Hi all, My Dad is looking for a Microsoft Office/Excel correspondence course or courses from an RA or DETC college (the funds are coming from a company and state retraining grant so a place like New Horizons wouldn't be a viable option). In terms of my Dad's background - he's an automotive quality engineer with an MBA and a certificate in manufacturing standards and processes. Recently his plant closed and he was forced into early retirement. The positions he's interviewed for require a more extensive knowledge of the Excel than what he needed at his former position. My folks are still on dial up so I think DVD lectures would work much better than streaming video. Can anyone offer a solid recomendation? I've already checked out the Ohio University and the local community college offerings but was hoping to present him with several options or recommendations from folks who have taken the course. Thanks so much!
Well, he can download free CBT training better. No costs, but he can study right away. If he still on dial-up, you should download and copy for him. URL: http://www.xpressionsz.com/category/cbt-all-other-video-training/
1) If you weren't looking for an actual RA or DETC course, I would recommend DVDs from http://www.learnkey.com/Office_Productivity They have different flavors of Excel and are around $200.00. I used them for SQL Server and learned everything I needed to get started. 2) If your father had broadband, I would HIGHLY recommend www.vtc.com For $30.00 per month you have access to Excel, Excel programming with VBA, Excel pivot tables, Excel formulas plus a myriad of other Office titles, programming titles and more. All in streaming video format. I used it in the last few weeks to bone up on Excel for my new job. 3) After he gets in the job, I recommend signing up for http://www.experts-exchange.com/ For $12.95 per month, you can ask an expert a question (i.e. What formula in Excel can I use to find ROI?). The "experts" usually respond within an hour or less. This has helped me tremendously, especially when I start a new job and trying to impress. Good luck!
- Central Texas College (RA) runs an "Introduction to Spreadsheets" DL course quite often. Check the schedule. I took my Excel course in the seat and lab at a local CC, but would venture to say the CTC class requires two proctored tests, with all instruction coming from the book and accompanying CD. - Tarleton State University (RA) has offered a graduate-level "CIS 517 'Topics: Advanced Spreadsheet Applications'" DL class every summer for the past two years. - Southwestern College (RA) lists an 8-week "COT 305 Advanced Microsoft Excel" DL course. Again, check the schedule.
A quick update - the Southwestern College offering is six weeks, not eight weeks. Please excuse the mistake.
Thanks for all the great leads! I'll pass them onto him shortly I need to find out what my folks pay for dial up - if its a difference of a few bucks a month he might consider DSL. *Might* is the operative word.
ed2go.com is offered though many community colleges 12 lessons/2 per week. All set up in a similar fashion. Easy to follow. Two weeks to do each lesson. They may fit the bill and are inexpensive to boot.
You may also find these free Excel training courses from Microsoft to be useful: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/CR061831141033.aspx Here's one for using basic statistical functions in Excel: http://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC010919231033 Dave
Cerro Coso College has several on-line Excel courses http://cconline.cerrocoso.edu/schedule/2007-fall.htm
You may want to search ebay for 'Excel tutorial'. I've bought a number of low cost CBTs and DVDs from ebay with great results. Just my 2 cents.
You guys rock! My Dad is amazed at all of his options and is currently doing research on which option will work best for him. Thanks so much for all your help.
I would be interested in hearing about comparisons of the various MS Excel courses above by someone with your Dad's experiences. The MS supplied stuff is pretty good with the basics but one wonders what additional value the paid options deliver. Dave
In the past week and a half he's had five first interviews and several second interviews so he's been a little distracted. I'll keep y'all posted (or better yet, talk him into posting here!)
Video Professor If you've ever watched the ads for Video Professor, the advertisement guarantees you can learn an application using their approach. By the way, the FREE lesson is at the beginner level; intermediate and advanced level lessons come on the paid-for CDs. Note: I cannot vouch for the quality or fitness of purpose of these products. I only pass along the URL to assist you in making a decision as to where and how to learn Microsoft Excel.