Intro to Office Pro

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER BASICS AND MICROSOFT OFFICE
Welcome to TestOut Office Pro

Every student deserves a great start in using a computer and essential tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Office Pro provides you with a positive experience in developing the skills you need to succeed in a digital world.

If you have limited experience using computers, Microsoft Office, or online courseware, don’t worry! You can do it. Over 1.5 billion users of Microsoft Office have learned to use the software and you can too. Office Pro is simple to use and the technology, materials, and the method of learning will have you feeling confident by the end of the class.

There are no shortcuts in learning Microsoft Office. It takes time to master skills needed for success. As you go through the course, take advantage of the opportunity to practice what you are learning. Time spent now will save you valuable time in the future and will significantly help you throughout your formal education and career.

What to Know for the Best Learning Experience
Using Office Pro Course Materials
Instead of using a traditional textbook, TestOut Office Pro’s tools for learning, practice, and assessment are all provided online using three types of course materials. Students do best when they follow the recommended steps for learning.
Step 1: Watch the Short Instructional Videos

Each section begins with a few short videos that demonstrate the new skills you’ll be practicing. For most students, watching the videos is the best way to gain initial exposure to the new material.

Step 2: Review the E-text Lessons

Office Pro provides two kinds of information sheets in each section.

  • Fact Sheets review key terms and facts covered in the videos and discuss Office features in additional detail.
  • Tips Sheets give insights into how the skills will be useful in college and the workplace, as well as guidelines for using them more effectively.
Step 3: Complete the Practice Labs

The majority of your time will be spent in 3 levels of simulated labs. All of the labs simulate the look and performance of Microsoft Office and will give you the best learning experience. Office Pro uses simulations instead of Microsoft Office software because simulations allow for video and text hints along with instant feedback. It also means the simulations will not stop you from making a mistake, just like the software. Because learning from our mistakes is a critical part of the learning process. In the Give It a Try section below, you will have an opportunity to try one of the labs.

FIVE TIPS FOR LEARNING SUCCESS
  1. Find your motivation to learn online
  2. Courage comes before confidence
  3. Transform your anxiety into excitement
  4. Cultivate disciplined study habits
  5. Persistence is more important than intelligence
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Full article
FIVE TIPS FOR LEARNING SUCCESS
  1. Find your motivation to learn online
  2. Courage comes before confidence
  3. Transform your anxiety into excitement
  4. Cultivate disciplined study habits
  5. Persistence is more important than intelligence
Icon - PDF
Full article
How the Computer, Internet and Browser Impacts your Experience

Depending on how fast your computer can process information, your experience can vary greatly in terms of loading times, responsiveness, and overall time needed to complete the lab.

Be Patient - TestOut is going to space and back!
Yes, it really is! The videos, text lessons, and labs are going into space, bouncing off satellites, then returning to wherever you are, so give it a few seconds. However, if the labs don’t load or seem extra slow, give our amazing support team a call at 1-800-877-4889.

Computer Requirements
We've created a list of specs your computer should have for this course to help things run smoothly.

Item
Definition
Recommended Specification
Processor (CPU)
Is the abbreviation for Central Processing Unit or sometimes called central processor. The CPU is the brains of the computer where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system
Intel i3, Intel i5, Intel i7, AMD A12 or better
CPU Speed
The speed at which the CPU executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instruction are executed.
2.4 Ghz or higher
RAM (Memory)
Data is stored for the short term in the Random Access Memory, or RAM. RAM is the place where the CPU stores the data it’s currently working on. RAM is very fast, but it’s not persistent. That mean any data stored in RAM will be lost when the system is turned off.
4GB or higher
Operating System (OS)
The operating system is the most important program that runs on a computer and is a platform for applications like Microsoft Word
64- Bit Windows OS
Intel-Based Mac OS
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Internet Speed
Item
Definition
Recommended Specification
Internet Bandwidth
Is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.
3.6 Mbps per user

To check internet speeds, we recommend freshly restarting the computer, resetting your router, and turning off any other devices that use your internet connection to reduce the possibility of interfering factors. Then navigate to Fast.com (chosen for its simplicity and acceptable accuracy).

Labs require an internet speed of 3.6 Mbps per user to have good loading times. After initial loading is completed, the lab uses very little internet, although it is crucially important to maintain an internet connection. (Do not close your laptop or put it to sleep during a lab or your results may not communicate properly to our server.)

Fast.com will automatically begin to run its test and tell you your download speed. If you suspect the result you see is inaccurate, reload the test once or twice. If you see Kbps instead of Mbps then your internet speed is inadequate. 1000 Kbps = 1 Mbps. If you find that you are below the minimum internet speed, see section 7.5 for more ideas.

Browser Tips

We recommend using Google Chrome web browser for the best experience and highly recommend you close any browser tabs and as well as other web browsers when using Desktop Pro.

Item
Definition
Recommended Specification
Supported Browsers
A web browser is an application that’s used to access files through the internet. The word web is short for World Wide Web, which refers to the naming and linking of digital content stored on the Internet. Some commonly used web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome
Google Chrome 35+
IE 10+
Firefox 42+
Safari 8+
Edge 20+
Allowing Popups for specific sites
A popup blocker is a web browser option that prevents pop-up advertisements from launching in the browser. If a website has a legitimate need for displaying pop-up windows, the browser can be configured to allow pop-up blocker exceptions for specific URLs.
Sites to allow:
cdn.Testout.com
www.Testout.com
webservices.Testout.com
content.Testout.com
Using the Videos and Simulated Labs

Before getting started please watch the two video tutorials before moving on to the next section.

Icon - Video Content and/or Demonstration

This is not like watching a video on youtube. Learn how the interactive script and other features give you control on how you learn best.

Icon - Video Content and/or Demonstration

Since you will spend many hours in the course a few extra minutes will be time well spent.

Get a Jump Start with the Course

If you are waiting for access to the Desktop Pro course and want to get started, we've made the first 3 sections available for you. Click on the links below to launch each resource to begin learning. They may take a moment or two to load. Note: These resources will not be scored or recorded. You will have to redo the labs once you gain access to the full course in LabSim. These are here to simply give you a jump start learning some of the basics of the course.

If you are waiting for access to the Desktop Pro course and want to get started, we've made the first 3 sections available for you. These sections are available on PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. Please return to this page on a supported device and the links referred to in this section will be available to you.

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