Preface
Workplace Software and Skills was originally authored by Tammie Bolling, Angela Mitchell, Tanya Scott, and Nyrobi Wheeler, and published by OpenStax, Rice University. It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY). The original work is available at openstax.org. This version has been adapted for use in the Universal Open Textbook Initiative.
About Workplace Software & Skills
Workplace Software and Skills covers applications from the Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office) suite and Google Workspace. Coverage of both suites aligns with contemporary business use and prepares students for workforce needs, especially introductory students who have had limited exposure to these software programs. By teaching their basic and advanced features, users of all levels can learn the skills necessary for success in their jobs.
Applications covered in depth from Microsoft 365 include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access, as well as overviews of integrations with Outlook, Calendar, and Teams. Applications covered in depth from Google Workspace include Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as overviews of integrations with Gmail, Calendar, and Meet. The text also provides overviews of additional collaboration and conference applications, as well as in-depth coverage of content management software such as WordPress.
With this selection of applications, Workplace Software and Skills provides a holistic exposure to common tools of business practice and prepares students for additional focused training that may be required for specialized fields. In addition to technical skill development, the text covers conceptual topics related to ethics and security; and technology advancements, such as the Internet of Things and generative artificial intelligence. These topics are discussed as they relate to business and everyday life, reflecting their importance to contextualizing business computer application use within the modern business world. They emphasize responsible use and considerations for collaboration across a virtual network.
Across each chapter, conceptual and technical skill is anchored in real-world examples and applications. This ensures that students are prepared for entry into the workforce with a portfolio of completed examples relevant to positions requiring these skills.
Pedagogical Foundation
Learning Objectives
Every module begins with a set of clear and concise learning objectives, which are designed to be both measurable and closely aligned with current teaching practice. These objectives can help the instructor decide what content to include or assign and guide student expectations of learning. After completing the module and end-of-module exercises, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives.
Key Features
- Cross-chapter Scenario: Presents students with a mock business simulation that continues from Chapter 1 through Chapter 15. The scenario focuses on a multi-division business and provides a variety of work-related tasks, such as preparing a memo or creating a slideshow for an entry-level employee, as well as longer projects, such as a marketing report that a mid-level employee might need to create. Additional scenarios showcase green technology, non-profit organizations, and entrepreneurship. Students will be exposed to everyday business needs as related to the chapter topic. Integrated projects and capstones will also pull from this simulated business scenario.
- Real-World Application: Discusses the practical applications of software and related technology in our everyday lives, whether in or out of the workplace.
- Mac Tips: Calls out brief notes where commands or tools for macOS and Windows differ.
- Spotlight on Ethics: Highlights an ethics issue related to the concept, skill, or activity being taught in the text. These features may discuss a real-world case, dig deeper into an ethical concept being discussed, or present an ethical dilemma for the student to think through.
- Link to Learning: Includes a few sentences of introduction to a website with an interactive activity, animation, or video that helps improve student understanding.
- Final Project: The last chapter includes a complex final project assignment. Students are given a dataset and asked to create a detailed business report that uses product integrations, tools, and skills learned across all fifteen chapters.
Section Summaries
Section summaries distill the information in each section for both students and instructors down to key, concise points addressed in the section.
Key Terms
Key terms are bold and are followed by a definition in context. Definitions of key terms are also listed in the Glossary, which appears at the end of the chapter.
Assessments
A variety of assessments allow instructors to confirm core conceptual understanding, elicit brief explanations that demonstrate student understanding, and offer more in-depth assignments that enable learners to dive more deeply into a concept, tool, or topic.
- Review Questions test for conceptual apprehension of key concepts and tools.
- Practice Exercises ask students to apply the program content they have learned so that they can both learn by repetition and extend the practice through critical thinking exercises.
- Written Questions require students to explain concepts in words, as well as asking students to explain when a concept should be applied in the workplace, and respond to non-technical concepts, such as ethics.
- Case Exercises ask students to come up with creative solutions to a new problem; these exercises may draw from real-world examples or fictional scenarios.
Answers to Questions in the Book
The end-of-chapter Review Questions, Written Questions, Practice Exercises, and Case Exercises are intended for homework assignments or classroom discussion; thus, student-facing answers or solutions are not provided. Sample answers are provided in the Instructor Solution Manual, for instructors to share with students at their discretion, as is standard for such resources.
About the Authors
Senior Contributing Authors
Tammie Bolling, Pellissippi State Community College
Dr. Tammie Bolling holds the rank of tenured Professor at Pellissippi State Community College. She has obtained master's degrees in business administration, healthcare management, and psychology, as well as postgraduate certificates in varying information technology areas and a doctorate in Leadership. In addition to teaching, she manages the Industry Recognized Credential and Major Field Test testing program for the Business and Computer Technology department. Dr. Bolling's other areas of interest include the development of cultural competence and the internationalization of curricula in a wide range of disciplines, and is an avid mobile technology researcher. Dr. Bolling was named a Fulbright Scholar to Ireland in 2022-2023 in Computing, which was one of the highlights of her professional life.
Angela Mitchell, Wilmington College
Dr. Angela Mitchell is department chair and professor of business and economics at Wilmington College. She primarily teaches finance and statistics courses, and serves in various leadership roles at the institution. Her primary research interests are focused on nonprofit management and efficiencies and student intercultural development through travel opportunities. Dr. Mitchell holds a master's degree in Business Administration and a doctorate in Operations Research. Dr. Mitchell is involved in her local community by serving on several nonprofit boards and volunteering regularly for community events. Prior to Wilmington College, Dr. Mitchell spent five years in product development at Procter & Gamble, spending time in the manufacturing environment and leading trials to test new processes and product formulations. The combination of business experience and technical background provides a unique perspective that Dr. Mitchell brings to the classroom and to her research.
Tanya Scott, Achieving the Dream
Dr. Tanya Scott is the director of program innovation at Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit organization that partners with community colleges to help achieve student success. Dr. Scott's experience spans teaching, program development, and leadership in middle school, high school, community college, and university settings in Canada and the United States. She holds a master's degree in Education and a doctorate in Business Administration-I/O Psychology. An active practitioner, she has extensive undergraduate and graduate teaching experience in teacher and curriculum development, instructional strategies, and integrating technology in the classroom, as well as business, change management, strategy, and leadership. She is also a fervent advocate for open educational resources and open pedagogy.
Nyrobi Wheeler, Bellevue University
Nyrobi Wheeler is a full time online adjunct professor of Business, Human Resources, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bellevue University, as well as an online instructor of Business at Jesuit Worldwide Learning in Geneva, Switzerland. Nyrobi holds a master's degree in Business Administration in Leadership and Finance, as well as a postgraduate certificate in Human Resources Management. Nyrobi is a self-publishing author of several e-books and articles on career advice, as well as the co-author of several anthologies on workplace and hair discrimination among Black Women.
Contributing Authors
Bridget Lepore, Lehman College
Janine Walton, Louisiana State University Shreveport
Timothy Burgoyne, Wilmington College
Valeree Falduto, Broward College
Reviewers
Adam Gorski, New York University
Alex Katrompas, Austin Community College
Angela Heath, Baptist Health System
Betty Fitte, Tidewater Community College
Bill Nantz, Houston Community College
Brian Pusateri, University of Scranton
Bryan Broussard, Central Louisiana Technical Community College
Caleb Williamson, Pellissippi State Community College
Carmen Montanez-Rodriguez, Allan Hancock Community College
David Collins, Bellarmine University
Deanna Bartee, Grand Canyon University
Glenn McQueary, Houston Community College
Heather Beatty, Ashworth College
John Christie, Regis College
Julie Goff Lindsey, Linn Benton Community College
Laura Bantz, McHenry County College
Lawrence Chui, University of St. Thomas
Lisa Breaux, San Jacinto College
Mariya Breyter, New York University
Michael MacLeod, Austin Community College
Reni Abraham, Houston Community College
Saverio Iaconis, New York University
Sue McCrory, Missouri State University
Terri Lukshaitis, Ferris State University
Additional Resources
Instructor resources for this book include an instructor's answer guide, test bank, PowerPoint lecture slides, and data files. These are available through the OpenStax instructor resources page for this book. Instructors can also find and share community-created teaching materials at oercommons.org/hubs/OpenStax.