Second Edition
Frequently asked questions and instructor notes
All our courses assume that each student has a personal computer to use during the class. Our hands-on approach to learning requires they do. This topic gives information on how to set up the classroom to teach this course. It includes minimum requirements for the students’ personal computers, setup information for the first time you teach the class, and setup information for each time that you teach after the first time you set up the classroom.
Student computer requirements
Each student’s personal computer should have:
· A keyboard and a mouse
· Pentium 233 MHz processor (or higher)
· 128 MB RAM
· 400 MB of available hard drive space
· CD-ROM drive
· SVGA monitor (800´600 minimum resolution support)
· A printer driver
(An actual printer is not required, but students will not be able to complete
the printing activities Units 6 and 7 unless a driver is installed.)
· A printer connection, if you want students to complete Activity
C-1 in Unit 6
· An active Internet connection
First-time setup instructions
The first time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 Install Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional on an NTFS partition according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. Then, install the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com. (You can also use Windows XP Professional, although the screen shots in this course were taken using Windows 2000, so students’ screens might look somewhat different.)
2 Adjust the computer’s display properties as follows:
a Open the Control Panel and double-click Display to open the Display Properties dialog box.
b On the Settings tab, change the Colors setting to True Color (24 bit or 32 bit) and the Screen area to 800 by 600 pixels.
c On the Appearance tab, set the Scheme to Windows Classic.
d Click OK. If you are prompted to accept the new settings, click OK and click Yes. Then, if necessary, close the Display Properties dialog box.
3 Adjust the computer’s Internet settings as follows:
a On the desktop, right-click the Internet Explorer icon and choose Properties to open the Internet Properties dialog box.
b On the Connections tab, click Setup to start the Internet Connection Wizard.
c Click Cancel. A message box will appear.
d Check “Do not show the Internet Connection wizard in the future” and click Yes.
e Re-open the Internet Properties dialog box.
f On the General tab, click Use Blank, click Apply, and click OK.
4 Connect to the Internet. The course assumes that students’ computers are connected to the Internet, so some screens and activities might look different if their computers are not connected.
5 If necessary, install a printer driver. If a printer was connected to the computer during the installation of Windows, there will be a driver installed for that printer. If not, you should install a standard PostScript printer driver, such as the HP LaserJet 5.
6 Install Microsoft Office 2003 according to the software manufacturer’s instructions, as follows:
a When prompted for the CD key, enter the 25-character code included with your software.
b Select the Custom installation option and click Next.
c Clear all check boxes except Microsoft Excel.
d Select “Choose advanced customization of applications” and click Next.
e Next to Microsoft Office Excel for Windows, click the drop-down arrow and choose Run all from My Computer.
f Next to Office Shared Features, click the drop-down arrow and choose Run all from My Computer.
g Click Next. Then, click Install to start the installation.
h When the installation has completed successfully, click Finish.
7 If necessary, download the Student Data files for the course. You can download the data directly to student machines, to a central location on your own network, or to a disk.
a Connect to www.courseilt.com/instructor_tools.html.
b Click the link for Microsoft Excel 2003 to display a page of course listings, and then click the link for Excel 2003: Basic, 2nd Edition.
c Click the link for downloading the Student Data files, and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
8 Copy the data files to the Student Data folder.
9 Start Excel. Then, turn off the Office Assistant, as follows:
a If the Office Assistant is not displayed, choose Help, Show the Office Assistant.
b Right-click the Office Assistant and choose Options to open the Office Assistant dialog box.
c Clear Use the Office Assistant and click OK.
10 Dock the Formatting toolbar below the Standard toolbar.
11 If the Getting Started task pane is not displayed, choose View, Task Pane.
12 Set Excel’s default file location to C:\Student Data, as follows:
a Choose Tools, Options to open the Options dialog box.
b Activate the General tab.
c In the Default file location box, enter C:\Student Data.
d Click OK.
13 Hide the Language Bar. To do so:
a Click Start and choose Settings, Control Panel.
b Double-click Text Services to open the Text Services dialog box.
c Under Preference, click the Language Bar button to open the Language Bar settings dialog box.
d Clear “Show the language bar on the desktop.”
e Click OK.
14 Close Excel.
Setup instructions for every class
Every time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 Start Excel. Then, turn off the Office Assistant, as follows:
a If the Office Assistant is not displayed, choose Help, Show the Office Assistant.
b Right-click the Office Assistant and choose Options to open the Office Assistant dialog box.
c Clear Use the Office Assistant and click OK.
2 If necessary, display the Getting Started task pane.
3 Reset any other default settings that have been changed in previous classes.
4 Close Excel.
5 Delete the contents of the Student Data folder, if necessary. (If this is the first time you’re teaching the course, create a folder named Student Data at the root of the hard drive.)
6 Copy the data files to the Student Data folder. (See the download instructions in the preceding section.)
Topic B: Frequently asked questions
There are no frequently asked questions for this course at this time.
Topic C: Course notes
There are no notes for this course at this time.
Topic D: Additional information
There is no additional information for this course at this time.