A Productivity/Project Approach to Teaching Microsoft® Word 2013

Vicki Robertson and Susie VanHuss

Agenda

• Why Word 2013?• Why a productivity/project approach?• Benefits to students/instructors/employers• Learning strategies to prepare students for

workplace success

Why Word 2013?

• Most comprehensive word processor• State-of-the artWord

• De facto standard• 90+% market share (Gartner, Forbes, WSJ) MS Office

• 2-year graduates – Word 16 in Beta• 4-year graduates – Word 16 in

workplace 1-2 years (MS timeline)Workplace

Why a Productivity/Project Approach?

1. Addresses students’ lack of strong basic skills (keyboarding & communication)

2. Sound pedagogical approach – simple to complex with extensive reinforcement

3. Easy to learn and easy to teach at all levels

4. Learning-focused engagement

5. Direct career link

Student Realities

Huge opportunity for instructors of first-year courses to make a real difference in the lives of their students!

Student Benefits from Productivity/ Project Approach

• Develop basic keyboarding, communication, and word processing skills needed for virtually all jobs in the first semester

• Engaging approach clearly linking instruction to workplace success

• Huge advantage in competing for better on-campus and community part-time jobs

• Develop skills to gain relevant work experience while in school

Instructor Realities and Benefits• Increasing student retention is easier

and cheaper than recruiting new students for your program

• Students employed part-time in administrative offices on campus showcase your program

• Students learn that your program is the best way to get relevant part-time work experience (Word of mouth recruiting!)Enhancing students’ opportunities

for workplace success, makes a real difference in their lives! The real reward of teaching is knowing that you made a difference in your students’ lives!

Employer BenefitsEmployer expectations for entry level:

Productivity/project approach can prepare students to meet these expectations!

Immediate productivity from new hires

Relevant work experience

Soft skills

Essential technical skills

Office Productivity

Keyboarding and communication skills (KPDO)

Essential word processing commands and formatting

Productivity tools in Word(Building blocks—headers, footers, cover pages, table designs,

templates, Quick Parts, styles, SmartArt, collaboration tools, etc.)

Illustrated Learning Strategies

Select learning strategies based on student learning outcomes.

Integrate Communication Skills

Essential Word Processing Commands

Concept

Step-by-step instructions Illustration

Immediate, simple practice of one or two commands

Apply Commands, Formats, and Basic Skills

Start with Model Document and Callouts

Apply All Formats and Reduce Directions

Project Approach—Realistic Work Setting

Same company setting is used at end of each module (3-7) to review commands and formats taught in that module.

Uses SOPs to minimize directions

Project 8 – Comprehensive project

Minimal Instructions

Focus is on what to do—not how to do it

Integrate Communication Skills

Requires synthesizing information from a previous report as well as composition and editing skills

Summary

•Works equally well with learning beginning and advanced command and formats

Consistentsimple-to-complex

approach

•Keyboarding and communications•Beginning and advanced Word•Simple and complex document formatting•Follows business-type standard operating procedures

Integrates a wide range of skills in a realistic business

setting

•Shows the relevance of instruction to workplace success•Tool to retain students throughout first year and into second year•Prepares students for entry-level workplace success

Engaging and career focused

Contact Information

Susie H. VanHuss, Ph.D.Distinguished Professor EmeritusMoore School of BusinessUniversity of South Carolinasusievanhuss@bellsouth.net803.799.9459

Note: Illustrations of learning strategies in this presentation are copyrighted by Cengage Learning or Susie H. VanHuss 2013.