Pivot Tables and Scenario Manager Troubleshoot worksheets using Excel's auditing features Share worksheets by importing data from and exporting data to word processors, database managers and Web pages Create and modify charts to summarize numeric data in an Excel worksheet Use Excel's query tools to extract or filter records in a list to meet simple and complex criteria Set up a list in an Excel worksheet and sort the list using one or more keys, including a key based on a custom list Summarize data in lists using Data Tables and Pivot Tables Consolidate data in lists Consolidate worksheets Print spreadsheets and charts Create, edit and run macros to automate repetitive tasks Create user-defined functions using VBA Explain and demonstrate the best ways to organize spreadsheets Page 2 of 7

3 Explain and demonstrate the appropriate use of the following Excel features: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, Data Tables, Solver, Pivot Tables Customize Excel environment MEASUREMENT OF OBJECTIVES: You will know you are meeting the course objectives stated above as you attend class and participate in classroom activities, successfully complete case studies that require the use of skills and techniques learned in the course, and pass tests that require you to demonstrate mastery of spreadsheet concepts and Excel software. All of these activities result in points that are accumulated during the semester. The final point total determines the grade you earn. GRADING POLICY: The following are the requirements of the course, their weights and the minimum accumulated points for each letter grade: Requirements Points Letter Grade Minimum Points A+ 970 In-class Activities 200 A points 300 A Case 30 points 300 B+ 870 Comprehensive Final 200 B 840 B- 800 Total 1000 C+ 770 C 740 Note: If you wish to receive a W in lieu of any grade, you MUST notify your instructor via at least two weeks prior to the Final Exam Date. C- 700 D+ 670 D 600 IN-CLASS EXERCISES: Class time will be used to expand upon, refine and practice techniques presented in the textbook, as well as to develop new material. In preparation for each class you should complete the reading assignment and associated exercises; review previously covered material; bring textbook, paper, binder, writing implement and data storage device to each class. If you miss class, you are still responsible for the material. So, you will have to get notes from another student. EXAMINATIONS: There will be two in-class exams. Each will be 2 hours and 30 minutes long and will be open-book, open-note. They will be primarily "hands-on" exams testing your skill and knowledge of the features and functionality of Excel 2010 and of spreadsheets, in general. Some "objective" questions may be included. The dates of these exams are given in the Weekly Schedule. All textbook material, lectures, and in-class exercises should be considered "fair game" for the exams. Every effort should be made to take the exams at the scheduled times. No make-up exams will be given. At the end of the Page 3 of 7

4 semester there will be a comprehensive final covering all of the course material. Your score on the final exam may be used only to replace your score on one of the two exams. CASE PROBLEMS: You must complete the SAM Case Problem for each the ten Excel tutorial chapters in the textbook: Excel Tutorials 1 8, 10, and 11. (Note: You are not required to complete Case Problems for the Appendices.) Print only when instructed to, mark the printouts to identify the Case Problem and step number, and keep them in the 3-ring binder. When the Case Problems are due, you will be required to review your work with your instructor. These conferences will be held during the regular class meeting. HOMEWORK: There are no additional graded assignments in this course. However, you do have "homework," and completing it is the only path to success in this course. Your homework in this course consists of SAM Case Problems; completing any assignments; reading the textbook very carefully and completing any hands-on exercises; repeating each skill until the skill is second nature to you; and experimenting with new features encountered each week Most of your homework will have to be completed using a computer and the appropriate software. Before each class meeting you should set aside a couple hours when you can focus on this work only (no phone, no TV, no kids). For each hands-on exercise in the textbook read each step carefully, execute the instruction and check the result. Do this until you have mastered the skill. It is very important that you understand all the material presented in the textbook, and that you work steadily through the book. If you do not understand something, you should seek clarification immediately. Page 4 of 7

5 WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Week Class meets on Topics Complete Tutorials and Case Problems Tests and Important Dates 1 23 Jan Introduction Jan 28: Last day to drop without grade of "W" Jan Excel Basics Excel Tutorial Feb 4 13 Feb 5 20 Feb, Formatting Data and Worksheets Formulas and Functions Charts and Graphics Excel Tutorial 2 Excel Tutorial 3 Appendix A Excel Tutorial Feb Tables (Lists) Excel Tutorial Mar Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks Excel Tutorial 6 Appendix C 8 13 Mar Exam 1 20 Mar Mon, Mar 18 Sun, Mar 24: Spring Recess. Classes don't meet Mar Advanced Excel Tutorial 7 Features Appendix D 10 3 Apr Macros Excel Tutorial 8 Friday, Apr 5: Last day to officially drop Spring 2012 full-term classes Apr Macros, continued Apr What-if Analysis Apr Importing Data into Excel Excel Tutorial 10 Excel Tutorial 11 Appendix B 14 1 May Exam May VBA Excel Tutorial 12 Case Problems Due May Comprehensive Exam Page 5 of 7

6 Student Behavior GROUND RULES: You and your fellow students want to get the most out of this course. This will be possible only if everyone follows these guidelines: Treat fellow students and your professor with courtesy and respect. Arrive to class on time and ready to get to work and to learn. Turn off cell phones and beepers during class. Cell phones and any other "messaging" devices must be put away during class time. Safeguard classrooms and computers by not eating or drinking in the classroom. Use classroom computers for class work no surfing the Internet, no reading , no playing games, etc. during class time. No visual and/or audio recordings of lectures will be permitted without prior permission from your professor. ACADEMIC HONESTY: CSN demands a high level of academic behavior. Acts of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, are regarded as very serious offenses. In this class any academic irregularities will result in a grade of ZERO for the specific test/assignment. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the student handbook (published as part of the College Catalog) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy, procedures and what constitutes acceptable on-campus behavior. NOTE: If you have any concerns about this course and/or me, please contact me first. If I cannot resolve your issue, please contact the CIT department office at o and speak to the department chairman. You will remain anonymous and all communications will be strictly confidential. Please DO NOT wait until the last minute to make your concerns known to me and/or to the department chairman. DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER: If you have a documented disability that may require assistance, you will need to contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for coordination of your academic accommodations. The DRC is located in Student Services on each campus. The phone numbers for each DRC office are: West Charleston , Cheyenne , and Henderson Additional information at the DRC's web page: administration/student/services/disability/index, asp. For students that would like to perform community service or earn extra money, stop by the DRC to fill out a job interest card. This office hires students as note takers, proctors, scribes, and lab assistants as needed. TUTORIAL SERVICES: All CSN students are allowed 4 hours of free tutoring per one credit of coursework. Students enrolled in this course are entitled to 12 hours of free tutoring. To make arrangements for this benefit, you must take your semester schedule to Tutorial Services at the campus of your choice and Page 6 of 7

7 activate the CSN student account. The earlier you apply for help, the more likely that you will succeed. RETENTION/STUDENT SUCCESS SERVICES: Trained specialists/advocates help students assess personal strengthens and limitations, determine the root of a variety of academic struggles, develop college success strategies, implement action plans, learn to navigate the educational system, benefit from campus and community resources, and connect to campus life. Contact information: Charleston: Bldg. B-119, ; Cheyenne: 1111 Student Services Area, ; Henderson: Bldg. B-130, THE REENTRY PROGRAM: This program assists students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science Degree and/or Certificate programs at CSN with a special emphasis on individuals pursuing nontraditional occupations. To be eligible the student must complete a FASFA each year, declare an AAS degree or certificate program, participate in required meetings, maintain adequate academic progress, and have demonstrated financial need. Services include: Career guidance & exploration, information on non-traditional occupations, mentoring and academic advisement, community assistance referrals, Academic & Life Strategies workshops, employability workshops, scholarships for tuition and books, assistance with transportation, uniforms and tools, and Textbook Assistant Loan Program. The ReEntry Program phone numbers are Cheyenne: ; Charleston: ; and Henderson: Page 7 of 7