University of Massachusetts - Boston: Information Technology

Workshops

SkillPort
FREE web-based training is available to the UMass Boston Community via SkillPort, an E-Learning company that offers a wide range of Business and Desktop Skills courses. These web-based, interactive courses allow you to learn at your own pace, on your own schedule and at home or in your office! Whether it's Basic Computer Skills, PhotoShop or Management Skills, there is a course for everyone.

Using SkillPort
You must have a SkillPort user account to access SkillPort.

How to get a SkillPort user account
To register for a SkillPort account:

go to umb.skillport.com
click on First-time users, click here
enter your first and last name
enter your UMB email address in Email Address
enter your UMB email address in User ID

A password will be generated and sent to the email address you entered in the Email Address field.

How to Access SkillPort
Once you have your SkillPort account User ID and Password, you can access the SkillPort courseware. To access the SkillPort Courseware:

Go to go to umb.skillport.com
Under Registered Users
Enter your UMB email address in User ID
Enter the password that was generated and emailed to you in Password.

Introduction to Technology Program
Once again this semester, CPCS and IT are sponsoring the Introduction to Technology Program. This is a semester long program that offers a series of 11 workshops focusing on basic computers skills making it ideal for students who have minimal computer skills and experience. Each workshop meets once a week for two and half hours. Students may choose to attend an afternoon or evening session.
For more info contact:
email: katherine.ananis@umb.edu or caroline.cappuccio@umb.edu
phone: Katherine Ananis, 287-6264 or Caroline Cappuccio, 287-5221
To view the syllabus, click the link:
Introduction to Technology SP08 Syllabus

Computer Lab One Day Workshops
During the first three weeks of each semester we offer FREE one day (unless offered as part I, II or III) workshops to all registered UMB students, staff and faculty. Workshops are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Sign-up sheets are posted outside the Gold Lab on the Upper Level of the Healey Library at the start of each semester. Training on more advanced topics is offered to faculty and staff by the Instructional Technology Center. The current list of FREE one day workshops is as follows:

	Introduction Windows XP Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis If you are just beginning to use a computer, start with this workshop. It will introduce you to the basic features of the Windows XP operating system. The workshop will cover the desktop icons, the components of a window, the contents or the Start menu, and the Task Bar. You will learn how to use a mouse, start up applications and switch from one to another, use the clipboard, save files to a CD or flash drive, manage files and folders.

	Introduction Windows XP Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:00 PM to 12:00 PM White Lab - Healey Library – Third Floor – Rm. 09A Katherine Ananis If you are just beginning to use a computer, start with this workshop. It will introduce you to the basic features of the Windows XP operating system. The workshop will cover the desktop icons, the components of a window, the contents or the Start menu, and the Task Bar. You will learn how to use a mouse, start up applications and switch from one to another, use the clipboard, save files to a CD or flash drive, manage files and folders.

	Introduction to UMB Webmail Wednesday, February 13, 2008 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Kalindi Mehta This workshop will introduce you to the basic features of the new UMB student e-mail system.

	Introduction to PowerPoint Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis Widely used in the business world, PowerPoint is used to create presentations that can be displayed on the computer, with or without a data projection system, or converted to transparencies for use with an overhead projector. In this workshop you will create a PowerPoint presentation. In the process you will become familiar with the Slide, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes, and Slide Show Views. You will create a master slide, use PowerPoint’s background templates, insert and modify clip art and pictures, add simple animations, learn about the various printing options, and, if time permits, create a table and a chart.

	Introduction to Excel Friday, February 15, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Dann Brown Excel is used to create spreadsheets, charts and databases. This workshop will introduce users to the basic features of Excel: parts of the Excel screen, moving around the worksheet, entering, modifying and deleting data, and types of data that may be entered. During the second part of the workshop participants will create and format a worksheet, using formulas and functions, the font formatting features and the Chart Wizard.

	Introduction to SPSS I Tuesday, February 19, 2008 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Purple Lab Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 042 Jie Chen If you will be taking a course in statistics or research methods, or are planning a thesis or dissertation that will involve statistical analysis of data, you might want to explore SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The topics covered include: entering and reading data, documenting the file with variable and value labels, examining frequency and Cross tabulation tables for individual and group data, statistical test for hypothesis testing and graphic output. Participants will be provided extensive notes on the topics covered in the workshop together with sample datasets.

	Term Paper Formatting in Word Tuesday, February 19, 2008 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Brian Butler Word 2003, the Windows version of Microsoft’s popular word processor, along with its Macintosh counterpart, Word 2001, is supported by the Information Technology Computer labs on campus. This workshop will cover the basic features of Word you will need in order to produce a term paper including selecting, deleting, moving and copying text, saving a file to CD or Flash drive, selecting text and paragraph formatting options, headers and footers, footnotes and printing.

	Introduction to PowerPoint Wednesday, February 20, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis Widely used in the business world, PowerPoint is used to create presentations that can be displayed on the computer, with or without a data projection system, or converted to transparencies for use with an overhead projector. In this workshop you will create a PowerPoint presentation. In the process you will become familiar with the Slide, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes, and Slide Show Views. You will create a master slide, use PowerPoint’s background templates, insert and modify clip art and pictures, add simple animations, learn about the various printing options, and, if time permits, create a table and a chart.

	Introduction to Excel Thursday, February 21, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Dann Brown Excel is used to create spreadsheets, charts and databases. This workshop will introduce users to the basic features of Excel: parts of the Excel screen, moving around the worksheet, entering, modifying and deleting data, and types of data that may be entered. During the second part of the workshop participants will create and format a worksheet, using formulas and functions, the font formatting features and the Chart Wizard.

	Introduction to UMB Webmail Thursday, February 21, 2008 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Kalindi Mehta This workshop will introduce you to the basic features of the new UMB student e-mail system.

	Term Paper Formatting in Word Friday, February 22, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Brian Butler Word 2003, the Windows version of Microsoft’s popular word processor, along with its Macintosh counterpart, Word 2001, is supported by the Information Technology Computer labs on campus. This workshop will cover the basic features of Word you will need in order to produce a term paper including selecting, deleting, moving and copying text, saving a file to CD or Flash drive, selecting text and paragraph formatting options, headers and footers, footnotes and printing.

	Advanced PowerPoint I Tuesday, February 26 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis Although PowerPoint stands on its own, it becomes even more powerful when combined with other Microsoft Office applications. Discover the interconnectivity between PowerPoint, Word and Excel. Learn the drag and drop techniques that allow you to transfer information quickly between programs. You will learn how to embed and link information in Word and Excel to your PowerPoint presentation, making updates automatic. Conversely, you will learn the options of transferring information from PowerPoint to Word and Excel.

	Intro to SPSS II Tuesday, February 26 2008 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Purple Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 042 Jie Chen The focus of this workshop is the various methods of importing data and running SPSS for Windows. It will show how to combine cases or variables from two files. The topics covered include: choices for importing data to SPSS, choices for running SPSS for windows, data management and recoding variables.

	Introduction to Blackboard Vista Tuesday, February 26, 2008 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Blue Lab – Healey Library – Third Floor – Rm. 09B Theresa Miller Students will learn how to set up their computer for use with Blackboard Learning System Vista. Complete a browser check. Navigate your BLS Vista course. Use Mail, Discussions, Assignments, Assessments, and My Grades tools. Use HTML creator. Download and upload files.

	Introduction to Blackboard Vista Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Blue Lab – Healey Library – Third Floor – Rm. 09B Theresa Miller Students will learn how to set up their computer for use with Blackboard Learning System Vista. Complete a browser check. Navigate your BLS Vista course. Use Mail, Discussions, Assignments, Assessments, and My Grades tools. Use HTML creator. Download and upload files.

	Introduction to Access Thursday, February 28, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis During this two hour workshop the fundamentals of creating a relational database will be covered. Students will be introduced to relational database concepts and terms. Students will learn how to start Access and will gain general knowledge of the types of tasks that can be performed with the application and how to move around the Access environment. Students will have the opportunity to manipulate an existing Access database and learn how to create Access Objects using the Access Wizards. At the end of this workshop students will have a conceptual foundation for database planning and Access design basics.


	Advanced PowerPoint II Tuesday, March 4, 2008 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gold Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 041 Katherine Ananis You will learn how to give your PowerPoint presentations the pizzazz that will set it apart from the crowd. In this workshop you will learn how to make your slide show lively incorporating multimedia elements. You will import sound and video files. Learn how to apply animation to text and graphic elements on your slides. We will learn how to create slide shows that are more interactive and will explore the non-linear capabilities using PowerPoint’s powerful branching feature. Web publishing will also be covered.

	Intro to SPSS III Tuesday, March 4, 2008 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Purple Lab - Healey Library - Upper Level - Rm. 042 Jie Chen This workshop emphasizes on statistical procedures. The topics covered include: Categorical Data Analysis-Cross Tabulation, Mean Differences between Groups; T-test ANOVA, Repeated Measures Analysis, Nonparametric Test, Introduction to Regression.