Microsoft Office 365 Mini-Course

1. Mastering Microsoft Word

• Lesson 1.1: The Word Interface — Ribbon, Backstage View, Navigation, Quick Access tools.

• Lesson 1.2: Document Essentials — Create, save, open, print, and export (to PDF) documents.

• Lesson 1.3: Text & Paragraph Formatting — Fonts, sizes, styles, alignment, spacing, indentation, lists.

• Lesson 1.4: Inserting & Arranging Content — Tables, images, shapes, headers/footers, page breaks.

• Lesson 1.5: Styles, Templates & Themes — Using Word’s built-in styles and templates; creating and reusing custom templates.

• Lesson 1.6: Working with Long Documents — Sections, page numbering, table of contents, navigation pane.

• Lesson 1.7: Collaboration & Review — Track Changes, Comments, real-time co-authoring, version history.

• Lesson 1.8: Advanced Tools (optional/bonus) — Mail merge (for mass letters or labels), referencing tools (footnotes, endnotes), inserting tables of figures, mail-merge to email/labels.

2. Essential Excel for Beginners & Data Handling

• Lesson 2.1: Workbook & Worksheet Fundamentals — Cells, rows, columns, sheets; saving workbooks; basic navigation.

• Lesson 2.2: Basic Formulas & Functions — SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN/MAX, simple arithmetic.

• Lesson 2.3: Data Management — Sorting, filtering, freezing panes, adjusting columns/rows, managing large data sets.

• Lesson 2.4: Basic Formatting & Clarity — Number formats (date, currency, percentage), alignment, cell styles, conditional formatting.

• Lesson 2.5: Creating Charts & Graphs — Column, line, pie charts; chart formatting; basic data visualization for reports.

• Lesson 2.6: Intermediate Functions & Tools (optional/bonus) — Logical functions (IF, AND, OR), lookup functions (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP), date functions, text functions.

• Lesson 2.7: Sheet Management & Printing — Renaming sheets, hiding/unhiding, splitting panes, setting print areas, page layout and printing options.

• Lesson 2.8: Collaboration & Sharing — Saving in cloud, sharing workbooks, co-authoring, version history, conflict resolution.

3. Dynamic Presentations with PowerPoint

• Lesson 3.1: The PowerPoint Environment — Ribbon, slide pane, layout view, notes pane.

• Lesson 3.2: Slide & Layout Design — Using templates/theming, choosing and applying slide layouts, consistent design.

• Lesson 3.3: Inserting Content — Text, images, icons, shapes, SmartArt, charts, tables.

• Lesson 3.4: Multimedia & Enhancements — Videos, audio, transitions, animations.

• Lesson 3.5: Slide Master & Consistency — Master slides, consistent headers/footers, reuse of layouts for brand cohesion.

• Lesson 3.6: Speaker Notes & Handouts — Use speaker notes, print handouts, set up print layouts for audience.

• Lesson 3.7: Delivery & Rehearsal — Presenter View, rehearse timings, slideshow settings (loop, kiosk, timings).

• Lesson 3.8: Collaboration & Sharing — Save to cloud, share presentations, co-author, version history.

4. Communication & Collaboration with Teams & Cloud Tools

• Lesson 4.1: Fundamentals of Cloud Storage — Understanding cloud vs local, logging into Microsoft 365 portal, file access from anywhere.

• **Lesson 4.2: OneDrive for Business — Storing, syncing and sharing files, folder structure, permissions, versioning.

• **Lesson 4.3: SharePoint Basics — Team sites, document libraries, lists, sharing, collaborative file storage.

• Lesson 4.4: Microsoft Teams Basics — Difference between Teams, Channels, Chats; navigating Teams interface.

• Lesson 4.5: File Sharing & Co-authoring in Teams — Uploading files, collaborating live on Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents inside Teams or via SharePoint.

• Lesson 4.6: Meetings & Calls — Scheduling meetings, calendar integration, screen sharing, chat, whiteboard, meeting tools.

• Lesson 4.7: Productivity Enhancements — @mentions, notifications, adding apps (e.g., Planner, Forms), using Teams as a hub for project communication.

• Lesson 4.8: Collaboration Best Practices & Governance — Naming conventions, folder structure hygiene, permissions and access control, version control.

5. Outlook & Productivity Management 

• Lesson 5.1: Email Basics — Sending/receiving email, attachments, folders, signatures, auto-replies.

• Lesson 5.2: Organising Mail — Rules, categories, flags, folders, search and filters.

• Lesson 5.3: Calendar & Scheduling — Calendar events, meeting invites, reminders, shared calendars.

• Lesson 5.4: Contacts & Tasks — Managing contacts, distribution lists, tasks, to-dos, integration with Calendar.

• Lesson 5.5: Integration with Other Apps — Creating tasks from emails or Teams chats, linking calendar with Teams meetings, sharing files from OneDrive.

6. Productivity Tools & Add-Ons (Advanced / Bonus Content)

• **Lesson 6.1: Microsoft OneNote — Taking notes, organising notebooks, tagging, embedding files, syncing across devices, collaborating.

• **Lesson 6.2: Microsoft Forms — Creating surveys, polls or questionnaires; collecting and analysing responses; sharing with respondents; integrating with Teams or SharePoint.

• **Lesson 6.3: Microsoft Planner & Task Management — Setting up simple task lists, assigning tasks, tracking progress inside Teams/SharePoint.

• Lesson 6.4: Basic Automation & Workflow (Intro) — Overview of automation possibilities (when to use workflows, forms + lists + Planner), preparing learners for deeper automation training if needed.

• Lesson 6.5: Security Basics & Best Practices — Saving to cloud properly, file sharing permissions, understanding version control, basic safe-sharing practices (e.g. share links vs email attachments).

7. Putting It All Together: Real-World Workflows & Scenarios

• Lesson 7.1: Document Collaboration Workflow — Example: Word document drafted, reviewed, commented, co-authored, stored in SharePoint, version controlled.

• Lesson 7.2: Team Project Workflow — Example: project planned with Planner / OneNote / Teams; tasks assigned; files stored and shared; communication via Teams; status updates.

• Lesson 7.3: Reporting Workflow with Excel + Outlook — Collect data, build analysis in Excel, create chart/graph, export or share via email/calendar invite.

• Lesson 7.4: Presentation Workflow — Create content in Word/Excel, embed into PowerPoint, collaborate with colleagues, present live via Teams or in person, share slides via OneDrive/SharePoint.

• Lesson 7.5: Remote & Hybrid Work Best Practices — Using cloud storage, Teams, shared calendars, and collaboration tools to work seamlessly from different locations.

8. Recommended “Next Steps” & Further Learning Paths

• Deep-dive courses/modules: Advanced Excel (PivotTables, lookup functions, data analysis, macros), Advanced Word (long documents, templates, automation), Advanced PowerPoint (master slides, branding, custom animations).

• Introducing Workflow & Automation Tools (Power Automate, Power Apps) for business processes — ideal for users wanting to streamline repetitive tasks.

• Governance, Security & Admin Awareness — for those managing teams or company data: permissions, sharing policies, version control and backup strategies.

• Ongoing Productivity & Collaboration Training — regular refresher sessions, new feature updates (cloud, AI tools, new apps).