This course aims to introduce students with the basic understanding of Excel to its practical uses as a business tool. The course will cover how to create spreadsheets for simple accounts and use them for calculations, financial reporting and profit/loss calculations. It will also teach how use Excel to store, sort and filter business information and analyze and interpret it through creating simple databases and reports. The course is especially recommended for sole traders, small businesses and treasurers/secretaries of small charities. It will focus on the practical everyday use of spreadsheets and how to keep them simple and effective in a busy life. Where practical students will be encouraged to work on spreadsheets based on their own, real, businesses needs and draw on the experience of the tutor and other students.
Course aim
This course will help students with a basic understanding of Excel develop their skills to make practical use of it in their business, charity or private activities. It will cover how to use Excel for accounts, record keeping and as a database.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- This course is for a group of around 15 students studying in a live video-learning platform conference and an online digital learning environment platform from the comfort of your own home.
- This course is for improvers
- Students will need to have a basic understanding of Windows and Microsoft Office and MS Excel.
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- List the basic accounting principles that underline designing a spreadsheet for accounts
- Create a spreadsheet to keep track of income and expenditure for a small business or charity
- Use Excel as a project planner i.e. event / stock planning
- Construct a simple database to store information such as contact details, stock etc.
- Demonstrate how to protect the quality of data in a database by passwords, drop down menus and data validation
How will I be taught?
- The WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas will be used to provide resources or to support lessons, enable assessment, provide learner feedback and for other activities for individuals away from the course. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
- You may be asked to undertake additional work in your own time to support your learning
- You will be expected to carry out a range of activities in your own time
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- You will be able to keep a record of your progress and achievement using photos, audio, text or documents uploaded into the WEA’s digital learning platform, WEA Canvas.
- Your tutor will provide written, text and audio feedback recorded in WEA Canvas, WEA’s digital learning platform.
- You will be able to keep a digital portfolio of your work on WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas.
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
- You will be encouraged to share your work with the group and discuss your learning
- You will be encouraged to consider other students work and give your opinions and suggestions
- A file of work will be kept which will help to record your progress
- There will be a number of tasks appropriate to your course such as written work, creating art or craft, video, photography or small projects. Some of these may be marked to help you progress
What else do I need to know?
- What you need: You will need an internet connection, speakers, a microphone and a webcam so that you can use our video learning platform, Zoom. If you’d like to understand more Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- You will also need access to the internet outside of your sessions. You could do this using a smart phone, tablet, laptop or a desktop computer (at home or through a library etc.).
- You will need a personal email address to join the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas so that you can receive resources, record your progress and achievement and to work with others and share ideas. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- Students will need a PC or Laptop loaded with Windows and Excel
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
- This course could lead to a range of job opportunities. Follow link to National Careers Service for more details https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/
- Become involved with the WEA in a range of voluntary work and other activities including campaigning as a WEA member
- Become involved as a volunteer for a WEA partner or another organisation
- Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next
Download full course information sheet
