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About the Courseware

About the Courseware

Copyright: 2020

Level 1: 272 pages  |  Level 2: 272 pages  |  Level 1&2: 528 pages

Authors: Nita Rutkosky; Jan Davidson, Lambton College; Audrey Roggenkamp, Pierce College Puyallup; and Ian Rutkosky, Pierce College Puyallup

The Benchmark Series: Microsoft Excel 365, 2019 edition, is designed for students who want to learn how to use Microsoft’s powerful spreadsheet program to manage and analyze data. Beginning in Level 1, students will practice using Excel to manipulate numerical data in a variety of workplace scenarios and will design and prepare worksheets and workbooks to meet specific needs. Students who complete Level 2 of this course can expect to gain proficiency in using advanced formatting techniques as well as advanced functions and formulas; working with tables and data features; using data analysis features; and managing and integrating data in a variety of ways in the Excel environment.

Complete course content is delivered in the Cirrus learning environment through a series of scheduled assignments that report to a grade book to track student progress and achievements.

Excel Level 1, Unit 1: Preparing and Formatting Worksheets
Chapter 1: Preparing an Excel Workbook
Chapter 2: Inserting Formulas in a Worksheet
Chapter 3: Formatting a Worksheet
Chapter 4: Enhancing a Worksheet
Unit 1 Performance Assessment

Excel Level 1, Unit 2: Enhancing the Display of Workbooks
Chapter 5: Moving Data within and between Workbooks
Chapter 6: Maintaining Workbooks
Chapter 7: Creating Charts and Inserting Formulas
Chapter 8: Adding Visual Interest to Workbooks
Unit 2 Performance Assessment

Excel Level 2, Unit 1: Advanced Formatting, Formulas, and Data Management
Chapter 1: Advanced Formatting Techniques
Chapter 2: Advanced Functions and Formulas
Chapter 3: Working with Tables and Data Features
Chapter 4: Summarizing and Consolidating Data
Unit 1 Performance Assessment

Excel Level 2, Unit 2: Managing and Integrating Data and the Excel Environment
Chapter 5 Using Data Analysis Features
Chapter 6 Exporting, Importing, and Transforming Data
Chapter 7 Automating Repetitive Tasks and Customizing Excel
Chapter 8 Protecting and Distributing a Workbook
Unit 2 Performance Assessment

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About Cirrus

About Cirrus

Cirrus is the next-generation learning solution for developing skills in Microsoft Office. Cirrus seamlessly delivers complete course content in a cloud-based learning environment that puts students on the fast-track to success.

Students can access their content from any device anywhere, through a live internet connection. Cirrus is platform independent, ensuring that students get the same learning experience whether they are using PCs, Macs, or Chromebook computers.

Cirrus provides access to all the Benchmark Series content, delivered in a series of scheduled assignments that report to a grade book to track student progress and achievement.

Dynamic Training

Cirrus for the Benchmark Series delivers interactive assignments to guide student learning.

  • Watch and Learn Lessons include video and text content explaining how to perform the chapter activities,
    and a short quiz that allows students to check their understanding of the content.
  • Guide and Practice Tutorials provide interactive, guided training and measured practice.
  • Hands On Activities enable students to complete the chapter activities in provided data files, compare their solutions against a Completed Skill model answer image, and submit their work for instructor review.

Section Review and Assessment

Section review and assessment activities in the Cirrus learning environment reinforce and assess student learning.

  • Multiple-choice Features Review exercises assess student comprehension and recall of program features, terminology, and functions.
  • Skills Exams evaluate students' ability to complete
    specific tasks. Skills Exams are completed live in the Office application and are automatically scored by Cirrus.
  • Exercises and Projects provide opportunities for students to further develop and demonstrate skills covered in each chapter and unit. Exercises and Projects are completed live in the Office application and are automatically scored. Detailed feedback and how-to videos help students evaluate and improve their performance.
  • Multiple-choice Concepts Exams assess student understanding of the chapter content.
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Instructor Support

Instructor Support

Cirrus tracks students' step-by-step interactions, giving instructors visibility into students' progress and missteps.

With Exam Watch, instructors can remotely join a virtual, live, skills-based exam with student-a helpful option for struggling students who need one-to-one coaching, or for distance learners.

Accessed through Cirrus and visible only to instructors, the Instructor Resources for the Benchmark Series include the following support:

  • Planning resources, such as lesson plans, teaching hints, and sample course syllabi.
  • Delivery resources, such as activity answer keys and online images and templates.
  • Assessment resources, including live and annotated PDF model answers for section work and review and assessment activities, rubrics for evaluating student work, and section-based exam banks in RTF format.