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Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions. You will get hands-on experience with handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities.

Accounting Fundamentals covers all the bases, from writing checks to preparing an income statement and closing out accounts at the end of each fiscal period. Whether you're a sole proprietor looking to manage your business finances or you simply want to gain an understanding of accounting basics for career advancement or for personal use, this course will give you a solid foundation in financial matters.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Account Classifications, Account Titles, T Accounts, and the Accounting Equation

Welcome to Accounting Fundamentals! In this first lesson, you will learn all about account classifications, debits, credits, and T accounts. You will learn the difference between a liability and an asset and find out how to determine an owner's equity.

General Ledger Accounts and the Balance Sheet

Here's where you will begin your hands-on accounting practice: You will start by creating an imaginary company for which you will be the accountant. You will learn how to analyze your company's transactions to determine which amounts go into which accounts, then you will create your company's own General Ledger forms and post a few transactions into those accounts.

Journalizing Transactions and Posting to the General Ledger

Now that you understand the functions of the General Ledger, you're ready to move on to the next phase of recording transactions: the Journal. In this lesson, you will learn how to enter transactions into an 11-column journal and then post or transfer those amounts into appropriate General Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Purchases and Payments on Account

In this lesson, you will learn all about Accounts Payable, which is money that you owe your vendors and suppliers. You will practice journalizing cash purchases and purchases on account, and you will get hands-on practice transferring those purchases to their corresponding Accounts Payable Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Sales and Cash Received on Account

In this lesson, you will learn about Accounts Receivable, which is another name for money owed to your company by its customers. You will learn how to journalize and post those sales on account, how to enter charge sales into the journal, and how to transfer the information into an Accounts Receivable Ledger.

Payroll and Various Deductions

It's payday! This lesson will teach you how to determine gross pay, deductions, and net pay. You will learn how to prepare a payroll, write payroll checks, and how to prepare and maintain accurate payroll records.

Banking Services and Reports

In this lesson, you will learn all about banks and banking services: You will learn the proper way to write checks, make out deposit tickets, and reconcile your company's checking account with the bank statement. These are skills you will find valuable in both your business and personal life!

Posting Journal Totals to the General Ledger and Schedule of Accounts Payable and Schedule of Accounts Receivable

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a Schedule of Accounts Payable and a Schedule of Accounts Receivable. These reports can be used to compare the amount of money your business owes its creditors with the amount of money your customers owe your business.

End-Of-Year Worksheet

In this lesson, you will prepare a worksheet showing the net income or net loss for the fiscal period. The worksheet will show all income and expenses for the fiscal period as well as the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity account balances.

End-Of-Year Financial Reports

In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare various reports that are vital to the well-being of your company. You will learn how these reports can be used to make sound financial decisions in the next fiscal period. You will discover how to put together an Owner's Equity Statement, an Income Statement, and a Distribution of Net Income.

Journalizing and Posting Adjusting Entries

In this lesson, you will prepare for the end of the fiscal period by adjusting your asset account balances to accurately reflect the assets remaining at the end of the year. You will also find out how to journalize and post adjusting and closing entries to bring your company's General Ledger up to date.

Journalizing and Posting Closing Entries and Preparing a Post Closing Trial Balance

In the final lesson, you will prepare a Post Closing Trial Balance report to ensure that all of your debits and credits in the General Ledger balance out in preparation for the new fiscal period.

What you will learn

• Learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions
• Get hands-on experience with handing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities
• Learn about writing checks, preparing an income statement, and closing out accounts at the end of a fiscal period

How you will benefit

• Learn everything you need to know to better manage your finances
• Gain a solid understanding of accounting basics to be able to manage business finances or advance your career
• Open the door to more career opportunities in the in-demand field of accounting and finance

Nancy Koenig

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

While it is true that accounting professionals are scarce, those with corporate accounting experience are even scarcer. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of corporate accounting practices.

In Accounting Fundamentals II, you will explore such topics as special journals, uncollectible accounts receivable, plant assets, depreciation, notes and interest, accrued revenue and expenses, dividends, retained earnings, and various financial reports for corporations.

If you're interested in increasing your financial awareness and accountability while also gaining a marketable skill, this is the course for you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Accounts Payable

In this lesson, you will learn all about accounts payable. You will be journalizing and posting your company's purchases and preparing a Schedule of Accounts Payable. This lesson will give you the tools you need to successfully track those accounts.

Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will take a close look at accounts receivable. After completing this lesson, you will know how to enter charge sales into your Sales Journal and then post them to your General Ledger. You will have also learned how to journalize payments on account received from your charge customers.

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will learn about uncollectible accounts receivable. While many believe customers will always pay what they owe, that is not always the case. You will learn how to account for long overdue receivables that probably won't ever be paid.

Plant Assets and Depreciation

In this lesson, you will learn about plant assets and depreciation. Just like your car, business assets depreciate over time, so you will need to know how to account for that expense in your records. You will also need to record these assets and calculate their depreciation in a timely manner.

Notes Payable and Notes Receivable

This lesson is all about notes payable and notes receivable. You will learn all you need to know about accounting for these situations as you learn how to record the issuance and payment of these notes payables and notes receivables.

Accrued Income and Accrued Expenses

In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses. Accrued income is money that the company earns in one fiscal period but doesn't receive until after another fiscal period begins.

Dividends and Starting the Year-End Worksheet

In this lesson, you will be dealing with dividends, which is money paid to the company's stockholders on their investment. You will learn how the business accounts for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. You will also look at retained earnings, or the amount of profit the corporation retains for future use.

Complete Year-End Worksheet With Adjustments

In this lesson, you will determine whether your business has a net income or a net loss by completing the worksheet started in the previous lesson. Because many General Ledger accounts change throughout the fiscal period, you will also need to bring these accounts up to date.

End-Of-Fiscal-Period Financial Reports

It's time to begin wrapping up your books for the end of the fiscal period. In this lesson, you will learn how to compile most of the various financial reports a corporation needs to complete at the end of the fiscal period.

Adjusting and Closing Entries and Post Closing Trial Balance

In this lesson, you will get the books all caught up and ready for the next fiscal period. You will go back and journalize those adjusting entries you entered into your worksheet, then you will enter closing entries into your journal.

Preparing a Payroll

This lesson covers every employee's favorite subject: Payroll. You will learn about various mandatory and voluntary deductions from employees' pay, as well as how to journalize and post an entire payroll. As an added bonus, after this lesson, you will be able to check the accuracy of your own paycheck.

Preparing Federal Tax Deposits and Year-End Tax Reports

The final lesson focuses on preparing a variety of end-of-year tax reports. Here's your chance to go step-by-step through a multitude of IRS forms with instructions that are much easier to understand. You will fill out the federal Form 941, then learn how to make federal income tax deposits.

What you will learn

• Learn about accounts payable and receivable
• Understand how to represent uncollectible accounts in reports
• Learn about plant assets and timely depreciation of these assets
• Learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses
• Understand stock dividends and retained earnings
• Learn how to prepare year-end financial documents including tax forms

How you will benefit

• Become more indispensable to any organization as you develop higher level accounting skills
• Learn everything you need to know to accurately keep the books for any type of business
• Become more aware of the accuracy of your own personal pay stubs and tax documents
• Open the door to more career opportunities in accounting

Nancy Koenig

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Gain the skills and knowledge you'll need to prepare for the Certified Administrative Professional exam and begin a rewarding career as an administrative assistant.

Discover how time management, accounting, business law, organizational behavior, and management affect administrative assistant responsibilities and activities. Learn the basics of accounting, including the general ledger and key accounting terms, and see how financial statements and controls help keep your organization moving in a positive direction. Understand the fundamentals of business law, contracts, and the principal-agency relationship; discover ethics and organizational politics; and understand the basics of human resources management.

Also, discover key management functions such as planning, control, motivation, and organization, discover how to increase creativity. Plus, find out how marketing differs from sales and learn the basics of operations management. This course may help you prepare for the internationally-recognized Certified Administrative Professional® (CAP®) exam offered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Note: This course is not affiliated with, nor has it been endorsed by, the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Change Management and Teams

This lesson will discuss why change is so important, review why people are reluctant to change, and explore strategies that can help you overcome resistance to change. It'll help you establish a winning team and lead you through the stages of recruiting, evaluating, and selecting team members. You'll explore the concepts of a core team, extended team, and the overly important team. The lesson will finish up by discussing the complete performance planning process, including how to address performance problems and how to make reviews more meaningful.

Accounting Basics I

In this lesson and the one that follows, you'll learn accounting and financial concepts and fundamentals to help you increase your readiness to use financial information. You'll gain a strong foundation by learning about the general ledger, by seeing the difference between accounting and bookkeeping, and by investigating the different types of accounting. The lesson will demystify debits and credits and present the accounting equation as a cornerstone of all modern accounting systems.

Accounting Basics II

Now that you've absorbed the basics of accounting, it's time to learn how to apply financial information. You'll start off by reviewing two vital financial statements that you will find at nearly every organization—the balance sheet and the income statement. Next, you'll find out how to account for inventories and then discover the significance of cash flow. By the end of the lesson, you'll clearly understand how sound cash management helps companies stay on the right path.

Business Law I

Administrative assistants need to know the basics of business law. You'll need to have a good grasp of key legal concepts, such as the principal-agency relationship and the basics of contracts. The lesson will start things off by looking at the idea of law, going through an overview of the legal system, and discussing the essence of commercial law. It'll tackle the essentials of contracts, such as the elements and the various types, and finish up by discussing Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

Business Law II

In this lesson, you'll examine the four most popular organizational forms: sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, and corporation. You'll learn all about organizational politics, and see that wherever people work together, you'll find politics. The lesson will also touch on business ethics, a critical concept that has received much attention in recent years.

Human Resources Management

In this lesson you'll take a look at human resources management. It's possible that your job responsibilities as an administrative assistant will encompass many or all of the aspects of human resources. Even if you don't have this as a direct responsibility, you may have to interface with or be indirectly involved in aspects of human resources management, working with your company's HR manager. You'll explore employee relations, guidelines for documentation in human resources, and the staffing process. You'll also review conflict resolution, how to hire the right person, and much, much more.

Planning and Control

Life is filled with opportunities, problems, and choices. When you effectively plan and control your activities, and also make timely decisions and solve problems, you become a valued asset. You'll look at the ins and outs of planning because just about everything you do begins with a plan. The lesson will help you learn about the counterpart of planning: control. By the time you finish it, you'll know all about problem solving and be able to apply a model of decision making.

Organizing

Organizing is a critical topic that many companies struggle with. In this lesson, you'll discover how resources are organized so employees can productively perform job duties and complete tasks. You'll begin by studying the purpose of organization and examining several coordinating principles, including authority, power, and span of control. You'll learn the purpose of the staffing function and how to evaluate such key elements as recruitment, selection, appraisal, and development. The lesson will conclude by looking at six different forms of organizational charts.

Leading and Motivating

It's often said that motivation and leadership are two sides of the same coin. It's difficult to have one and not the other. This lesson will begin by defining motivation and exploring four theories of motivation, and then move into leadership. You'll learn about the different types of leadership and discover the difference between delegation and empowerment. You'll also examine creativity and see how you can increase your creativity levels.

Marketing

Most people believe that marketing is either advertising or selling. The primary objective of this lesson is to make sure that you clearly understand the distinction between marketing, advertising, and sales. You'll discover what it means to be consumer oriented and learn how to apply the four Ps (product, place, price, promotion) and see how these variables work together to form marketing strategies.

Operations Management

Operations management is one of the unheralded activities at a company. The folks that work in this area don't receive much credit and don't lead a glamorous life. They're the behind-the-scenes people that keep the ball rolling so that customers are happy and the company makes profits. In this lesson, you'll explore the diverse nature of operations management and see how selecting, designing, operating, controlling, and updating play an important role in all operating systems. Along the way, you'll learn about the importance of key concepts like forecasting, capacity, and make-or-buy analysis.

Time Management

You've probably heard the saying "time is money." How you manage your time is the key to your success. Time management is one of the most important skills you as an administrative assistant can develop. If you don't learn how to manage your time, you will not be as effective and efficient and you run the risk of letting down those people who rely on you. In this lesson, you'll learn about the importance of time management and how it can benefit you in your role as an administrative assistant. The lesson will examine the benefits of time management and identify tools and techniques to help you free up more time for work and outside interests.

What you will learn

• Learn the basics of accounting and key accounting terms
• Understand how financial statements and controls help keep your organization moving in a positive direction
• Learn the fundamentals of business law, contracts, and the principal-agency relationship
• Discover ethics and organizational politics
• Understand the basics of human resources management

How you will benefit

• Understand how all areas of a business can affect your administrative assistant responsibilities and activities
• Become more valuable to your organization as you familiarize yourself with all of its moving parts
• Open the door to new opportunities as an administrative assistant

Becky Swaim

Becky Swaim has taught since 2000, focusing on Administrative Assistant Fundamentals, Administrative Assistant Applications, and Individual Excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Long Beach. Her experience includes managing large staff in medical billing and collections and as a program manager to various medical practices.

Tony Swaim

Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas are project management, Six Sigma, and supply chain management. Tony manages a successful consulting firm, and his industry experience includes 20 years of supply chain management. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University and holds professional certifications in six disciplines, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI)® and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)® from the American Society for Quality (ASQ)®.

This course will help you discover and master the essentials of managerial and staff support, information and records management, communications technology, travel and meeting coordination, space planning, and office ergonomics.

Rapid growth in the health, legal services, data processing, management, public relations, and other industries have created many new job opportunities for administrative assistants. This course will help you discover and master the essentials of managerial and staff support, information and records management, communications technology, travel and meeting coordination, space planning, and office ergonomics. You will become an indispensable member of your team by identifying opportunities and implementing solutions to turn your office into a high productivity machine.

This course and its follow up (Administrative Assistant Applications) may help you prepare for the internationally-recognized Certified Administrative Professional® (CAP®) exam offered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Note: This course is not affiliated with, nor has it been endorsed by, the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Introduction

In the first lesson, you will learn why organizations need administrative assistants and explore the types of work that they perform. You will be introduced to the different administrative specialties and look at an overview of their varied duties and requirements. You will learn about the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), and the professional certification—Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)—that IAAP offers.

Office Planning and Layout

As an administrative assistant, you frequently participate in office planning. This lesson will help you to understand that an office is an interdependent system where everything works together. You will see that creating an office environment requires bringing many components together.

Information Management

In today's fast-paced world, organizations move very quickly and make split-second decisions that have far reaching implications. In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively use information management to create a successful office operation and help increase your value to your organization.

Communications Technology

Telecommunications, communications, and technology fit together like a hand in a glove. This lesson will show you how telecommunications technology enables you to access information, share knowledge, and communicate without boundaries.

Records Management

In this lesson, you will learn how to productively use reprographics and manage records, two duties that are frequently handled by administrative assistants. You will also discover that records management is the management of paper documents, micromedia, and other documents.

Hardware and Software

As an administrative assistant, you spend a lot of your day inputting and storing data, retrieving and analyzing information, and producing presentations, newsletters, numerical reports, graphs, and charts. To better help you focus on computer hardware and software in this lesson to help you better understand the properties of your office computer system.

Meetings, Conferences, and Travel

This lesson covers scheduling and coordinating meetings, conferences, and business travel. As an administrative assistant, you play an important role in helping co-workers arrive at the right place at the right time. You also provide them with information and materials that enhance their effectiveness while they travel and participate in meetings.

Policies and Procedures

A critical responsibility of administrative assistants is coordinating numerous office activities. This lesson examines how to create practical policies and procedures. You will focus on the use of policies and procedures that meet organizational objectives and create order in your day-to-day activities.

Business Documents

As an administrative assistant, you spend much of your time reading and composing business documents. This lesson's objective is to enhance your business writing skills. After you finish this lesson, you will have an increased ability to write high-quality business documents.

Grammar and Punctuation

This lesson bridges the subjects of written and verbal communication by discussing the principles of grammar and punctuation. It's likely that you need to help others with their written communication, so you will also review the mechanics of proofreading.

Interpersonal Communication

As an administrative assistant, you practice interpersonal communication in a variety of ways, ranging from one-on-one to communicating in a group. This lesson will explain how your desire to share thoughts and ideas creates the first part of communication and how you create the second part when you listen, interpret, and react to feedback.

Research and Presentations

This final lesson will teach you how to perform basic research—something administrative assistants are often asked to do. It also discusses the steps you take to create a meaningful and memorable presentation, including strategies for starting your preparation and the software that can help you create a polished piece.

What you will learn

• Essentials of managerial and staff support.
• Information and records management.
• Communications technology.
• Travel and meeting coordination.
• Space planning and office ergonomics.

How you will benefit

• Become an indispensable member of your team when you put your newfound knowledge and skills into practice.
• Increase your job opportunities and earnings potential.
• Continue your education with our Administrative Assistant Applications course to prepare for the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) exam.

Becky Swaim

Becky Swaim has taught since 2000, focusing on Administrative Assistant Fundamentals, Administrative Assistant Applications, and Individual Excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Long Beach. Her experience includes managing large staff in medical billing and collections and as a program manager to various medical practices.

Tony Swaim

Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas are project management, Six Sigma, and supply chain management. Tony manages a successful consulting firm, and his industry experience includes 20 years of supply chain management. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University and holds professional certifications in six disciplines, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI)® and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)® from the American Society for Quality (ASQ)®.

This course will help you discover and master the essentials of managerial and staff support, information and records management, communications technology, travel and meeting coordination, space planning, and office ergonomics. You will become an indispensable member of your team by identifying opportunities and implementing solutions to turn your office into a high productivity machine.

Rapid growth in the health, legal services, data processing, management, public relations, and other industries have created many new job opportunities for administrative assistants. This course will help you discover and master the essentials of managerial and staff support, information and records management, communications technology, travel and meeting coordination, space planning, and office ergonomics. You will become an indispensable member of your team by identifying opportunities and implementing solutions to turn your office into a high productivity machine.

This course and its follow up (Administrative Assistant Applications) may help you prepare for the internationally-recognized Certified Administrative Professional® (CAP®) exam offered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Note: This course is not affiliated with, nor has it been endorsed by, the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Introduction

In the first lesson, you will learn why organizations need administrative assistants and explore the types of work that they perform. You will be introduced to the different administrative specialties and look at an overview of their varied duties and requirements. You will learn about the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), and the professional certification—Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)—that IAAP offers.

Office Planning and Layout

As an administrative assistant, you frequently participate in office planning. This lesson will help you to understand that an office is an interdependent system where everything works together. You will see that creating an office environment requires bringing many components together.

Information Management

In today's fast-paced world, organizations move very quickly and make split-second decisions that have far reaching implications. In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively use information management to create a successful office operation and help increase your value to your organization.

Communications Technology

Telecommunications, communications, and technology fit together like a hand in a glove. This lesson will show you how telecommunications technology enables you to access information, share knowledge, and communicate without boundaries.

Records Management

In this lesson, you will learn how to productively use reprographics and manage records, two duties that are frequently handled by administrative assistants. You will also discover that records management is the management of paper documents, micromedia, and other documents.

Hardware and Software

As an administrative assistant, you spend a lot of your day inputting and storing data, retrieving and analyzing information, and producing presentations, newsletters, numerical reports, graphs, and charts. To better help you focus on computer hardware and software in this lesson to help you better understand the properties of your office computer system.

Meetings, Conferences, and Travel

This lesson covers scheduling and coordinating meetings, conferences, and business travel. As an administrative assistant, you play an important role in helping co-workers arrive at the right place at the right time. You also provide them with information and materials that enhance their effectiveness while they travel and participate in meetings.

Policies and Procedures

A critical responsibility of administrative assistants is coordinating numerous office activities. This lesson examines how to create practical policies and procedures. You will focus on the use of policies and procedures that meet organizational objectives and create order in your day-to-day activities.

Business Documents

As an administrative assistant, you spend much of your time reading and composing business documents. This lesson's objective is to enhance your business writing skills. After you finish this lesson, you will have an increased ability to write high-quality business documents.

Grammar and Punctuation

This lesson bridges the subjects of written and verbal communication by discussing the principles of grammar and punctuation. It's likely that you need to help others with their written communication, so you will also review the mechanics of proofreading.

Interpersonal Communication

As an administrative assistant, you practice interpersonal communication in a variety of ways, ranging from one-on-one to communicating in a group. This lesson discusses how your desire to share thoughts and ideas create the first part of communication and how you create the second part when you listen, interpret, and react to feedback.

Research and Presentations

This final lesson will teach you how to perform basic research—something administrative assistants are often asked to do. It also discusses the steps you take to create a meaningful and memorable presentation, including strategies for starting your preparation and the software that can help you create a polished piece.

This course offers a deep dive into digital animation and interactive media, teaching you how to create engaging animations and interactive content using Adobe Animate. You will also prepare for the Animate certification exam and a career in animation and multimedia design.

This Adobe Animate course is a thorough exploration into the vibrant world of digital animation and interactive media, catering to both novices and seasoned animators. It covers everything from basic interface navigation to advanced animation techniques. You will learn to craft compelling animations, design detailed characters, and incorporate sound and video, all while utilizing Animate's robust toolset. Furthermore, the course introduces scripting, enabling the addition of interactivity to animations.

This online animation course guides you through creating and managing symbols, mastering a spectrum of animation techniques from frame-by-frame animation to tweening and motion edits, and perfecting character design. Advanced topics such as rotoscoping, rigging with the Bone Tool, and adding interactivity with ActionScript or JavaScript will also be covered by learning Adobe Animate. This educational journey ensures the acquisition of skills necessary for integrating audio and video into animations, applying filters, and producing content for HTML5 Canvas and WebGL, thereby broadening the scope of web animation capabilities.

By the end of the course, you will be well-prepared to pass the Animate certification exam and for a career in the animation industry, equipped with a deep understanding of animation principles and best practices. Your curriculum is structured to offer a step-by-step guide through the animation process, from basic drawing and animation techniques to complex character design and interactivity scripting. Hands-on exercises and practical applications reinforce learning, enabling you to apply concepts in real-world settings and open up new opportunities in the fields of animation and multimedia design.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 11.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Animate (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

1. Introduction to Animate
1. Animate Home Screen
2. Creating New Documents
3. Drawing Basic Shapes
4. Animate Interface
5. Tools
6. Properties
7. Libraries
8. The Timeline
9. Navigating a Document
10. Rulers, Guides, and Grids
11. Setting Preferences
2. Animation Basics
1. Symbols
2. Types of Symbols: Graphic, Button, and Movie Clip
3. Creating Symbols
4. Creating Symbols and Adding Them to the Library (Exercise)
5. Editing Symbols
6. Edit a Symbol and Observe the Changes (Exercise)
7. Overview of Animation
8. Onion Skinning
9. Use Onion Skinning to Create a Smooth, Frame-by-Frame Animation (Exercise)
10. Introduction to Basic Movement: Timing, Weight, And Movement
11. Overview of Tweening
12. Shape Tween
13. Create a Shape Tween with a Symbol (Exercise)
14. Motion Tween
15. Create a Motion Tween with a Symbol (Exercise)
16. Understanding the Motion Editor Panel
17. Use the Motion Editor Panel to Modify a Tween (Exercise)
18. Apply Easing to Animation
19. Apply Easing to Animation to Create Natural Movement (Exercise)
20. Previewing an Animation
21. Preview and Test Your Animation (Exercise)
22. Saving and Exporting an Animation
23. Exporting Options
24. Export the Animation in Different Formats (Exercise)
3. Drawing Tools
1. Selection Tools
2. Brush Tools
3. Experimenting with Brush Tools on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
4. The Pen Tool
5. Experimenting with the Pen Tool on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
6. Shape Tools
7. Experimenting with the Shape Tools on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
8. Color Tools
9. Modifying and Transforming Shapes
10. Draw Basic Shapes and Modify them using Transformation Tools (Exercise)
11. Layers and Symbols
12. Drawing a Simple Illustration (Exercise)
4. Character Design
1. Basic Illustration Principles
2. Introduction to Character Design
3. Drawing the Head
4. Draw the Character's Head (Exercise)
5. Drawing the Facial Features
6. Draw the Character's Facial Features (Exercise)
7. Drawing the Body
8. Draw the Character's Body (Exercise)
9. Arms and Hands
10. Draw the Character's Arms And Hands (Exercise)
11. Drawing the Legs and Feet
12. Draw the Character's Legs And Feet (Exercise)
13. Saving and Exporting Your Character
14. Save and Export Your Character (Exercise)
5. Advanced Techniques
1. Rotoscoping
2. Rotoscope a Short Video Clip (Exercise)
3. Utilizing Camera and Layer Depth Tools
4. Create a Scene with Depth using Camera and Layer Tools (Exercise)
5. ActionScript and JavaScript in Animate
6. Add Interactivity to an Animation with ActionScript or JavaScript (Exercise)
7. Sound and Video Integration in Animate
8. Incorporate Sound into an Animation (Exercise)
9. Sound Mixing and Scape Creation
10. Create a Basic Sound Mix and Scape for an Animation (Exercise)
11. Using the Bone Tool for Rigging
12. Rig a Character using the Bone Tool (Exercise)
13. Working with Motion Presets
14. Animate an Object using Motion Presets (Exercise)
15. Applying Filters and Blend Modes
16. Add Effects to an Animation with Filters and Blend Modes (Exercise)
17. The Art of Masking
18. Create an Animation with Masking Effects (Exercise)
19. Understanding HTML5 Canvas and WebGL Document Types
20. Create an Interactive Web Content with HTML5 Canvas (Exercise)
21. Publishing and Export Options in Animate
22. Publish an Animation in Various Formats (Exercise)
6. Working In The Animation Industry
1. Purpose, Audience, and Audience Needs
2. Communicating about Design Plans
3. Copyright, Permissions, and Licensing
4. Animation and Interactive Media Key Terminology
5. Basic Design Principles and Industry Best Practices
6. Animation and Interactive Media Principles

What you will learn

• Understand the basics of Adobe Animate's interface and tools for creating animations and interactive media
• Comprehend how to design characters and animate them effectively for various projects
• Discover techniques for integrating sound and video into your animations
• Perfect your scripting with ActionScript and JavaScript to add interactivity to your animations
• Grasp the scope of the Animate certification exam and how to prepare for it

How you will benefit

• Develop a solid understanding of the Adobe Animate interface and its functionalities
• Learn to create and manage different types of symbols for efficient animation workflows
• Master various animation techniques, including frame-by-frame animation, tweening, and motion editing
• Gain proficiency in character design, from basic sketching to detailed character creation
• Explore advanced animation techniques such as rotoscoping and rigging with the Bone Tool
• Understand how to add interactivity to animations using ActionScript or JavaScript
• Learn to integrate audio and video elements into animations for a richer experience
• Discover the art of masking and applying filters and blend modes to enhance animations
• Acquire skills in creating content for HTML5 Canvas and WebGL, expanding web animation capabilities
• Prepare for a career in the animation industry with an understanding of key principles and best practices

In this hands-on course, you will learn Microsoft Excel 2019's advanced functions and often-overlooked features, including data analysis tools, data tables and databases, custom controls, and PivotTables.

Most organizations rely heavily on Microsoft Excel to consolidate, analyze, and report financial information and other important data. Your company is probably no exception. If you work with data of any kind, learning Excel's advanced functions to taking on greater responsibilities in your organization.

This course will help you master many features in Microsoft Excel 2019 that most users don't know exist. You will learn the secret to using formula-based conditional formatting as a creative solution to common issues. You will also learn how to leverage Excel's Power Query tool to import and transform data from about any data source. By the time you finish this course, you will have mastered Microsoft Excel 2019 and will be able to better serve your company's data management needs.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. It is not suitable for Macs or Chromebooks.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Excel 2019 (desktop version), available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft will not work with the full version taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Customizing Excel

To kick things off, this lesson explains different ways you can modify Excel to streamline processes and make your work easier. You will use the Excel Options dialog box to customize some of Excel's behind-the-scenes behavior and set up your Quick Access Toolbar.

Table Management

This lesson explores Excel's table management features, using data forms with Excel databases, and alternative database techniques. You'll be glad to know that formatting and working with tables has become much easier in this latest version of Excel.

Data Validation

In this lesson, you will tackle data validation techniques—your first line of defense against incorrect or missing data and the logical next step after data forms. You will practice using whole number, decimal, date, time, list, and other forms of validation.

Custom Controls

This lesson will introduce you to custom controls—graphical objects that help facilitate data input and are sure to impress users. You will learn how to create standard and drop-down list boxes, check boxes, option buttons, and group boxes.

Conditional Formatting

This lesson will teach you how to use conditional formatting. You will learn how to use conditional formatting to hide errors, to highlight records based on multiple criteria, to track and alert you about due dates, to find the differences between two lists, to shade every other row, and more.

Consolidating and Outlining

In this lesson, you will learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarize data from multiple sources. Many Excel users do this the hard way, but with Excel's automatic consolidation feature, you will no longer need to develop a web of formula links to multiple sources.

Excel Functions and Nesting

Excel's functions are too numerous to cover in just one lesson, so this lesson focuses on a few important ones spanning four categories: Logical, Database, Math & Trig, and Lookup & Reference.

Import External Data

This lesson focuses on importing external data. You will learn how to use the built-in Query Editor using Excel's powerful Power Query tool and import external database that combines two database tables into a single import.

Data Tables

Data tables are very powerful what-if analysis tools that are great for analyzing potential outcomes of personal or business financial decisions. In this lesson, you will learn how to use two different types of data tables.

What-If Analysis Tools

This lesson explores three more of Excel's what-if analysis tools: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Solver.

Advanced PivotTables

In this lesson, you will discover how to use PivotTables, which are excellent for summarizing massive amounts of data and viewing different cuts of the information quickly. There are two methods for creating PivotTables, and you will practice using both.

Analysis ToolPak, Advanced Filter, Array Formulas, and More!

Your final lesson with a look at the functions available in the Analysis ToolPak, including Moving Average and Sampling tools. You will learn how to use the View Side by Side tool and how to use the Watch Window to keep tabs on your data when you're updating a workbook.

What you will learn

• The power of what-if analysis tools like data tables, Scenario Manager, Solver, and Goal Seek
• To build creative formulas with conditional formatting to solve common problems
• To import and transform external data from multiple external sources
• To combine multiple Access tables into a single table using Power Query

How you will benefit

• Master Excel 2019 and become a more productive member of your organization
• Gain indispensable skills that will be useful in any organization that relies on numbers-based reporting
• Learn to use the power of Microsoft Excel 2019 to save time, money and frustration
• Develop skills that can be used to simplify your life of calculating and displaying numbers both personally and professionally

Chad Wambolt

Chad Wambolt has spent his entire professional career in the finance field, working for both private and publicly-held companies with sales ranging from $500 million to $3 billion. He is a graduate of Boise State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting. Through the course of his career, Wambolt became an expert user of Microsoft Excel. Since 1997, he has taught Excel to students of varying skill levels and helped organizations streamline internal processes.

This hands-on course will teach you Microsoft Excel 2019's advanced functions and often-overlooked features, including data analysis tools, data tables and databases, custom controls, and PivotTables.

Across industries, most organizations use Microsoft Excel to consolidate, analyze, and report financial information and other important data. If you work with data of any kind, learning Excel's advanced functions strengthens your professional portfolio.

The Advanced Microsoft Excel 2019 course will teach you Excel's advanced functions, which most users don't know exist. You will learn how to use formula-based conditional formatting as a creative solution to common issues. You will also learn how to leverage Excel's Power Query tool to import and transform data from any data source.

By course completion, you will be an expert in Microsoft Excel 2019.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. It is not suitable for Macs or Chromebooks.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Excel 2019 (desktop version), available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft will not work with the full version taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Customizing Excel

To kick things off, your first lesson explores different ways you can modify Excel to streamline processes and make your work easier. You will use the Excel Options dialog box to customize some of Excel's behind-the-scenes behavior and set up your Quick Access Toolbar.

Table Management

This lesson explores Excel's table management features, using data forms with Excel databases, and alternative database techniques. You will be glad to know that formatting and working with tables has gotten much easier in this latest version of Excel.

Data Validation

In this lesson, you will tackle data validation techniques—your first line of defense against incorrect or missing data and the logical next step after data forms. You will practice using whole number, decimal, date, time, list, and other forms of validation.

Custom Controls

This lesson will introduce you to custom controls—graphical objects that help facilitate data input and are sure to impress users. You will learn how to create standard and drop-down list boxes, check boxes, option buttons, and group boxes.

Conditional Formatting

This lesson will teach you how to use conditional formatting. You will learn how to use conditional formatting to hide errors, to highlight records based on multiple criteria, to track and alert you about due dates, to find the differences between two lists, to shade every other row, and more.

Consolidating and Outlining

In this lesson, you will learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarize data from multiple sources. Many Excel users do this the hard way, but with Excel's automatic consolidation feature, you will no longer need to develop a web of formula links to multiple sources.

Excel Functions and Nesting

Excel's functions are too numerous to cover in just one lesson, so this lesson focuses on a few important ones spanning four categories: Logical, Database, Math & Trig, and Lookup & Reference.

Import External Data

This lesson focuses on importing external data. You will learn how to use the built-in Query Editor using Excel's powerful Power Query tool and import external database that combines two database tables into a single import.

Data Tables

Data tables are very powerful what-if analysis tools that are great for analyzing potential outcomes of personal or business financial decisions. In this lesson, you will learn how to use two different types of data tables.

What-If Analysis Tools

This lesson explores three more of Excel's what-if analysis tools: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Solver.

Advanced PivotTables

In this lesson, you will discover how to use PivotTables, which are excellent for summarizing massive amounts of data and viewing different cuts of the information quickly. There are two methods for creating PivotTables, and you will practice using both.

Analysis ToolPak, Advanced Filter, Array Formulas, and More!

Your final lesson with a look at the functions available in the Analysis ToolPak, including Moving Average and Sampling tools. You will learn how to use the View Side by Side tool and how to use the Watch Window to keep tabs on your data when you're updating a workbook.

In this online course, you will train for a career as a paralegal. You will learn how to fulfill the standard duties associated with this vital role. By course completion, you will be prepared to sit for and pass the Certified Paralegal (CP) exam.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Office (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Exam Requirements:

You must meet one of the following requirements outlined in Categories 1, 2, or 3 at the time of filing an application form to be eligible for the CP certification exam through NALA.

1. Graduation from or completion of a paralegal program:

• (a) approved by the American Bar Association; or
• (b) an associate degree program in paralegal studies; or
• (c) a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies; or
• (In addition to the official school transcript, a candidate must submit an original course catalog or an original letter from the school registrar or program director attesting that the program is a post-baccalaureate certificate program requiring a bachelor's degree as a prerequisite.)
• (d) a bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies; or
• (e) a paralegal program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) are substantive legal courses.

(Candidates applying under Category 1(e) may combine college hours from more than one institution. The candidate must have graduated from a paralegal program consisting of a minimum of 15 semester hours (or 225 clock hours or 22.5 quarter hours.) Evidence of the minimum hours required under Category 1(e) must be provided with the application form.)

*Note: (15 semester hours = 225 clock hours) - This course is 225 hours and can be combined with 45 semester hours to meet the 60 semester hours required in option 1(e). If you do not have 45 semester hours, you will need to meet eligibility with category 2 or 3)

2. A bachelor's degree in any field plus one year of experience as a paralegal or successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of substantive paralegal courses.

(Those applying under the provision allowing for additional course work in lieu of the one-year work experience must submit an official school transcript showing completed course work.)

3. A high school diploma or equivalent plus five (5) years' experience as a legal assistant/paralegal plus a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing legal education completed within a two-year period prior to application for the examination.

(Evidence of continuing legal education credit is documented by the attorney/employer attestation that must be signed as part of the application form or by submitting a certificate of completions of CLE taken.)

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Introduction to Paralegalism
• Paralegal Today: The Legal Team at Work
• Access to Westlaw: Legal Solutions
• After successful completion of the course and financial obligation you will receive access to the Certified Paralegal Exam review self-study courses, which includes:
  • Membership
  • Access to the self-study courses

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

Paralegals play a vital role in the legal profession. These qualified professionals take on a variety of tasks ranging from legal research to drafting legal documents in traditional law office settings and in the corporate, government, and public arenas. Formal training is a critical part of preparing for a career as a paralegal.

The Paralegal course will help you gain the skills you need to enter the paralegal workforce. You will learn how to conduct legal research and legal interviews, how to perform legal analyses, and more. As you prepare for your paralegal career, you will also receive soft skills training to increase workplace effectiveness. The course concludes with a capstone project. You will first create a complete litigation file that includes a legal analysis brief, an investigative report, a client interview checklist, an intake memo, a complaint, legal research, and an interoffice memorandum of law. Then, you will learn how to create a strong resume that encompasses your specialized skill set and showcases the impact you would make for your next employer.

Upon completion of the course, you will be prepared to sit for the Certified Paralegal exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) upon eligibility. Please review the exam requirements prior to registering for this course.

Through a partnership with National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), you will also receive membership and access to NALA's Certified Paralegal (CP) Exam Review courses should you choose to take the NALA CP exam at a future time.

1. The Paralegal in the Legal System
2. Paralegal Employment
3. On-the-Job Realities and Soft Skills
4. Regulations of Paralegals
5. Attorney and Paralegal Ethics
6. Introduction to the Legal System
7. Introduction to Legal Analysis
8. Capstone Project
9. Legal Interviewing
10. Investigation in a Law Office
11. Litigation Case Management
12. Legal Research 101 and Advanced Legal Research
13. Legal Writing
14. Introduction to the Use of Computers
15. Introduction to Law Office Administration
16. Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer Law
17. Contracts, Insurance, and Property Law
18. Estates and Family Law
19. Laws Affecting Business
20. Criminal Law
21. NALA Certified Paralegal Exam Preparation
22. Submit Capstone

What you will learn

• Learn the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system
• Master how to perform legal research and interviews
• Prepare yourself to take the Certified Paralegal certification exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• Understand the basics of litigation communication skills
• Soft skills for workplace effectiveness
• Learn necessary skills required to thrive within the legal industry
• Learn legal research skills with access to Westlaw

How you will benefit

• Jump-start your career as a paralegal
• Receive a membership to the National Association of Legal Assistants and access to NALA's Certified Paralegal Exam Review and Practice Exam
• Prepare a professional resume and portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge

Casey Thompson

Casey Thompson is a licensed attorney in Texas. Before he started teaching, his major areas of practice were business and corporate law, entertainment law, and intellectual property rights. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and holds a law degree from the Texas A&M School of Law. Along with his online paralegal courses, Thompson also teaches at the college level in the areas of state and federal government.

Trina Brown

Trina Brown is an accomplished paralegal with over three decades of experience in the field. Since 2013, she has also been providing education to aspiring paralegals. In addition to her educational role, Trina serves as a court-appointed mediator for the Dallas and Tarrant County courthouses and is a mediation panelist for the Texas Department of Insurance.

Trina has made significant contributions to the legal community, including her work on the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Ethics Handbook and articles published in The Legal Educator magazine. Furthermore, she is a Certified Arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Her extensive qualifications have been recognized in the Texas Bar Journal, showcasing current mediation credential holders in the state.

Trina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational dynamics from Immaculata University and a Master of Professional Studies in paralegal studies from The George Washington University. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in mediation. Her commitment to service is further demonstrated by her membership in the Paralegal Division of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, an honor society chartered by the Supreme Court of Texas.

In this online course, you will train for a career as a paralegal. You will learn how to fulfill the standard duties associated with this vital role. After completing this course, you will be prepared to sit for and pass the Certified Paralegal (CP) exam.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Office (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Introduction to Paralegalism
• Paralegal Today: The Legal Team at Work
• Access to Westlaw: Legal Solutions
• After successful completion of the course and financial obligation you will receive access to the Certified Paralegal Exam review self-study courses, which includes:
  • Membership
  • Access to the self-study courses

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

Paralegals play a vital role in the legal profession. These qualified professionals take on a variety of tasks ranging from legal research to drafting legal documents in traditional law office settings and in the corporate, government, and public arenas. Formal training is a critical part of preparing for a career as a paralegal.

The Paralegal course will help you gain the skills you need to enter the paralegal workforce. You will learn how to conduct legal research and legal interviews, how to perform legal analyses, and more. As you prepare for your paralegal career, you will also receive soft skills training to increase workplace effectiveness. The course concludes with a capstone project. You will first create a complete litigation file that includes: a legal analysis brief, an investigative report, client interview checklist, intake memo, complaint, legal research, and interoffice memorandum of law. Then, you will learn how to create a strong resume that encompasses your specialized skill set and showcases the impact you would make for your next employer.

Upon completion of the course, you will be prepared to sit for the Certified Paralegal exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) upon eligibility. Please review the exam requirements prior to registering for this course.

Through a partnership with the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), you will also receive membership and access to NALA's Certified Paralegal (CP) Exam Review courses should you choose to take the NALA CP exam.

This course offers enrollment with or without a voucher. The voucher covers the cost to sit for the Certified Paralegal exam upon eligibility. Proctor fees may apply, which are not included.

1. The Paralegal in the Legal System
2. Paralegal Employment
3. On-the-Job Realities and Soft Skills
4. Regulations of Paralegals
5. Attorney and Paralegal Ethics
6. Introduction to the Legal System
7. Introduction to Legal Analysis
8. Legal Interviewing
9. Investigation in a Law Office
10. Litigation Case Management
11. Legal Research 101 and Advanced Legal Research
12. Legal Writing
13. Introduction to the Use of Computers
14. Introduction to Law Office Administration
15. Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer Law
16. Contracts, Insurance, and Property Law
17. Estates and Family Law
18. Laws Affecting Business
19. Criminal Law
20. NALA Certified Paralegal Exam Preparation
21. Capstone

What you will learn

• Learn the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system
• Master how to perform legal research and interviews
• Prepare yourself to take the Certified Paralegal certification exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• Understand the basics of litigation communication skills
• Soft skills for workplace effectiveness
• Learn necessary skills required to thrive within the legal industry
• Learn legal research skills with access to Westlaw

How you will benefit

• Jump-start your career as a paralegal
• Receive a membership to the National Association of Legal Assistants and access to NALA's Certified Paralegal Exam Review and Practice Exam
• Prepare a professional resume and portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge

Casey Thompson

Casey Thompson is a licensed attorney in Texas. Before he started teaching, his major areas of practice were business and corporate law, entertainment law, and intellectual property rights. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and holds a law degree from the Texas A&M School of Law. Along with his online paralegal courses, Thompson also teaches at the college level in the areas of state and federal government.

Trina Brown

Trina Brown is an accomplished paralegal with over three decades of experience in the field. Since 2013, she has also been providing education to aspiring paralegals. In addition to her educational role, Trina serves as a court-appointed mediator for the Dallas and Tarrant County courthouses and is a mediation panelist for the Texas Department of Insurance.

Trina has made significant contributions to the legal community, including her work on the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Ethics Handbook and articles published in The Legal Educator magazine. Furthermore, she is a Certified Arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Her extensive qualifications have been recognized in the Texas Bar Journal, showcasing current mediation credential holders in the state.

Trina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational dynamics from Immaculata University and a Master of Professional Studies in paralegal studies from The George Washington University. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in mediation. Her commitment to service is further demonstrated by her membership in the Paralegal Division of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, an honor society chartered by the Supreme Court of Texas.

Gain a working knowledge of the computer skills you will need to succeed in today's job market.

Most jobs today require a working knowledge of certain computer skills. Employers seek and reward employees who can effectively send emails, create spreadsheets, manage databases, understand memory and network limitations, and recognize the function and features of modern computer components. Any job candidate who already possesses these skills will stand above those who do not.

This course is designed to provide the fundamental computer competencies you need to survive and prosper in today's fast-changing workplace. You will learn how to implement the powers of modern office software to work faster and more efficiently. This course will also focus on practical applications for software most common to the workplace. By the time you finish, you will have learned why employers consider technological literacy so critical to the success of any organization.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Any edition of Microsoft Office with desktop apps: Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Overview: The Workplace Technology Solution

Whether you're looking for a new job or looking to improve your position at your current company, computer skills are essential to your success. In our first lesson, we'll examine how companies set up and use technology solutions. Then we'll take a close look at some of the components of those solutions. Just understanding how technology fits into the overall flow of work at your company will advance your position relative to your peers.

Outlook: Email and Scheduling

Your computer has a software program installed on it that's referred to as an "operating system." Most often, this system is Microsoft Windows, but it could be others, such as macOS or Linux. In this lesson, you'll learn how this system controls many important parts of the computer and how you use those controls every day for tasks like managing where you keep important files, and printing hard copies of documents. We'll also talk about menus, taskbars, and shortcuts along the way.

Word: Creating and Formatting Documents

Next to email, the word processor is probably the most frequently used application software in the workplace. Yet, if you've never taken the time to learn the basic features of most word processors, you're not performing nearly to your potential. In today's lesson, you'll learn and practice the important capabilities of word processors like Microsoft Word.

Word: More Advanced Formatting

There are many excellent features in Microsoft Word that can enable you to create and edit very professional-looking documents. In this lesson, we are going to incorporate some of the more advanced Word functions to create documents that are sure to impress your peers and your supervisor. We'll focus on formatting and organizing your information using a wide range of Word processor tools.

Excel: Spreadsheet Basics

During today's lesson, we'll go over some important fundamental concepts related to spreadsheets, including spreadsheet organization, formatting, basic formulas, and data sorting. Once you discover how to create a basic budget spreadsheet, you'll see how the skills and knowledge you gain from this lesson can have a powerful impact on your ability to contribute more in the workplace.

Excel: Formatting, Charts, and Printing

In this lesson, we'll discuss more details about the spreadsheet, and how to provide easy-to-understand, accurate data. You'll learn how to build graphs that can graphically display numeric information so you can easily demonstrate trends, analyze past results, and predict future performance. You'll also find out how to use some advanced spreadsheet tools that can make your spreadsheets even more effective.

Access: Database Basics

During this lesson, we'll examine the components of a database, focusing primarily on the user interface. In your job, you might use this interface to perform a lot of different functions, including data input, data output, and data maintenance. Clerks work with databases to input information. Other employees might work with databases to filter, sort, and read information. Database-management personnel interface with databases to keep them accurate, reliable, and secure.

PowerPoint: Creating and Editing a Presentation

PowerPoint is an important tool for creating presentations suitable for the work environment. This powerful program has many features, but they must be used correctly or else your audience will be distracted or overloaded. In this lesson, we'll explore the best ways to create an effective presentation that incorporates the right mix of multimedia. You'll learn how to insert graphics and audio into your presentation in an effective and organized manner.

Integrating Microsoft Office Programs

The suite of Microsoft Office products includes Excel and Access, which are both very powerful on their own. In this lesson, you are going to learn how to actually integrate information from one program to the other. You can create data lists with either program and easily transfer the information to the other. Considering all the work we do with lists on the computer, this is a very important skill in today's work environment. Plus, you'll find out how mail merge can save you time and effort by allowing you to customize letters, labels, and more!

Using the Internet

In today's lesson, we're going to have fun working with the Internet. This is the greatest source of information you'll ever have access to—yet it can be confusing and overwhelming if you are not familiar with the basic Internet tools. You'll really enjoy seeing how easy it is to find information that specifically meets your needs and interests.

Transferring and Protecting Data

Today, we'll go over various methods for transferring information from one computer to another. We'll explore different terms used to describe the volume of information—or size of a file—and then learn how to most effectively and efficiently move that data from place to place. You'll learn about bytes, megabytes, memory sticks, and external hard drives.

Putting Your Skills to Work

In our final lesson, we will focus on putting all your new knowledge to work! We have three specific goals. The first is to identify ways to use your computer skills to find a new job. The second is to use those same computer skills to get a promotion within your current organization. Our third goal is to explore strategies for continued learning in order to support your ever-growing employment goals.

What you will learn

• Acquire the fundamental computer competencies needed to succeed in the workplace
• Understand how to effectively use Windows 10 and Office 2016
• Discover how to create charts, presentations, word processing documents, and more

How you will benefit

• Become more technology literate and indispensable to any modern organization
• Place yourself above other candidates who do not have necessary computer knowledge and skills
• Become more confident using technology
• Identify ways to use your computer skills to find a new job or get a promotion at your current organization

Dave Paquin

Dave Paquin has been teaching computer skills in the classroom for over 15 years. He holds a Master of Science in Training and Learning Technology and has extensive experience as a Human Resources manager.

Learn powerful graphic design techniques and build websites that are both attractive and wickedly effective.

These days, creating a website is so easy almost anyone can do it. But with all the competition on the web, creating a site that's effective is more challenging than ever. Regardless of your current skills or level of knowledge, in this course you'll master the basics of web design and learn how to build sites that are better and more effective.

You'll examine the tension between form and function, explore the six major states of the website development process, and learn the basics of user-centered design. You'll also look at the five basic steps to organizing information, find out how site design themes can be used for information delivery, and review website design considerations. Along the way, you'll learn about effective type and graphics and explore the idea of making a website fully interactive. This course is a must for web designers, giving the tips and tools that will help them establish a solid career.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• An imaging program, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, is recommended (not included in enrollment).
• A web page authoring tool, such as Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Web, is recommended (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Form Versus Function

This course is different from most web creation courses you'll find because it's not designed to teach you the mechanics of creating a web page or how to use a particular software program. Instead, it's designed to help you take your website creations to the next level by enhancing both design and functionality. You'll discover what attracts visitors to a website, and how to use design tools such as typography, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and multimedia to captivate visitors and keep them coming back.

Website Planning Process

Visitors are attracted by good design, but content is what keeps them at the site longer and motivates them to return. Learn how to use two tools to attract and retain visitors: design critiques and a content inventory. Explore the six major development stages that yield expert design and smart content. Then study the three parts of web design and the skills you'll need for each.

Interface Design

By now, you probably understand that an interface is the screen visitors see and use when they visit any page of your site. Designing an interface is easy. Designing an effective interface, however, is more challenging. There are four main elements that you'll need to consider to make your site user-centric: usability, visualization, functionality, and accessibility. Explore each of these elements to see the thought that goes into effective interface design.

Site Structure

Even if your basic content is accurate, attractive, and well written, your site won't function well without a solid and logical organizational foundation. Review the five basic steps involved in organizing information and four essential structures that you can use to build a website. Then learn how to create a flowchart for the pages you want to include on your site.

Site Design

Websites exist to inform, educate, persuade, or entertain. Take this opportunity to concentrate on site design themes that pay attention to information delivery. Learn how to organize elements in order to enable visitors to accomplish their own goals. Explore usability, content, and design.

Page Design

Discover how you can use visual and graphic design, page layout, and grids to take your designs to the next level. At the same time, become familiar with design considerations like visual hierarchy, page dimensions, and white space.

Typography on the Web

Typography plays a dual role by providing both verbal and visual communication. Almost any type of font will do to transmit information to others. But to convey the right type of mood along with the information takes a special type and color of font. Learn all the secrets here!

CSS and Font Embedding

Find out how you can use Cascading Style Sheets to modify fonts. Become familiar with inline, document-level, and external (linked) style sheets, and learn how to create an external CSS file to control the formatting of any or all pages on your site. You'll also take a look at some early font embedding techniques and explore two popular Flash-related options currently in use.

Writing for the Web

Before you write for the web, you should take the time to understand how people read online. Become familiar with the use of titles, headlines, and subheads to assist readers in navigating your site. Discover the advantages of using a web content management system. Learn how you can communicate more easily and informally with web visitors by adding a blog to your site.

Images, Colors, and Layers

You can use images to add interest to your site and to help with navigation. Early designers were limited graphically by HTML attributes, and later designers discovered they could use tables to place images. Today's designers also use CSS to add styles to their text and images. As fun as CSS can be, you also have to take accessibility into account so that users with older browsers or screen readers can still navigate your website.

CSS Positioning: More Layers

The combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript allows you to create intensely interactive web applications similar to any game or presentation built with traditional programming languages. This interaction of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is known as Dynamic HTML or DHTML. Become familiar with the basics of DHTML, including code you can use to enhance your designs by adding layers to your pages.

Web 2.0 and Beyond

Early websites were created by a few to be read by many. Over the years, developers added interactivity to websites through discussion forums, chat rooms, and shopping carts. These features are part of what might be called "web 1.0". Today the focus has shifted from the sponsor of the site to the visitor, and sites like Flickr and YouTube are popular. They're examples of web 2.0 sites. Examine several popular web 2.0 sites, and take a look ahead to web 3.0.

What you will learn

• Learn the fundamentals of effective website design
• Discover the relationship between website design themes and information delivery
• Explore the six major states of the website development process
• Learn how to effectively reach an online audience and stand out from the fierce competition

How you will benefit

• Learn about the elements and principles of design and how they can be applied to a number of career fields
• Gain confidence in your ability to communicate and market to a specific audience
• Open the door to new career opportunities
• Gain a greater understanding of modern, forward-thinking website design

Richard Blum

Richard Blum has been an IT industry professional for over 20 years, working mainly as a network and systems administrator. During this time, he has worked with Microsoft, Novell, Unix, and Linux servers, and has created websites using a variety of different programming languages. Blum is the author of several programming and systems administration books, including Professional Assembly Language, C# Network Programming, PostgreSQL 8 for Windows, Sendmail for Linux, Postfix, and Network Performance Open Source Toolkit.

If you want to take your HVAC/R career to the next level, this course uses hands-on service call simulations to prepare you for industry-recognized HVAC Excellence or NATE certification.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
• Optional simulations require a 64-bit operating system.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word Online.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

*Optional simulations are not screen reader or keyboard accessible. Simulation activities are not meant to be experienced on mobile devices. Personal computers should be used for these activities.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology, by Silberstein, Obrzut, Tomczyk, Whitman, and Johnson.

The following material will be available online:

• Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology
• EPA Section 608 Preparatory Manual

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

If you have more than a year of HVAC/R experience, this course will prepare you for the next step—certification. HVAC/R technicians are in demand, but certified technicians can earn more and have better career opportunities.

This HVAC online training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to maintain and troubleshoot complex heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. You will be provided with hands-on guidance through videos, reading assignments, service call simulations, and practical applications.

With content aligning to the latest industry standards, you will be prepared for the HVAC Excellence or NATE certification exams by the end of this course. You will also receive a voucher package to take the HVAC Excellence exams. However, please research your state's requirements prior to enrollment to ensure this course is the right fit for you.

Certification Exams

By course completion, you will be fully prepared to sit for the HVAC Excellence Core and Professional Technician exams, the NATE Core and Specialty Test exams, and the EPA 608 certification exam.

Upon completion of this course, you will receive an HVAC Excellence ESCO Group Voucher Package that includes:

• 1 Principals of Electrical and Refrigeration Theory (Core)* exam voucher
• 1 Professional Technician exam voucher (Residential Air Conditioning recommended)
• 1 EPA 608 exam voucher

*To sit for the HVAC Excellence Core exam, you must provide two years of documented work experience. Exam proctor fees may apply.

Additionally, this course aligns with the following Professional Technician specialty areas (vouchers are not included for the exams below):

• Principals of Electrical and Refrigeration Theory
• Residential Air Conditioning
• Gas Heat
• Electric Heat
• Heat Pump Installer
• Heat Pump Service
• Light Commercial Air Conditioning
• Light Commercial Refrigeration

*Proctor fees may apply

1. Introduction
1. Heat, Temperature, and Pressure
2. Matter and Energy
3. Refrigeration and Refrigerants
2. Safety, Tools and Equipment, and Shop Practices
1. General Safety Practices
2. Tools and Equipment
3. Fasteners
4. Tubing and Piping
5. Leak Detection, System Evacuation, and System Cleanup
6. Refrigeration and Oil Chemistry and Management – Recovery, Recycling, and Reclaiming, and Retrofitting
7. System Charging
8. Calibrating Instruments
9. Simulation: Safety Quiz
10. Simulation: Soft Skills Quiz
3. Automatic Controls
1. Basic Electricity and Magnetism
2. Introduction to Automatic Controls
3. Automatic Control Components and Applications
4. Troubleshooting Basic Controls
5. Advanced Automatic Controls-Direct Digital Controls (DDCs) and Pneumatics
4. Electric Motors
1. Types of Electric Motors
2. Application of Motors
3. Motor Controls
4. Troubleshooting Electric Motors
5. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 1
1. Evaporators and the Refrigeration System
2. Condensers
3. Compressors
6. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 2
1. Expansion Devices
2. Special Refrigeration Systems
3. Commercial Ice Machines
7. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 3
1. Special Refrigeration Applications
2. Troubleshooting and Typical Operating Conditions for Commercial Refrigeration
8. Air-Conditioning (Heating and Humidification)
1. Electric Heat
2. Gas Heat
3. Oil Heat
4. Hydronic Heat
5. Indoor Air Quality
9. Air-Conditioning (Cooling)
1. Comfort and Psychometrics
2. Refrigeration Applied to Air-Conditioning
3. Air Distribution and Balance
4. Installation
5. Residential Energy Auditing
6. Typical Conditions
7. Troubleshooting
10. All-Weather Systems
1. Heat Gains and Heat Losses in Structures
2. Air Source Heat Pumps
3. Geothermal Heat Pumps
11. Domestic Appliances
1. Domestic Refrigerators and Freezers
2. Room Air Conditioners
12. Commercial Air-Conditioning and Chilled-Water Systems
1. High-Pressure, Low-Pressure, and Absorption Chilled-Water Systems
2. Cooling Towers and Pumps
3. Operation, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting of Chilled-Water Air-Conditioning Systems
4. Commercial, Packaged Rooftop, Variable Refrigerant Flow, and Variable Air Volume Systems
13. Simulation Challenge Mode: HVAC
14. Simulation Challenge Mode: Electricity for HVAC
15. Soft Skills and the HVACR Technician
1. Communication
2. Decision-Making
3. Time Management
4. Problem Solving
5. Accepting Responsibility

What you will learn

• HVAC online training course
• Understand the procedures and criteria needed to conduct a residential energy audit
• Four basic components that make up the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle
• Functions and desired characteristics of system refrigerants
• Demonstrate piping operations typically performed by the air conditioning technician
• Properly installing and operating an air-conditioning system
• Latest advances and trends in green technology
• EPA laws governing safe refrigerant handling and transport
• Recovering, recycling, reclaiming, and retrofitting refrigerants

How you will benefit

• Be prepared to sit for the NATE Certification exams
• Be prepared to sit for the HVAC Excellence Certification exams
• Be prepared to sit for the EPA 608 Refrigerant Handling exam
• Use real-world simulations included in this course to get "hands-on" experience
• Soft skills simulations included in the course will help sharpen your customer service skills
• Enrolled students are invited to attend our exclusive annual virtual National Apprenticeship Week events, featuring live webinars, workshops, and employer interactions

Mike Baker

Mike Baker has been an instructor since 2011. Previously, he was HVAC Program Director at both Virginia College and Vista College. Baker was a HVAC technician for several decades and has experience hiring, training, and managing HVAC Technicians. He holds numerous HVAC Excellence certifications, several Green Mechanical Council certifications, an EPA 608 Universal certification, and Emerson Climate Technology certifications. He has served as both an HVAC Excellence Instructor and Exam Proctor.

Work through true-to-life simulations of common HVAC/R scenarios and gain applicable service, maintenance, and troubleshooting skills. This hands-on simulator course will help you hone your technical abilities and build your knowledge of complex heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• A microphone.
• A webcam.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

As HVAC/R systems become increasingly complex, learning and mastering the latest technology is critical. HVAC/R Simulations for Field Technicians offers a rich, hands-on learning experience that mimics field performance in a completely online environment. You will practice servicing, maintaining, and troubleshooting common HVAC/R scenarios in true-to-life service call simulations.

You will work through approximately 200 scenarios to master seven pieces of HVAC/R equipment – Gas Furnace, Oil Furnace, Gas Boiler, Split Residential A/C, Commercial A/C, Heat Pumps, and Commercial Walk-in Freezers. Your skills and knowledge are then put to the test in 12 ungraded assessment simulations. If you need to sharpen your diagnostic and troubleshooting skills, this online course is ideal.

Please note this course is not graded by an instructor and no grades will be awarded upon the completion. For the certificate of completion to be provided, you must verify that you have completed all simulations to the best of your ability.

1. Safety, Tools and Equipment, and Shop Practices
2. Basic Electricity and Magnetism
3. Types of Electric Motors
4. Troubleshooting Electric Motors
5. Condensers
6. Special Refrigeration Systems Components
7. Applications of Refrigeration Systems
8. Troubleshooting and Typical Operating Conditions for Commercial Refrigeration
9. Gas Heat
10. Oil Heat
11. Hydronic Heat
12. Typical Operations Conditions
13. Troubleshooting
14. Air Source Heat Pumps
15. Room Air Conditioner
16. Challenge Mode Simulations

What you will learn

• Measure voltage, current, and resistance in electric circuits
• Properly install an air-conditioning system and put it into operation
• Troubleshoot mechanical problems in an air-conditioning system
• Troubleshoot electrical problems in an air-conditioning system
• Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical problems in heat pump systems

How you will benefit

• The use of simulations allows you to get as close to "real world" troubleshooting scenarios as possible without an actual HVAC/R unit or system
• The scenarios may be repeated as many times as needed to hone troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Enrolled students are invited to attend our exclusive annual virtual National Apprenticeship Week events, featuring live webinars, workshops, and employer interactions

Mike Baker

Mike Baker has been an instructor since 2011. Previously, he was HVAC Program Director at both Virginia College and Vista College. Baker was a HVAC technician for several decades and has experience hiring, training, and managing HVAC Technicians. He holds numerous HVAC Excellence certifications, several Green Mechanical Council certifications, an EPA 608 Universal certification, and Emerson Climate Technology certifications. He has served as both an HVAC Excellence Instructor and Exam Proctor.

This course will train you to service, maintain, and troubleshoot complex heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. You will gain the necessary situational knowledge and technical skills to prepare you for an entry-level role in the HVAC/R field.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
• Optional simulations require a 64-bit operating system

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word Online
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

*Optional simulations are not screen reader or keyboard accessible. Simulation activities are not meant to be experienced on mobile devices. Personal computers should be used for these activities.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology, by Silberstein, Obrzut, Tomczyk, Whitman, and Johnson.

The following material will be available online:

• Refrigeration & Air Conditioning TechnologyPDF
• EPA Section 608 Preparatory Manual - Optional Resource

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

This online HVAC/R training course will prepare you for an entry-level career in the HVAC/R industry by providing hands-on guidance for service, repair, and solutions.

During this HVAC/R certification program, you will learn from in-depth materials to understand HVAC/R service and repair, environmental challenges and solutions, and service call simulations that bring concepts to life.

From safety, tools, and equipment best practices to commercial and residential appliance fundamentals—this HVAC/R technician course is designed to help you succeed in your new career. You will thoroughly understand key HVAC/R topics, including heat, temperature and pressure, refrigeration and refrigerants, safety practices, tools and equipment, leak detection, system evacuation, refrigeration oil management, system charging, automatic controls, electric motors, and much more. Reinforce your learning by engaging in over 200 course simulations and challenges to test your knowledge and skills.

This HVAC/R technician course also emphasizes the importance of soft skills such as communication, decision-making, time management, problem-solving, and accepting responsibility.

At the completion of your HVAC/R training, you will be ready to pass 20+ HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificates, the EPA 608, and the NATE Ready to Work Certificate. A voucher package is included with your HVAC/R certification enrollment, which includes the HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificate exam and the EPA 608 Certification exam. Please research your state's requirements prior to enrollment to ensure this HVAC technician course is the right fit for you.

HVAC/R Certification Exams

This HVAC/R certified technician program will provide the necessary information to pass the following entry-level certificate exams:

• HVAC Excellence ESCO Group: 20+ Employment Ready Certificates
• NATE: Ready to Work Certificate
• EPA 608: Section 608 Universal Technician Certification

Upon completion of this HVAC/R training, you will also receive a voucher package for the HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificate exam* that includes:

• 1 Employment Ready Certificate for Electrical
• 1 Employment Ready Certificate for Air Conditioning
• 1 EPA 608 Voucher

*Proctor fees may apply

1. Introduction
1. Heat, Temperature, and Pressure
2. Matter and Energy
3. Refrigeration and Refrigerants
2. Safety, Tools and Equipment, and Shop Practices
1. General Safety Practices
2. Tools and Equipment
3. Fasteners
4. Tubing and Piping
5. Leak Detection, System Evacuation, and System Cleanup
6. Refrigeration and Oil Chemistry and Management – Recovery, Recycling, and Reclaiming, and Retrofitting
7. System Charging
8. Calibrating Instruments
9. Simulation: Safety Quiz
10. Simulation: Soft Skills Quiz
3. Automatic Controls
1. Basic Electricity and Magnetism
2. Introduction to Automatic Controls
3. Automatic Control Components and Applications
4. Troubleshooting Basic Controls
5. Advanced Automatic Controls-Direct Digital Controls (DDCs) and Pneumatics
4. Electric Motors
1. Types of Electric Motors
2. Application of Motors
3. Motor Controls
4. Troubleshooting Electric Motors
5. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 1
1. Evaporators and the Refrigeration System
2. Condensers
3. Compressors
6. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 2
1. Expansion Devices
2. Special Refrigeration Systems
3. Commercial Ice Machines
7. Commercial Refrigeration, Part 3
1. Special Refrigeration Applications
2. Troubleshooting and Typical Operating Conditions for Commercial Refrigeration
8. Air-Conditioning (Heating and Humidification)
1. Electric Heat
2. Gas Heat
3. Oil Heat
4. Hydronic Heat
5. Indoor Air Quality
9. Air-Conditioning (Cooling)
1. Comfort and Psychometrics
2. Refrigeration Applied to Air-Conditioning
3. Air Distribution and Balance
4. Installation
5. Residential Energy Auditing
6. Typical Conditions
7. Troubleshooting
10. All-Weather Systems
1. Heat Gains and Heat Losses in Structures
2. Air Source Heat Pumps
3. Geothermal Heat Pumps
11. Domestic Appliances
1. Domestic Refrigerators and Freezers
2. Room Air Conditioners
12. Commercial Air-Conditioning and Chilled-Water Systems
1. High-Pressure, Low-Pressure, and Absorption Chilled-Water Systems
2. Cooling Towers and Pumps
3. Operation, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting of Chilled-Water Air-Conditioning Systems
4. Commercial, Packaged Rooftop, Variable Refrigerant Flow, and Variable Air Volume Systems
13. Simulation Challenge Mode: HVAC
14. Simulation Challenge Mode: Electricity for HVAC
15. Soft Skills and the HVACR Technician
1. Communication
2. Decision-Making
3. Time Management
4. Problem Solving
5. Accepting Responsibility

What you will learn

• Watch our HVAC/R certified technician program video overview to see how real-world scenarios and simulations will be applied in your learnings
• Explain the concepts of heat transfer, BTU, temperature, heat content, sensible heat, latent heat, pressure, gas laws, and work, and describe how they apply to air conditioning and refrigeration systems
• Describe the four basic components that make up the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle
• Identify the four major system components and explain their functions in the refrigeration system
• Properly install an air-conditioning system and put it into operation
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electrical problems in an air-conditioning and heat pump systems

How you will benefit

• Become prepared to sit for the NATE Ready to Work Certificate exams
• Become prepared to sit for the HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Certificate Exams
• Become prepared to sit for the EPA 608 Refrigerant Handling Certification Exam
• Use real-world simulations included in this program to get hands-on HVAC/R training
• Discover soft skills simulations included in the course that will help sharpen your customer service skills
• Attend exclusive annual virtual National Apprenticeship Week events featuring live webinars, workshops, and employer interactions

Mike Baker

Mike Baker has been an instructor since 2011. Previously, he was HVAC Program Director at both Virginia College and Vista College. Baker was a HVAC technician for several decades and has experience hiring, training, and managing HVAC Technicians. He holds numerous HVAC Excellence certifications, several Green Mechanical Council certifications, an EPA 608 Universal certification, and Emerson Climate Technology certifications. He has served as both an HVAC Excellence Instructor and Exam Proctor.

This self-paced course will bring your Microsoft Excel skills to the next level. You will learn how to use several powerful features in this long-standing spreadsheet software.

Microsoft Excel is considered the industry standard for spreadsheets, providing organizations will an easy-to-use solution for managing budgets, scheduling, tracking, and more. This course will teach you the software's often-overlooked features and functions.

You will learn how to harness the power of Excel's data analysis tools and AutoFilter commands and how to create macros that eliminate repetitive tasks. You will also add VLOOKUP, INDEX & MATCH, and other intermediate functions to your professional skill set.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Excel 2019 (desktop version) available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft Excel will not work with the full version of Excel taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

• The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Excel Charts and Graphs

In this first lesson, you'll discover why Excel is such a powerful and user-friendly charting tool. To you, a workbook's numbers might tell an interesting story. But to others, that story might not be quite so obvious—they might just see plain old numbers. So, today, you'll find out how to choose the right chart for telling your story and then how to create, format, and edit your chart to help others clearly visualize that story.

More Excel Charts

There are so many great charting features and enhancements in Excel 2019, there's no way we could cover all of them in a single lesson. So, today, we'll continue exploring Excel's charting options—this time looking at the lesser-known options that are available to you. Even though they aren't well-known, these options can add tremendous value to your worksheets in the right situations. We'll walk through a few of them step-by-step, so you'll see the value for yourself.

AutoFilter and Sorting

Working with data in Excel can be quite easy—and sometimes even fun—when you know about the extra tools that are available once you have your data arranged in a table format. One of these great tools is the Auto Filter command. In today's lesson, you'll learn how to use Auto Filter to limit your table information to just the records you want. Not only does Auto Filter allow for finding exact matches, but it can also filter and sort based on cell shading or font color. How great is that?

Goal Seeking

Normally, you'll use your Excel workbooks as a place to enter formulas and get answers. But what if the formula isn't returning the answer you want? If you know what you want, but you just don't know what formula will get you there, then Excel's Goal Seek is exactly what you need. This tool will help you avoid the trial-and-error approach that most Excel users go through to get to the right answer. In this lesson, we'll walk through multiple examples together, exploring several ways to apply this great feature.

PivotTables

Today, you'll learn how to use one of the best features of Excel: the PivotTable. If you've heard about PivotTables before, then you know what I mean. There's no greater what-if analysis tool to summarize, reorganize, and report data. When we practice creating a PivotTable, you'll discover how "pivoting" your data helps you gain valuable insights by seeing the same information from a different perspective. This is a lesson you won't want to miss!

Advanced PivotTables

Just like charting, Excel's PivotTables are too big a topic to fit into one lesson. So, today, we'll take PivotTables to the next level by taking a tour through some of Excel's more advanced techniques. You'll learn how quick and easy it is to group your data to give your PivotTable even more power. Then you'll find out how a PivotTable can serve as your source and inspiration for some really nice charts, specifically, the PivotChart. Last, you'll become an expert in using the Excel PivotTable filtering tool called Slicer.

Solver

Have you ever worked with a financial model in Excel and wondered how you could speculate different outcomes by changing different input amounts? The Excel Solver can do just that. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use Solver to solve a complex problem based on the criteria and constraints we provide it. If you liked the Goal Seek lesson, then this Solver lesson is going to knock your socks off.

Sparklines

There's nothing more exciting than learning how to master a useful and eye-catching feature in Excel. In today's lesson, we'll explore in detail how to create all three types of Sparklines, as well as formatting options for each. By the end of the lesson, you'll have the skills to create dashboard-like mini charts sure to make you the envy of your office. If you enjoy creating charts, you'll really enjoy this lesson.

Macros

Today's topic is a student (and instructor) favorite. In this lesson, you'll find out how to use macros to turn boring, repetitive, time-consuming tasks into automated Excel functions. Tired of doing the same formatting on the same report month after month? Here's your chance to see how to record a macro that performs that time-consuming task in seconds with just one swift click of a button! How will you spend all the extra time that this lesson will save you?

Introduction to Functions

If you've used Excel for a while, you know there are hundreds of functions at your disposal. We're going to spend the last three lessons of this course going over exactly how and why you'd use them. We'll start today by going through a quick overview of all the categories of functions and the different methods you can use to create them. Then, later in the lesson, we'll ease into creating various functions using some from the Text category.

Math/Trig Functions

Next to learning how to create macros, most students want to learn as much as they can about Excel functions. In today's lesson, we'll dig a little deeper into using some of the slightly more complex functions that you'll find in the Math & Trig category. Specifically, we'll look at two of my favorites, the SUMIF, and COUNTIF functions, and discuss how to use one of the more complex functions, SUMIFS. If one of your objectives in taking this course is to learn more about functions, you're in for a treat!

VLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH Functions

Since functions are such an important and integral part of using Excel, we'll spend our final lesson going over a few more of them. Today, you're going to learn how to use the extremely popular VLOOKUP function. If you're already accustomed to using VLOOKUP, don't feel short-changed, because we're going to add to the complexity. We're going to use the INDEX and MATCH functions to do something just short of amazing. This is another lesson you won't want to miss!

Learn how to use the more advanced features of Microsoft Word 2016 (now available through Office 365) including how to add graphics, use templates, and merge data.

Go beyond the basics of word processing and master the more advanced features of Microsoft Word 2016 (now available through Office 365). In this course, you'll learn how to automate Word 2016 using shortcuts to help you write more while typing less. From signs, newsletters, and greeting cards to long documents, you'll learn how to create whatever you need—quickly and with professional-looking results.

You'll also learn how to create and organize text in tables, mix graphics and text together to turn Word into a simple desktop publishing program, and merge spreadsheet and database data to create mailing labels and form letters. Along the way, you'll go through lots of examples and exercises so you can see how Word's advanced features work; but more importantly, you'll see how you can use these advanced features at home and on the job. By the end of this course, you'll know how to use Word more effectively and take advantage of all its many features so you can get your work done more quickly and more easily than you ever thought possible.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. It is not suitable for Macs.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Word 2016 (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

1. Shortcuts and Time-Savers in Word 2016
2. Text and Paragraph Formatting Methods
3. Templates
4. Graphics: Part 1
5. Graphics: Part 2, and Columns
6. Sections and Notes
7. Tables
8. Envelopes and Odd-Size Pages
9. Desktop Publishing: Part 1
10. Desktop Publishing: Part 2
11. Merging Data with Documents
12. Final Touches

Use Microsoft Word 2019 more efficiently by mastering its more advanced features. This hands-on course will teach you how to create an index, build a list of figures, design a table of contents, perform a mail merge, and use timesaving shortcuts to develop professional documents.

If you create business documents like letters, brochures, or newsletters, you know that their quality is representative of your organization. To create professional-quality documents efficiently and effectively, you have to use advanced word processing functions. This online course will teach you how to use Microsoft Word 2019, the newest version of Microsoft's widely-used word processing software.

Through hands-on lessons and modules, you will learn how to use a number of shortcuts and time-saving techniques to create complex documents. By the end of the course, you will know how to create and organize tables, manipulate graphics, and merge spreadsheets, amongst other functions, to turn Word into a simple desktop publishing tool.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs and Chromebooks are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Word 2019 (desktop version) available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft will not work with the full version taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Timesavers in Word 2019

Things have come a long way since the days of the typewriter. What used to take hours can now be done in seconds with Microsoft Word 2019. And the less time you spend typing, the more time you can spend being creative and having fun. In this lesson, you'll learn shortcuts in Word that can help you create documents faster and more accurately than ever before. Not only will these shortcuts save you time, but they'll help you create letters and reports more easily than you might have thought possible.

Methods to Streamline Text Formatting

What you write is half of communication. The other half is getting people to read what you write. One way to make your writing more appealing is to make it look presentable with formatting. Of course, formatting text is easy, but applying different types of formatting over and over again can get tedious. In this lesson, you'll learn a fast and easy way to format chunks of text quickly and consistently using something called styles. You'll find out what a style is, how to apply it, and—more important—how to create and save your own styles to use in any document. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to make any document look presentable with just the click of your mouse.

Working with Templates

A template stores the formatting of a document so that you can apply it to another document. Templates let you format entire documents as easily as formatting a single word. Word offers lots of convenient templates stored right on your computer or available over the Internet. In this lesson, you'll learn about how to search and use Word templates, and you'll also discover how you can create your own.

Adding Graphics to Your Word Documents

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what better way to spice up your documents than by adding pictures? In this lesson, you'll learn how to add your own digital photographs to a document so that you can show everyone your vacation pictures, family holidays, or just interesting sights you've captured with your own camera. In addition to adding your own photos, you can also add clip art from Word's massive library of free graphics. And you'll find out how to resize, rotate, and style your pictures, as well as wrap your document text around them. By the end of this lesson, you'll see why Word documents are about much more than words!

Creating Text-Based Graphics in Word

Digital photographs and clip art are just the beginning of what you can do with graphics in Word. In this lesson, you'll discover how to add a variety of informational graphics, including charts, graphs, and WordArt, which allows you to display text as a graphic image. Not only will you learn how to add these graphics, but you'll also find out how to edit them when your data changes. You'll finish off the lesson by seeing how Word allows you to format documents with multiple columns—a handy skill for creating newsletters and publications!

Organizing Your Text with Columns and Sections

Do you often create long documents? If so, you'll appreciate this lesson, which shows you how to divide a large document into parts called sections. Sections allow you to format part of a document a certain way without that formatting affecting the rest of your text. For example, you may want headers and footers to appear on some pages but not others. Sections make this easy! You'll also spend some time inserting footnotes and end-notes in a document. If you need to write research papers or other academic content, Word makes it a snap to add and format these previously pesky notes!

Creating Tables in Word

If you've ever seen a spreadsheet, you know how rows and columns let you organize numbers and text on the screen. Well, tables do the same thing in Word. In this lesson, you'll see how to create tables of all different sizes right in a Word document! You'll cover how to modify tables, too. And don't think Excel users get to have all the fun—you can even enter formulas to perform calculations in your tables, sort them, and style them for a customized look. Your data has never looked so appealing!

Creating Stationary in Word

You probably print most of your documents on standard letter-size paper. While this is great for ordinary letters or business reports, sometimes you may want to get creative with your paper sizes. But then there's the trouble of printing. In this lesson, you'll see how you can define the dimensions of the paper you're using, so Word will print everything correctly. You'll also learn how to print names and addresses directly on envelopes of any size. After this lesson, you won't feel confined to boring 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper anymore!

Creating Business Stationary in Word

As you've probably already figured out, Word can do more than write letters. It can also function as a simple desktop publishing program for creating greeting cards, calendars, or newsletters. In this lesson, you'll find out how text boxes are the key to simple desktop publishing, and you'll see how other elements come into play in customized documents. Along the way, you'll look at business cards and greeting cards to get a feel for how desktop publishing works. If you've always wanted to create a document that combines text and graphics in an artistic or visually appealing way, you'll find out how to do that and much more.

Desktop Publishing

With the basics down, it's time to take your desktop publishing skills to the next level. In this lesson, you'll discover the magic of linked text boxes that give you the power to move your text anywhere you want on the page and keep it flowing. You'll see how to create, position, resize, and group text boxes so that you have total control over your text.

Merging Data with Documents

Have you ever received one of those "personalized" letters from a company in the mail? You can be sure that nobody typed the entire sales letter from scratch. Instead, the company used a form letter and something called mail merging. In this lesson, you'll learn how to store long lists of names and addresses that you can reuse in a form letter. Just create a document once, leave blanks for inserting information such as names and addresses, and let Word personalize each letter for you. Now, you too can create personalized letters for business or personal use, such as sending out holiday greetings to family members and friends.

Creating Summative Lists of What's in Your Document

Look in most books, and you'll find a table of contents at the beginning and an index in the back. Often, these are the last components added to a document, since they need to have accurate titles and page numbers. Thankfully, Word takes a lot of the tedious work out of creating these components. In this final lesson, you'll see how you can use Styles to make creating a table of contents a snap, and you'll explore how to tag index terms so that Word knows what page they're on, even if they move later. Word can also help you keep track of any figures, such as charts, illustrations, or graphs, in your document. By letting Word worry about the details, you can create an accurate table of contents, index, or list of figures with very little extra effort on your part. These finishing touches will make your most important documents shine!

What you will learn

• Functions and features of Microsoft Word 2019
• Shortcuts and time-saving techniques including macros, keystroke shortcuts, and templates
• Finding, inserting, and modifying graphic images
• Creating and merging data and text for labels, letters, and other professional documents

How you will benefit

• Utilizing Microsoft Word 2019 as a basic desktop publishing tool adds value to your professional profile.
• By learning more advanced features of this popular software, you can contribute to your organization more effectively.

Wallace Wang

Wallace Wang is the author of over 40 computer books, including "Microsoft Office 2019 For Dummies." In addition to writing computer books, he has also co-authored "Breaking Into Acting for Dummies" and ghostwritten several books about investing in real estate, day trading stocks, and becoming an entrepreneur. Some of his past jobs have included teaching computer science courses at the University of Zimbabwe, performing stand-up comedy, and appearing on a weekly radio show.

Wallace currently teaches an online iOS App Production course through UC San Diego Extended Studies, focusing on designing apps for the iPhone using SwiftUI and Xcode, emphasizing coding, user interface/experience design, and app marketing. It covers key topics such as the psychology of user interface design, creating prototypes, and effective marketing strategies for the App Store. He has recently provided consulting services for bLinkUp, assisting them with their iOS development projects.

This course will teach you intermediate techniques for Microsoft Word, the world's most popular word processing software. You will learn how to use Microsoft Word 2019's often overlooked functions such as desktop publishing and mail merging.

Most organization worldwide use Microsoft Word for their word processing needs. However, only a fraction of the software's features are used. This online self-paced course will teach you how to use Microsoft Word 2019's intermediate features.

You will learn how to create and modify boilerplate templates as well as several time-saving techniques, such as macros and keystroke shortcuts. By course completion, you will be able to create professional documents that demonstrate your intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word 2019.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs and Chromebooks are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Word 2019 (desktop version) available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft will not work with the full version taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

• The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Timesavers in Word 2019

We've come a long way since the days of the typewriter. What used to take hours can now be done in seconds with Microsoft Word 2019. And the less time you spend typing, the more time you can spend being creative and having fun. In this lesson, you'll learn shortcuts in Word that can help you create documents faster and more accurately than ever before. Not only will these shortcuts save you time, but they'll help you create letters and reports more easily than you might have thought possible.

Methods to Streamline Text Formatting

What you write is half of communication. The other half is getting people to read what you write. One way to make your writing more appealing is to make it look presentable with formatting. Of course, formatting text is easy, but applying different types of formatting repeatedly can get tedious. In this lesson, you'll learn a fast and easy way to format chunks of text quickly and consistently using something called styles. You'll find out what a style is, how to apply it, and—more important—how to create and save your own styles to use in any document. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to make any document look presentable with just the click of your mouse.

Working with Templates

A template stores the formatting of a document so that you can apply it to another document. Templates let you format entire documents as easily as formatting a single word. Word offers lots of convenient templates stored right on your computer or available over the Internet. In this lesson, you'll learn about how to search and use Word templates, and you'll also discover how you can create your own.

Adding Graphics to Your Word Documents

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what better way to spice up your documents than by adding pictures? In this lesson, you'll learn how to add your own digital photographs to a document so that you can show everyone your vacation pictures, family holidays, or just interesting sights you've captured with your own camera. In addition to adding your own photos, you can also add clip art from Word's massive library of free graphics. And you'll find out how to resize, rotate, and style your pictures, as well as wrap your document text around them. By the end of this lesson, you'll see why Word documents are about much more than words!

Creating Text-Based Graphics in Word

Digital photographs and clip art are just the beginning of what you can do with graphics in Word. In this lesson, you'll discover how to add a variety of informational graphics, including charts, graphs, and WordArt, which allows you to display text as a graphic image. Not only will you learn how to add these graphics, but you'll also find out how to edit them when your data changes. You'll finish off the lesson by seeing how Word allows us to format documents with multiple columns—a handy skill for creating newsletters and publications!

Organizing Your Text with Columns and Sections

Do you often create long documents? If so, you'll appreciate this lesson, which shows you how to divide a large document into parts called sections. Sections allow you to format part of a document a certain way without that formatting affecting the rest of your text. For example, you may want headers and footers to appear on some pages but not others. Sections make this easy! You'll also spend some time inserting footnotes and end-notes in a document. If you need to write research papers or other academic content, Word makes it a snap to add and format these previously pesky notes!

Creating Tables in Word

If you've ever seen a spreadsheet, you know how rows and columns let you organize numbers and text on the screen. Well, tables do the same thing in Word. In this lesson, you'll see how to create tables of all different sizes right in a Word document! You'll cover how to modify tables, too. And don't think Excel users get to have all the fun—you can even enter formulas to perform calculations in your tables, sort them, and style them for a customized look. Your data has never looked so appealing!

Creating Stationary in Word

You probably print most of your documents on standard letter-size paper. While this is great for ordinary letters or business reports, sometimes you may want to get creative with your paper sizes. But then there's the trouble of printing. In this lesson, you'll see how you can define the dimensions of the paper you're using, so Word will print everything correctly. You'll also learn how to print names and addresses directly on envelopes of any size. After this lesson, you won't feel confined to a boring 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper anymore!

Creating Business Stationary in Word

As you've probably already figured out, Word can do more than write letters. It can also function as a simple desktop publishing program for creating greeting cards, calendars, or newsletters. In this lesson, you'll find out how text boxes are the key to simple desktop publishing, and you'll see how other elements come into play in customized documents. Along the way, we'll look at business cards and greeting cards to get a feel for how desktop publishing works. If you've always wanted to create a document that combines text and graphics in an artistic or visually appealing way, you'll find out how to do that and much more.

Desktop Publishing

With the basics down, it's time to take your desktop publishing skills to the next level. In this lesson, you'll discover the magic of linked text boxes that give you the power to move your text anywhere you want on the page and keep it flowing. You'll see how to create, position, resize, and group text boxes so that you have total control over your text.

Merging Data with Documents

Did you ever get one of those "personalized" letters from a company in the mail? You can be sure that nobody typed the entire sales letter from scratch. Instead, the company used a form letter, and something called mail merging. In this lesson, you'll learn how to store long lists of names and addresses that you can reuse in a form letter. Just create a document once, leave blanks for inserting information such as names and addresses, and let Word personalize each letter for you. Now, you too can create personalized letters for business or personal use, such as sending out holiday greetings to family members and friends.

Creating Summative Lists of What's in Your Document

Look in most books, and you'll find a table of contents at the beginning and an index in the back. Often, these are the last components added to a document, since they need to have accurate titles and page numbers. Thankfully, Word takes a lot of the tedious work out of creating these components. In this final lesson, you'll see how you can use Styles to make creating a table of contents a snap, and you'll explore how to tag index terms so that Word knows what page they're on, even if they move later. Word can also help you keep track of any figures, such as charts, illustrations, or graphs, in your document. By letting Word worry about the details, you can create an accurate table of contents, index, or list of figures with very little extra effort on your part. These finishing touches will make your most important documents shine!

Become aware of the conscious and unconscious codes of meaning people send when communicating with others.

Communicating successfully depends on effective use of communication strategies and behaviors. Words, facial and body movements, tone of voice, even clothing and situation, all form an intricate symbol system that must be quickly translated by those who want to communicate.

It has been said that there is no communication unless a mutual sharing of meaning takes place. It has also been said that one cannot NOT communicate. These two ideas seem to oppose one another, but they are two sides of the same coin. A smile can have many meanings, but so can silence.

This course will show you how to manage the conscious and unconscious codes of meaning we send to each other and to respond with appropriate codes in turn. You will explore concepts of verbal and nonverbal expression including personal style, listening, relationship dynamics, self-esteem, conflict management, and cultural and gender communication differences.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Communication Basics

Your first lesson introduces two detailed models that explain the complex nature of communication. You will learn how words, the situation, what's going on in the heads of those communicating, and even environment are all connected—and that they all change from one communication event to the next.

Communication Misunderstandings

Have you ever been in a situation where you don't know whether to say less, say more, or say nothing? In this lesson, you will learn seven premises of communication that will help you through those times. This lesson introduces two strategies for improving communication competence.

The Personal Side of Communication

In this lesson, you will learn how individual emotions, beliefs, attitudes, and values as well as self-esteem and group belonging influence how we communicate. You will also explore how we all seek gratification of specific human needs through the unique and complicated communication process.

Language and Logic

This lesson focuses on the ways in which language affects reasoning abilities. You will learn about constructing useful word maps that benefit your decision making as well as strategies you can use to avoid mental traps that can clog your thinking process.

Nonverbal Messages

Can you say something without uttering a word? In addition to voice, facial expression, and body movement, this lesson covers other ways people send messages without making a sound. You will also learn about nonverbal communication behaviors—sending messages of either inclusion or exclusion.

Intercultural Communication Differences

This lesson explores cultural identity and how it molds habits of communication no matter what the language of the culture is. You will learn how cultures of the world are divided into two main categories. You will examine how groups generalize others and the psychological reasons for doing that.

Effective Listening

This lesson introduces different types of listening. You will learn about the barriers to effective listening, and strategies you can use to improve your listening habits. You will also compare poor listening to empathic listening and evaluate the effects each has on communication success.

Gender Communication Differences

In this lesson, you're invited to examine gender identities from the inside out. You will learn how brain structure as well as physical structure helps determine how men and women communicate. You will learn the differences in masculine and feminine behavior and how these identities manifest themselves.

Relationship Dynamics

In this lesson, you will learn the three main characteristics that make up any relationship as well as the stages that all relationships go through. You will explore how self-disclosure and psychological balance affects relationships and discover the role lying plays in relationships.

Communication Rules

This lesson examines several communication theories that will be useful in analyzing and understanding communication behaviors of yourself and others. You will learn three rules for effective communication behavior that will help you know when and how to adjust your communication behavior.

Conversation Climate

In this lesson, you will learn how people can change the direction of a conversation to advance a personal agenda. This lesson explores the strategies of persuasion, characteristics of credibility, and how to achieve a sense of control in a communication situation.

Interpersonal Conflict Resolution

Your last lesson identifies various types of interpersonal conflicts. You will also explore the ways that different cultural groups and identities approach and resolve conflict. You will learn how to dissect a conflict and apply four steps to successful conflict resolution.

Knowing how to create a spreadsheet with Microsoft Excel is key to effectively managing and organizing information. This online, self-paced course will introduce you to Microsoft Excel 2019 and teach you basic Excel skills.

If you work with numbers, names, dates, or other important data, you need to create spreadsheets to manage this information. Microsoft Excel is the most widely-used spreadsheet software to organize, store, and optimize data. If you're ready to learn Excel 2019, this course will teach you the basics.

You will learn how to create a spreadsheet using several time-saving functions. You will also learn how to use macros and buttons, how to sort and analyze your data, and more. By course completion, you will know how to best organize large sets of data into a spreadsheet with this powerful business productivity tool.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. It is not suitable for Macs or Chromebooks.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Excel 2019 (desktop version), available with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Excel Basics

In our first lesson, you'll develop a solid understanding of the Excel interface. You'll become fluent in the secret language spoken only by Excel users, you'll discover the best way to correct just about any mistake you might make in Excel, and you'll find yourself gliding effortlessly from cell to cell, leaving behind expertly written labels, numbers, and formulas.

Creating a Worksheet

In this lesson, you'll learn five simple steps you should always follow to ensure that your worksheets are always well-planned, well-constructed, and beautifully formatted.

Time-Savers

Our third lesson will teach you the tricks of the Excel masters: a wide variety of useful shortcuts guaranteed to save you time, energy, and frustration. We'll also spend some time working with the Quick Analysis and Flash Fill tools. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll really start to feel like an Excel pro.

Relative, Absolute, Mixed, and Circular References

Do you know the difference between a relative reference, an absolute reference, a mixed reference, and a circular reference? You will after this lesson. Today, we focus on writing sophisticated formulas that can help ease us through some rather sticky scenarios.

3-Dimensional Workbooks

With enough practice, most Excel users quickly become adept at organizing their worksheets across two dimensions: rows and columns. But only a select few will learn how to take their worksheets into the third dimension. Today, you'll join that exclusive group. Prepare to have your socks knocked off as you gain hands-on experience in the construction of three-dimensional workbooks.

Sorting, Subtotaling, and Filtering

No Excel course would be complete without a discussion of Excel's amazing data-crunching capabilities. Today, you'll not only learn how to build a table in Excel, but you'll also learn how to subtotal, sort, and filter.

Charting Basics

In this lesson, we'll explore the exciting world of charts. You'll build your first graph today, and you'll learn how easy it is to adjust the chart type, labels, titles, colors, and many other aspects of your chart.

Advanced Charting Techniques

Today, you'll dig deep into Excel's charting capabilities. You'll explore everything from bar charts and line charts to more prosaic graphs like the pie chart and 3-D charts. You'll find out how to personalize your charts with photographs, text labels, and drawings. You'll also discover the best ways to format your chart for print or otherwise display the truly impressive charts that you'll be creating.

Intro to Excel's Statistical Functions

Excel includes many powerful functions that can automatically perform some very complicated tasks for you. In today's lesson, you'll learn some very interesting ways to put these functions to work for you. You'll find out how to ask Excel to magically derive averages, modes, maximums, minimums, and other useful statistics from nothing more than a column or two of numbers.

Financial Functions

We'll continue our exploration of Excel functions with an in-depth look at Excel's handy financial functions today. By the time this lesson is over, you'll be able to figure out how much money you'll have when you retire, when your kids reach college, or just before your next vacation. You'll be able to calculate the monthly payment on just about any type of loan, and you'll know how to figure out how long it will take to pay off your credit cards. You'll even create an amortization table of your very own, just like the one lenders use to track a loan's payoff amount over time.

Worksheet Automation

Students often rank this lesson as one of their favorites. Today, you'll find out how to automate just about any task you find tedious or time-consuming. You'll discover how to move your most frequently used commands from their present, obscure locations to a much more convenient place: the toolbar that's always perched at the very top of your screen. You'll also learn how you can use macros to reduce just about any complex task to a single keystroke.

Mastering Excel's IF Function

I think you'll be intrigued by our final lesson, in which you'll learn how to use Excel to aid you in decision making. We'll use a special function in Excel that allows it to make comparisons and use those comparisons as the basis for important decisions.

Are you overloaded with emails, meetings, and to-do lists? Make use of Microsoft Outlook 2019 functions, and you will rapidly increase your efficiency and productivity.

Whether for personal use or work, everyone needs to stay organized. In today's world, being organized means tracking email messages and appointments, storing names and contact information of important people, and creating to-do lists to help you complete various types of projects for yourself or your job.

That's why so many people rely on Microsoft Outlook 2019, a unique tool to help you manage email, appointments, tasks, and contacts in a single program. In this course, you'll learn how to use Microsoft Outlook 2019 for Windows.

Many people rely on Microsoft Outlook 2019, a unique tool to help you manage email, appointments, tasks, and contacts in a single program. In this course, you'll learn how to use Microsoft Outlook 2019 for Windows.

You will learn to save, sort, organize, and read email messages. Set appointments along with reminders, so you'll never miss an important date! Store and search through names of important people and their contact information, and create task lists to help you make progress on different projects. By the end of the course, you'll master how to effectively navigate Outlook's four main features: Mail, Appointments, People, and Tasks.

Besides learning how to create email messages, appointments, task lists, and contact information, you'll also learn how to search and find information and sort and organize data. Whether you need to manage your personal life or your professional world, the step-by-step lessons in this course will help you master Outlook for use at home or work.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs and Chromebooks are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Office Outlook 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and available online.

Getting Started with Outlook 201

In this lesson, you'll get acquainted with Outlook. You'll go over the basics of what Outlook can do and how you can use it to save time and keep yourself organized. You'll also get familiar with Outlook's user interface to help you feel comfortable using the program. After you finish this lesson, you'll be ready to start using Outlook and switching between its different functions (Mail, Calendar, People, and Tasks).

Reading Email Messages

This lesson will help you make sense of all your email messages without forcing you to scroll through a long list of messages. You'll learn how to display, sort, and organize email messages. Since email is the most popular way to communicate with people anywhere globally, learning how to read and organize email in Outlook could be the feature you'll use most often.

Finding and Grouping Messages

Receiving email is always fun, but finding ways to search through all your email messages to find what you need can spell the difference between using email as a powerful communication tool or getting lost in the daily flood of email messages. In this lesson, you'll learn how to search, tag, and select email messages and move them to a folder. You will also explore strategies for labeling and organizing email messages.

Creating Email Messages

By receiving email messages and responding to them or simply writing new email messages all your own, you can turn your email account into a two-way communication medium to reach out to people anywhere around the world. In this lesson, you'll learn different ways to create and reply to messages. You will also identify ways to edit and send email messages.

Formatting Email Messages

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format text in your email messages to make your messages more appealing and readable. Formatting text doesn't just mean improving cosmetic appearances but can also mean displaying text in an organized fashion, so it's easier to read. You will identify ways to improve email messages through the use of different fonts, colors, and styles, as well as the use of spelling and grammar checks. You'll also learn how to use bulleted and numbered lists to ensure your emails are easy to read and understand.

Editing Email Messages

This lesson is all about polishing your text, so everything is correct. After all, your words may be powerful, but if there are typos or grammatical mistakes, your email message can look less valid and legitimate. In this lesson, you'll learn different ways to proofread and edit email messages. You'll explore the search and replace feature, learn how to create hyperlinks for email and website addresses, learn how to use the signature feature, and explore different styles for your email messages.

Sending Attachments to Email Messages

Sending email messages with file attachments lets you communicate with others using more than just what you can type. You can share a spreadsheet for others to edit, send someone an interesting PDF file to read, or give someone a short video of yourself wishing him a happy birthday. In this lesson, you'll learn how to add files such as word processor documents, spreadsheets, databases, or presentations along with video and audio files to your email messages. You'll also learn how to add images to email messages and edit these using word wrapping and other methods.

Dealing with Wanted and Unwanted Email

In this lesson, you'll learn how to deal with both wanted and unwanted email messages so you can focus your time on having fun and being productive. You'll learn how to delete and retrieve email messages, as well as how to archive them. Most of your email messages will likely be those you want to receive, but too many of them can make it difficult to find what you need, so you will also learn the benefits of creating rules for sorting emails so you can deal with junk email messages easier.

Storing Contact Information

Outlook offers a way to store names and contact information in a database. Not only can this database grow as large as necessary, but no matter how big it gets, Outlook still makes it easy for you to search and find the information you need quickly and accurately. In this lesson, you'll learn all about using Outlook to store contact information of the people most important to you for business and personal use. You'll learn how to create and keep contacts, sharing and search contacts, and group and sort contacts.

Using the Outlook Calendar

Everyone needs to meet people or be at a certain place at a specific time. For busier people, your scheduled appointments may become so numerous and varied that keeping track of your time can be cumbersome. In this lesson, you'll learn all about using Outlook's calendar feature to create and store appointments. You'll identify the different ways to view and use the calendar. You'll also explore setting and viewing appointments, as well as managing, editing, and sharing these appointments.

Creating Task Lists

In this lesson, you'll learn all about using Outlook to create tasks that can help you stay focused on achieving the goals you want to achieve. Outlook makes it easy to create and store your list of tasks that you can view whenever you use Outlook. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create a task list, tag and add details to a task, and manage your tasks. Outlook's task list is just one more tool to help you keep your life organized and focused.

Taking Notes and Customizing Outlook

Once you learn how to use Outlook's note-taking feature, you can learn different keystroke shortcuts and how to customize Outlook further to serve your particular needs better. In this lesson, you'll identify ways to create and modify notes. You'll also identify keystroke shortcuts and how to use these. Along with this, you'll learn different ways to customize Outlook's user interface and change Outlook's settings. You'll also have a chance to reflect on Outlook's various features you find most valuable and then decide how you plan to customize Outlook to make it easier for you.

Learn how the foundational skills needed to utilize Microsoft Word 2019. This course will teach you how to create professional-looking letters, reports, and documents.

Across all industries, the ability to create documents in a word processor is essential in day-to-day functions. From writing reports to Knowing how to use Microsoft Word, the most widely-used word processing program, adds an important skill set to your professional profile.

This course will introduce you to the 2019 version of Microsoft Word. You will learn the basics of Word 2019 needed to write and edit text and to create, format, and organize documents. By the time you're done with these hands-on activities, you will be able to use Word confidently at home or on the job.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs and Chromebooks are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Word 2019 (desktop version) available with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

1. Getting Started
2. Typing and Navigation
3. File Management
4. Editing Text
5. Working With Multiple Documents
6. Text Formatting and Alignment
7. Printing
8. Margins, Tabs, and Page Numbering
9. Paragraph Formatting
10. Language Tools
11. Customizing Word
12. Making a Word Document Pretty and Organized

Learn to decipher and solve almost any problem with your PC.

Don't spend your hard-earned cash on expensive PC repairs! The vast majority of the problems people experience with their computers are completely avoidable, and most can be solved with nothing more than a few minutes of your time. Intro to PC Troubleshooting takes you step by step through the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians, teaching troubleshooting techniques to decipher any problem, and giving you the skills you need to solve them.

Once you've mastered the basics, the course launches into some of the more advanced and nasty problems that crop up in the PC, teaching you how to diagnose and fix those problems as well! Finally, Intro to PC Troubleshooting shows you how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to troubleshoot and fix some PCs!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• You will also need access to one or more computers that do not contain any data you consider sensitive.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

The Computing Process

This lesson starts you on the path to troubleshooting PCs like a pro. You'll first look at input devices, or how you tell the computer to do stuff. In the second part of the lesson, you'll explore the pieces that do the work inside the computer. The final section describes the output devices, where the computer communicates to you.

Troubleshooting Theory

This lesson will take you through the troubleshooting process. It's not a guide to solving specific computer problems, but the steps explained here will enable you to tackle any computer problems you might encounter. The three main steps are identifying the problem, testing solutions, and completing the process.

Operating System Overview

This lesson introduces you to some of the basic components and tools of an operating system. First, you'll find out about the primary functions of operating systems. You'll then explore the major parts of Microsoft Windows, including the Desktop and Windows Explorer. You'll finish the lesson by learning about the most important troubleshooting tools for fixing operating systems.

OS Fixes

This lesson leads you through the basic steps of troubleshooting an operating system, including startup, video, sound, and application errors. You'll look at tools like Safe Mode and the System Configuration utility and learn about driver rollback. You'll end the lesson by learning how to troubleshoot audio/visual errors.

Avoiding OS Obstacles

How would you like to prevent system problems instead of rushing to fix them? In this lesson, you'll master the three most important types of preventive maintenance: backing up data that's on a hard drive, updating or upgrading the operating system, and using Windows utilities that help you monitor and maintain the OS.

Networking Basics

This lesson covers the basics of networking. First, you'll find out how networks work and what the necessary components are for a wired network. Next, you'll discover wireless networks and everything that separates them from their wired-network brethren. Finally, you'll learn about the biggest network of them all, the Internet.

Troubleshooting Network and Internet Issues

This lesson covers the steps to take when trying to fix your network or Internet connections. You'll learn how to troubleshoot wired and wireless networks, share files, and fix a dial-up or broadband Internet connection.

Preventing Internet Problems

Keep your computer safe from Internet-based attacks, including viruses and spyware! You'll discover the many types of malicious software that can infect your computer, and go through the five-step process of recovering from a virus infection. You'll also read about safe browsing and safe email use and find out how to configure a firewall to help defend your PC.

Introduction to PC Hardware

All PC techs needs to get their hands dirty eventually, which means diving inside the case and checking things out from the inside. In this lesson, you'll learn about the power of different PC parts, including what to look for when shopping for new parts. The lesson will also guide you through the safe and proper handling of components.

Installing Hardware

Replacing hardware components can dramatically improve your PC's performance. For instance, RAM can speed up your computer, a second hard drive increases your data storage capacity, and expansion cards can add features and ports to your computer. In this lesson, you'll learn to handle RAM, hard drives, and expansion cards.

Maintaining Hardware

Dirt happens! You can't make your PC last forever, but you can make it last longer and run better by keeping it clean. Get out your canned air and your distilled water (but not your pencil erasers or your household vacuum cleaner), and learn safe and effective ways to check, clean, and maintain the inside and outside of your computer. You'll also learn about how to donate an old computer and how to throw away a computer without losing data or harming the environment.

Life of a PC Troubleshooter

You've come a long way since the beginning of this course. Before you complete your PC troubleshooting training, you'll be reminded about the computing process and troubleshooting theory. Combined with your new knowledge of PC hardware, software, and networking, you can use these tools to fix all sorts of problems. You'll learn more about your future as a PC troubleshooter, including the certifications and careers available to anyone with the right skills.

What you will learn

• Learn the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians
• Gain the skills you need to solve common PC problems
• Learn how to diagnose and fix more advanced problems as well
• Learn how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC

How you will benefit

• Save time and money by learning to diagnose and troubleshoot common computer problems that you may encounter personally and professionally
• Gain confidence as you learn to fix problems on your PC and business computers
• Open the door to new career opportunities as the go to person for technology issues in most companies

Mike Meyers

Mike Meyers, also known as the "Alpha Geek," is widely recognized as the leading authority on CompTIA Certifications in the industry. He co-founded Total Seminars, LLC and National Cyber Group, LLC, and has been providing PC and network repair seminars, books, videos, and courseware to thousands of organizations worldwide. With his extensive experience in the computer and network repair industry since 1987, Mike has worked as a technician, instructor, author, consultant, and speaker.

Mike is the author of several popular PC books and videos, including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide and CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide. He also serves as the series editor for the highly successful Mike Meyers' Certification Passport series and the Mike Meyers' Guide to series. Mike has sold over a million IT and certification books.

Becoming a certified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert demonstrates your mastery of Microsoft Office products. This course prepares you for the Microsoft Office Specialist Expert certification exam for Microsoft Excel.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs and Chromebooks are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Office 365, 2021 or 2019 (not included in enrollment). While you can use an older version of Microsoft Office, if you do, there will be some differences between your version and what you see in the course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment.

Get the Excel training you need to achieve success so you can manipulate data faster and more efficiently in most workplace situations. If your organization uses lists of any kind, you need to know how to use Microsoft Excel. Earning the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Expert certification sets your professional skill set apart from other Excel users. The course will prepare you for the Microsoft Office Specialist: Microsoft Excel Expert exam.

In this online Excel course, you will first learn to create, modify, and format Excel worksheets, perform calculations, and print Excel workbooks. The course then moves on to teach you how to use advanced formulas, work with lists, work with illustrations and charts, and use advanced formatting techniques. You will also learn Excel's advanced features, such as pivot tables, audit worksheets, data tools, macros, and collaboration methods.

Upon completion of this course, you will be prepared for the Microsoft Excel Expert certification exam, Exam MO-201 (for Microsoft Office 2019/2021 users), or Exam MO-211 (for Microsoft Office 365 users.) This course offers enrollment with or without a voucher. The voucher is prepaid access to sit for the certifying exam upon eligibility. Proctor fees may apply, which are not included.

1. Introduction to Excel
   1. Microsoft Office Basics
   2. Creating a Microsoft Excel Workbook
   3. The Ribbon
   4. The Backstage View (The File Menu)
   5. The Quick Access Toolbar
   6. Entering Data in Microsoft Excel Worksheets
   7. Formatting Microsoft Excel Worksheets
   8. Editing Worksheets
   9. Working with Rows and Columns
   10. Using Formulas in Microsoft Excel
   11. Finalizing Microsoft Excel Worksheets
   12. Introduction to Excel Exam
2. Intermediate Excel
   1. Common Functions
   2. Working with Lists
   3. Visualizing Your Data
   4. Working with Tables
   5. Advanced Formatting
   6. Intermediate Excel Exam
3. Advanced Excel
   1. Using PivotTables
   2. Advanced Functions
   3. Auditing Workbooks
   4. Data Tools
   5. Working with Others
   6. Recording and Using Macros
   7. Advanced Excel Exam
4. Final Exam

What you will learn

• Modify and format data in Excel to create clear, presentable worksheets
• Perform calculations, write formulas, manage workbooks, and save time with Excel shortcuts
• Use Excel database functions and logic functions to work with information in large datasets, and leverage Excel's statistical functions to analyze data
• Visualize your data using charts to show trends, create comparisons, and demonstrate other meaningful insights
• Convert, sort, filter, and manage lists to keep your data organized
• Insert and modify illustrations, logos, or shapes to create professional reports
• Emphasize interesting and unusual data with conditional formatting and save time by using styles to apply formatting instantly
• Create PivotTables and charts to quickly summarize large amounts of data
• Learn to trace precedents and dependents to learn about the data connected to your active cell
• Convert blocks of text, analyze data using tables, and leverage validation tools to control the data entered into your worksheet. Consolidate data from various sources into one master worksheet for easy summary and review
• How to protect your worksheets and workbooks for safe and secure collaboration
• Work with other applications by importing and exporting data, charts, and files

How you will benefit

• Enhance your resume with widely-recognized and in-demand Microsoft Excel skills, making you more attractive to potential employers
• Leverage Excel's powerful data analysis capabilities to make informed data-driven decisions
• Use Excel to automate repetitive tasks, saving you valuable time and reducing the risk of manual errors
• Generate sophisticated reports and visualizations using Excel to better understand your data and communicate your findings
• Master Excel's tools and shortcuts to boost your efficiency and. you to complete your tasks more quickly

Tracy Berry

Tracy Berry has been a senior graphic designer/programmer, instructor, and consultant since 1993 and has developed hundreds of logos, marketing materials, websites, and multimedia solutions for customers worldwide. She was also involved in several large corporate software rollouts. She has helped many organizations optimize and streamline data solutions. She teaches both onsite and online courses and has her CTT (Certified Technical Trainer) certification. Tracy specializes in teaching graphics, desktop publishing, web design, and reporting/productivity applications.

Master the skills you'll need to pass the Mathematical Reasoning module in the GED® test series.

Master the skills required to pass the Mathematical Reasoning module in the GED® test series. You will start off with a review of math basics and begin building the foundation you will need to solve the types of math problems commonly found on the test. In the process, you will develop hands-on experience with percentages, proportions, statistics, algebra, geometry, and more.

Each lesson will give you a chance to apply your knowledge by practicing with the same kind of questions you may find on the test. By the time you finish this course, you will be much more comfortable with your math skills, and you will know how, when, and why to use each math concept you learn.

Note: Some GED® Testing Centers require proof that you have passed a GED® test preparation course before you can take the official test. Before enrolling in this course, please check with the official GED® Testing Center where you intend to take your tests to make sure this course will meet their requirements. Not all states use the GED® test as their test for high school equivalency diploma. The GED® Program is no longer active in Canada as of May 4th, 2024. Canadian students should contact their province to learn about their testing options.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Getting to Know the Test

The first lesson will help you become acquainted with the kinds of questions you'll see on the math portion of the GED® test. Did you know that you'll need to use a specific type of calculator? You'll also look at some basic math concepts and problem solving techniques that you can use throughout the course.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Fractions are the first skills that everyone forgets after leaving school. This lesson focuses on the basics of fractions, decimals, and percentages you'll need in order to prepare for the GED® math module. This lesson is intense, but those skills will most likely come back to you quickly.

Aunt Sally and the Rules of Math

Math laws and rules set the stage for the computations you'll perform in future lessons and on the math part of the GED® test. You'll find out how Aunt Sally will help you remember the order of operations, and you'll learn to write large numbers and small numbers without using dozens of zeros. You'll also find out the rules for adding negative numbers, so you'll never find your bank balance overdrawn.

Algebra Expressions

When you see test directions that tell you, "Solve for n," do you get nervous? In this lesson, you'll learn some terms that are used in algebra, including "variable" and "coefficient," and you'll find out how to simplify complicated expressions and solve problems. This lesson covers the basics of algebra and includes lots of practice to ensure that you understand those basics. Algebra isn't as scary as you might think!

Equations and Inequalities

This lesson is all about equations. You'll start by learning the language of algebra and how to write your own algebraic sentences. From there, you'll move on to solving equations and inequalities.

Quadratic Equations

Everything you need to know about quadratic equations for the GED® test is in this lesson. You'll cover the greatest common factor, factoring, and the FOIL procedure. By the time you're done, you'll be confidently solving quadratic equations.

Using a Coordinate Grid

In this lesson, you'll put your algebra skills to work as you create lines on a coordinate grid. You'll locate points on a grid and then write equations for lines. By the end of the lesson, you'll know what slope is and how to figure out the steepness of a line.

Plane Figures and Angles

This lesson includes math that you can use in your home improvement projects as well as on the GED® test. Need to paint or carpet a room? How about building a new fence for your yard? You'll learn how to figure the area and perimeter of all kinds of shapes.

Solid Geometry: The Third Dimension

This lesson adds a third dimension to the plane objects in the previous lesson. You'll learn to compute the volume and surface area of solid objects, including prisms, spheres, pyramids, and cylinders.

Statistics: What Are the Odds?

Statistics will help you excel on the math, social studies, and science parts of the GED® test. In this lesson, you'll learn about permutations and combinations as well as measures of central tendency and probability. The lesson may not help you win the lottery, but it will prepare you for questions related to statistics!

Word Problems

This lesson will give you a chance to put many of your new math skills to work. You'll use proportions, functions, charts, and your algebra skills to solve word problems that may have stumped you in the past.

Graphs and Testing Tips

In this lesson, you'll review the graphs that you're likely to encounter on the GED® math, science, and social studies modules. The lesson will also give you test-taking tips and tell you how to register for and schedule your GED® test.

What you will learn

• Learn the types of questions you will see on the math portion of the GED test
• Learn basic math concepts and problem solving techniques
• Review and practice fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Learn math laws and rules for computations you will perform on the test
• Learn that language of algebra, write algebraic sentences and solve equations and inequalities
• Learn to locate points on a grid and write equations for lines
• Learn to figure area and perimeter
• Compute the volume and surface area of solid objects
• Learn how to solve problems related to statistics
• Look at graphs that you will encounter in several modules of the GED test
• Learn test-taking tips, how to register for the test and schedule your test

How you will benefit

• Review and master basic math skills and build a foundation you will need to solve all types of problems found on the GED test
• Be prepared and confident to take the GED test

Barbara Rolston

Barbara Rolston holds a master's degree. Since 1975, she has been taught GED preparatory classes in a variety of settings, including adult schools, community colleges, and large corporations. She also was responsible for administering the GED exam in a correctional facility for two years. Math experience includes tutoring community college students on a wide range of math topics and serving as a math consultant for a nationwide adult student assessment system.

Want to pass the GED® test? This course will help you develop the skills you'll need to succeed.

This course will help you analyze your strengths and weaknesses, so you can focus your studying on the areas that you need most. You will get the basics of what you need to know to succeed on the four GED® test modules: Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematical Reasoning.

Some GED® Testing Centers require proof that you have passed a GED® test preparation course or the official practice tests before you can take the official GED® tests. Before enrolling in this course, please check with the official GED® Testing Center where you intend to take your tests to make sure that this course will meet their requirements. Not all states use the GED® test as their test for high school equivalency diploma. As of May 4th, 2024, the GED® Program is no longer active in Canada. Canadian students should contact their province to learn about their testing options.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

What is the GED® Test All About?

How many subjects does the GED® test cover, and how much time do you get for each part of the test? Where do you go to take the test? Do you get to use a calculator? Will this class teach everything from four years of high school? In this lesson, you will learn the answers to all these questions and more.

Reasoning Through Language Arts: Focus on Reading

Reasoning Through Language Arts is the longest of the four GED® test modules, so you will spend three lessons on it. This lesson provides an overview of the RLA, and then focuses on your reading skills. You will start mapping out your strategy for mastering the reading passages of the RLA.

Reasoning Through Language Arts: Focus on Editing

This lesson continues preparation for the Reasoning Through Language Arts test module. You will explore the parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure. What you learn in this lesson will prepare you for the editing part of the RLA test module and help with your overall writing.

Reasoning Through Language Arts: Focus on Writing

It's time to use what you learned about reading strategies and grammar to create an extended response, which is a type of essay. The extended response has a high point value, so you will want to ace it.

Mathematical Reasoning: Focus on Math Terms and Algebra Basics

This first of three math lessons introduces you to the test content and the approved GED® calculator. More than half the math questions cover algebra topics, so you will jump right into the language of algebra. You will also review the concept of "order of operations", which describes the correct order for solving a multi-step problem.

Mathematical Reasoning: Focus on Formulas and Dimensions

This lesson applies the algebra you learned to formulas and geometry dimensions. You will use formulas for perimeter, area, volume, and surface area. These lessons work in real life as well as on the test: By the end of this lesson, you will know how to figure gas mileage, the cost per unit, and sale prices, and the area and perimeter a room.

Mathematical Reasoning: Combining Algebra and Geometry

In this lesson, you will bring your basic algebra skills to a higher level and combine them with geometry concepts. You will learn how to plot points, graph lines, and figure out the slope of lines on a coordinate grid. Then you will factor and solve a quadratic equation and learn how to use tables to solve word problems algebraically.

Science: Energy and Related Systems

In your first science lesson, you will explore the theme of energy and related systems. Besides investigating the cosmos and learning physics laws, you will practice some math that relates to science. The science test also features two short-answer items, that you will prepare for in this lesson.

Science: Human Health and Living Systems

Have you ever wondered why people have different eye colors? Or, have you ever seen news reports about the effects of hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes? If so, you're ready for this science lesson, which explores human health and living systems.

Social Studies: Modern Liberties and Democracy

Understanding your government is an important part of being a good citizen. As you prepare for the social studies test, you will learn about events that shaped the history and economy of the United States.

Social Studies: Dynamic Responses to Societal Systems

Explore the second social studies theme as you learn to analyze political cartoons, master the basics of economics, and learn more about 20th-century history.

Testing and Beyond

You're almost done with this course! In this lesson, you'll review a checklist to make sure you're ready for the GED® test. You will also find tips and techniques to make test day less stressful and learn about making plans for your future, whether that's college or another path.

What you will learn

• Learn the content and strategies involved in taking and passing the GED test
• Develop increasingly-important skills in reading, writing, and mathematics
• Learn test-taking tips and tricks while familiarizing yourself with the content of the GED test
• Gain the answers to many of your questions and concerns associated with the requirements of the GED

How you will benefit

• Establish the foundation for a lifetime of learning and achieving
• Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve personal and financial success
• Gain confidence that you will be able to take and pass the GED test in a single attempt

Barbara Rolston

Barbara Rolston holds a master's degree. Since 1975, she has been taught GED preparatory classes in a variety of settings, including adult schools, community colleges, and large corporations. She also was responsible for administering the GED exam in a correctional facility for two years. Math experience includes tutoring community college students on a wide range of math topics and serving as a math consultant for a nationwide adult student assessment system.

Learn all about the probate process and estate planning.

This course will help you navigate the laws of probate processes and estate planning. You'll learn how various types of ownership affect the passage of property at owner death, with or without a will. You will also learn about the administration and taxation of estates as well as basic requirements for trusts, wills and guardianships.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

1. Introduction to Estate Planning
2. Components of a Will
3. Execution of a Will
4. Trusts in Estate Planning

What you will learn

• Components of a will
• Execution of a will
• Trusts in estate planning

How you will benefit

• Gain a new understanding of estate planning and wills and how to work with laws that impact these

Learn essential Spanish for teachers so that you can bridge the communication gap with your Spanish-speaking students and parents! By the end of this course, you will be well on your way to becoming a Spanish speaker and effectively communicating with the Spanish-speakers all around you.

If you struggle to communicate with your Spanish-speaking students and their families, and you don't know your cabeza from your codo (that's your head from your elbow), don't worry—help is here!

Whether you took a Spanish class 20 years ago and just want to brush up a bit, or you have never taken a Spanish class, you will learn the essential Spanish for teachers and bridge the communication gap with your Spanish-speaking students and parents. Rest assured that this won't be anything like your typical high school Spanish course. You will learn new words in easy-to-digest bites, and each lesson will include Supplementary Material to help you keep expanding your vocabulary.

This course starts with the basics of Spanish pronunciation and then moves right into simple words for everyday things, such as colors, numbers, and question words. It then moves on to conversational phrases, family names, and directions. You will understand what it's like on the first day of school and words relating to enrolling new students, conversing in the classroom, talking about rules and behavior, and basic vocabulary for various academic subjects.

Finally, you will discover some survival phrases for the parent-teacher conference as you learn to describe how a child is doing, talk about academic or behavior problems, and discuss grades and homework. By the end of this course, you will be well on the path to becoming a Spanish speaker and communicating more effectively with the Spanish-speakers all around you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Speaking, Spelling, and Counting in Spanish

In this lesson, you will discover that mastering the Spanish alphabet is as easy as A-B-C! You will also learn simple tricks for pronouncing Spanish words, and you will start building your vocabulary by learning to count from zero to nine.

Colors, Gender in Spanish, and More Counting Words

In this lesson, you will learn the Spanish words for a rainbow of colors and find out how to count all the way up to 199—all while learning fun facts about the culture of Latin America.

Talking About People

Family is all-important to many Spanish speaking cultures. In this lesson, you will find out how to say the names of all your students' relatives. Also, you will start putting your words into conversational phrases and sentences.

Words for Talking About "Who" and "When"

This lesson explores pronouns, an important building block of your Spanish vocabulary. In addition, you will learn how to talk about the months of the year and the days of the week.

Directional Words, Questions, and Prepositions

Supercharge your Spanish sentences with new power words! In this lesson, you will learn prepositions, words for directions, and three new words for asking questions.

Verbs, Verbs, Verbs!

If you think Spanish verbs are a big headache, you're in for a pleasant surprise. This lesson explores "easy" verb tenses and delves into the difference between the "to be" verbs, ser, and estar.

Off to School! Survival Phrases for the First Day

You will add to your repertoire of Spanish survival phrases in this lesson and discover a simple way to ask key questions when enrolling new students. You will also master an important new skill: telling time in Spanish.

Conversing in the Classroom

You're back-to-school to learn the Spanish words for common classroom objects and activities. In this lesson, you will strengthen your communication skills with a host of new adjectives that will come in handy both in and out of the classroom.

Words for Talking About School Rules and Feelings

"How are you feeling today?" By the end of this lesson, you will be able to ask and answer that question in Spanish! You will also know how to explain classroom rules, regulations, and instructions to students en español.

Vocabulary for Teaching and Learning

Words for teaching, learning, and doing are at the top of the agenda for this lesson. In addition, you will look at vocabulary builders you can use to explain concepts in English, math, science, and history.

Visiting the Cafeteria, Playground, and Nurse's Office

If you need to assist a student in the cafeteria or on the playground, you will have lots of helpful words at your fingertips after this lesson. You will also learn key vocabulary words for talking about those medical emergencies that sometimes happen on campus.

Making the Parent-Teacher Conference a Success

Parent-teacher conferences go much more smoothly when you can share information directly with Spanish-speaking parents or guardians. In this lesson, you will learn lots of new words for describing your students' strengths, pointing out areas where they can improve, and praising their achievements.

What you will learn

• Learn the basics of Spanish pronunciation
• Learn simple words for everyday things
• Learn conversational phrases and sentences
• Learn Spanish words for enrolling new students, conversing in the classroom, talking about rules and expectations, and basic vocabulary for academic subjects
• Learn phrases to use in the cafeteria and on the playground
• Learn survival phrases for the parent-teacher conference

How you will benefit

• Communicate effectively with the Spanish-speakers all around you
• Learn Spanish words that you can use in everyday school situations
• Confidently communicate with the parents of your Spanish-speaking students

Tara Bradley Williams

Tara Bradley Williams has authored several Spanish textbooks and occupational Spanish reference guides, including the "¡A Conversar!" and "¡A Trabajar!" series. She taught Spanish and English as a Second Language at the high school and community college levels for over 10 years. She has also operated a Spanish language school and served as a medical interpreter. Tara has BA degrees in Spanish and Sociology from St. Norbert College and an MA in Higher Education and Adult Studies from the University of Denver. She has studied Spanish at the Universidad de Ortega y Gasset in Toledo, Spain and has lived and traveled extensively in Spain and Latin America.

This course will teach you how to develop the motivation, discipline, and creativity to quit your job and be your own boss.

Starting a home-based business is the hottest trend in today's challenging business environment! Learn how to be your own boss and eliminate the stress of having a job. The benefits of working from home are endless!

Earn what you deserve, be independent, have tax deductions, do away with traffic, office politics and more! Learn how to develop the entrepreneurial qualities - motivation, discipline, creativity - that you will need to succeed! This class is a great way to start your own business or enhance the one you already have.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Introduction to Home-Based Businesses

This lesson will introduce you to the variety of reasons why most people want to operate their own home-based business. You'll take an honest look at the benefits as well as the challenges of working at home. Then, you'll see what it takes to be an entrepreneur—and if this lifestyle will work for you.

Selecting a Business

What kind of home-based business should I start? Have you asked yourself this question? Hopefully so, because this is one of the most important issues you need to consider. By thoughtfully exploring your options, you'll spare yourself costly mistakes that come with sinking your time, money, and energy into the wrong business. In this lesson, you'll focus on your talents and abilities so that your home-based business will be a great fit!

Names, Logos, and Legal Protections

Having the right name and look for your home-based business is essential. In this lesson, you'll find out how to create the image that will draw customers to you and bring them back time and again. You'll get creative with names and logos, and then you'll learn how to protect your work with fictitious name statements, trademarks, copyrights, and patents.

Zoning, Licenses, Permits, and Insurance

Did you know that not all businesses are allowed to operate from a private residence? It's vital that you are familiar with the rules and regulations for the area you live in—before you start! For that reason, you'll explore zoning laws, licenses, permits, and insurance issues in this lesson.

The Business Plan

If you want your business to succeed, then you'll need to write an effective business plan. Your home-based venture is like a road trip; to get where you want to go, you need a map that shows you where you're starting from, where your destination is, and which route you want to take. In this lesson, you will learn how to put together a step-by-step action plan. This requires thorough research into each area of your business, so plan to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Creating a Marketing Plan

To make your business thrive, you need to market it like a professional. So in this lesson, you'll learn how to create a marketing plan. Simply providing terrific products and services is not enough—you need to know who make up your marketplace, what your objectives are, and what your competition is up to. Remember, a home-based business doesn't have a convenient storefront. You've got to be creative about letting people know what you do.

Sales Techniques

In this lesson, you'll learn a lot about the fine art of selling your product or service. It's so important to be real, to listen, and to know how to bargain and close the sale. Sound scary? Many people get cold feet when it comes to sales. Don't worry though, because this lesson will give you the key to effective selling: Developing relationships based on trust and credibility.

Banking, Record Keeping, and Taxes

Are you just dying to learn about banking, record keeping, and taxes, right? No? Well, they're not the most exciting topics, admittedly, but they are crucial to your business. In this lesson, you'll learn about expenses and deductions, maintaining the appropriate records for all your revenue, categorizing your expenses, and keeping track of sales tax. Grab a cup of coffee, and keep your eyes open for this lesson!

Setting Up Your Home Office

Do you know how to set up your office for maximum efficiency? If not, then you've come to the right place. Conducting your business from the kitchen table is really not the ideal situation. So join me and see how to find just the right area in your home that will allow you to work in a sane and productive fashion. Learn how to set boundaries for your office, figure out what size office and setup you need, and make sure your office is ergonomically and aesthetically pleasing. Taking the time to set up your home office today is an investment in your future.

Organize Your Business for Success

In this lesson, you'll delve into getting organized. To some people, the word organize sounds constricting and limiting—everything has a place and must be in it at all times. It's time to toss that idea right out the window! The goal in organizing your business is to give yourself freedom. Whether you're dealing with paperwork or time management, your system of organization should not restrict or confine you in any way. Come and see how organizing will work for you and never against you.

Your Professional Image

One thing entrepreneurs often overlook is their professional image—how their business looks to the outside world. When your 5-year-old answers the phone and starts playing guessing games with potential customers, or when your computer equipment is still running Windows XP, you've got an image problem! The impression you make through your image can bring customers to you or drive them to your competition. So, in this lesson, you'll look at what not to do and what to do regarding your personal appearance, attitude, and printed materials.

Balancing Business and Family

In all your hard work of building a business, you don't want to forget the most important people: not your customers, but your family. You'll need to clarify expectations, reach compromises that work for everybody, and especially set boundaries. In this last lesson, you'll learn how to protect your work and your relationships and have fun with both. It's all a matter of balance.

What you will learn

• Learn how to protect your work with statements, trademarks, copyrights, and patents
• Understand zoning laws, licenses, permits, and insurance issues
• Learn how to put together business and marketing plans
• Gain key effective selling techniques
• Learn about banking, record keeping, and taxes
• Understand how your professional image can affect your business

How you will benefit

• Gain confidence in your ability to run a home-based business
• Learn how to be your own boss and eliminate the stress of having a job
• Understand how to protect your work and your family relationships to succeed with both

Helene K. Liatsos

Helene K. Liatsos is a consultant for small businesses, travel agencies, and home-based business startups with more than 25 years of experience. Along with a successful career in the travel industry, working with airlines, hotels, and travel agencies, Helene established her own business management company, Home Office Management Experts, and was awarded the 2004 Home-Based Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. As a QuickBooks Certified Advisor, she provides bookkeeping, payroll and QuickBooks training services. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Fairleigh Dickinson University.