Now available as a self-study enhanced e-workbook

Each lesson is designed to take one hour because we know you’re working full-time too. You can take whatever time you need, or zoom through what you already know — that’s the benefit of asynchronous learning.

Find the next course start date or sign up for email notification of the next course dates.

Here’s the promo video I made when I ran the first course, years ago:

[ms_accordion style=”simple” type=”1″ class=”” id=””] [ms_accordion_item title=”Software Requirements” color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#1e73be” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]

• Word 365 for Mac*
• website access
• ability to view YouTube videos

*We will try to accommodate some variation. Word substitutes or equivalents are not suitable.[/ms_accordion_item] [/ms_accordion]

[ms_accordion style=”simple” type=”1″ class=”” id=””] [ms_accordion_item title=”Prerequisites” color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#1e73be” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]

Those who come in with some efficiency at using computers will get the most out of this course. So now is the time to brush up on these skills:

• file creation and management
• menu options and navigation
• mousing and keyboard navigation
• basic word processing functions such as cut, copy, paste, undo, save as, spellcheck, bold, italic, and indenting[/ms_accordion_item] [/ms_accordion]

[ms_accordion style=”simple” type=”1″ class=”” id=””] [ms_accordion_item title=”Syllabus” color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#1e73be” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]Why edit in MS Word?                Week 1

• Get Word Ready to Edit
• Tracking edits
  • When not to track changes
  • Marking moved text
  • Pitfalls
• What to do with an edited Word file
• Tracking Changes Despite Clients
  • Securing a file for review
  • Compare documents
• Comments tool
  • Reviewing edits
  • Printing comments and changes
• Spellcheck
  • Language selection
  • Customizing the word list
  • Importing custom dictionaries
  • The exclusion dictionary
• Grammar checker

 

Version control                     Week 2

File management

Backups

Reveal non-printing characters

Find and replace

• Special characters
• Some special characters
• Wildcards & special codes
• Some special characters for find & replace

Formatting

Page breaks and section breaks

Styling

• Change a style
• Import a set of styles
• Other uses for styles

 

Macros Introduction                    Week 3

• Create a macro
  • Record a macro
  • Import a macro
• Edit a macro
  • Force track changes on
• Use a macro
  • Keyboard shortcuts for macros
  • Toolbar icons for macros
• Caution

Addendum — bonus macros

• Spell CanOx — a macro that applies CanOx spelling preferences
• Polo Bears — a macro that flags problem words
• Zoom Track — a macro that sets zoom and track changes preferences

 

Alternatives to Macros                      Week 4

• Keyboard shortcuts
• Icon shortcuts
• Scrapbook
• Autocorrect customization

Plug-ins & Apps

Production pitfalls

• Special characters
• Automated bullets and numbering[/ms_accordion_item] [/ms_accordion]

[ms_accordion style=”simple” type=”1″ class=”” id=””] [ms_accordion_item title=”Who Should Take this Course” color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#1e73be” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]

• Those who are too busy editing to find out new software tricks.
• Those who are new to editing.
• Those who are new to editing onscreen — moving from paper markup.
• Those who have to work with writers to revise documents in Word.
• Those who are full-time editors.
• Those who are scared of macros.
• Those who need to use Word to create and revise documents.
• Those who want to get more efficient and effective at editing.

Students are typically evenly split between very experienced editors and those who are completely new to the practice. They range from subject and product specialists to complete generalists. While the majority of students are in North America, they have come from all over the English-speaking world. It’s a huge breadth.[/ms_accordion_item] [/ms_accordion]

[ms_accordion style=”simple” type=”1″ class=”” id=””] [ms_accordion_item title=”How the Course is Presented” color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#1e73be” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]The video shows a bit of the course notes and demo videos. Lessons are posted online once a week and students access them at their convenience (before the end date, a week after the last class is posted).

Written lessons (and now: audio!) outline the what and why of the topic, then narrated demo videos show how the skill is done. (I am working on captions for the hearing impaired. Watch for those in the spring.) Finally, there are self-check exercises that lead you through the skill again and allow you to check for understanding. All three components are required to get all the course material: written/audio lesson, video demo, self-check exercises.

No marks are assigned but students may submit exercises to the instructor for feedback and/or troubleshooting. Editing skills are not assessed as the focus is on the technology, not on language or format.

Questions and discussion are encouraged — either about variations or glitches encountered on your own system, or special circumstances that apply to your editing practice. One of the benefits of taking a course is access to your fellow students. They have proven to be an excellent resource.[/ms_accordion_item] [/ms_accordion]