ABOUT THE EXPLORING SERIES

• The How/Why approach helps students go from learning steps and performing tasks to gaining a true understanding of how to apply Microsoft Office skills.
• White/Yellow Pages clearly distinguish the theory (white pages) from the skills covered in the Hands-On Exercises (yellow pages) so students always know what they are supposed to be doing.
• Case Study presents a scenario for the chapter, creating a story that ties the Hands-On Exercises together.
• Hands-On Exercise Videos–tied to each Hands-On Exercise–walk students through the steps of the exercise while weaving in conceptual information related to the Case Study and objectives.
• The Outcomes focus keep both students and instructors aware of the higher-level learning goals and how those are achieved through discreet objectives and skills.
• Outcomes are presented at the beginning of each chapter, identifying the learning goals that will be achieved in the material ahead.
• Enhanced Objective Mapping give students a learning path for the chapter, from the objectives list in the beginning through the exercises at the end.
• Objectives List: a simple list of key objectives covered in the chapter, with page numbers so students can skip to the objectives where they need the most help.
• Step Icons appear in the white pages and reference the step numbers in the Hands-On Exercises, providing a correlation between the two so students can easily find conceptual help when they are working hands-on and need a refresher.
• Quick Concepts Checks appear at the end of each white page section. These questions cover the essential concepts students will need to be successful in working the Hands-On Exercises. Page numbers are included for easy reference to help students locate the answers.
• Chapter Objectives Review, near the end of the chapter, reviews all the important concepts throughout the chapter.

• NEW! Chapter Objectives Review is redesigned in an easy-to-read bulleted format.
• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Guide directs anyone interested in prepping for the MOS exam to the specific locations to find all content required for the test.
• End-of-Chapter Exercises offer instructors several options for assessment, with 12—15 exercises ranging from multiple choice questions to open-ended projects: Multiple Choice, Key Terms Matching, Practice Exercises, Mid-Level Exercises, Beyond the Classroom Exercises, and Capstone Exercises.
• NEW! Every chapter now includes a Key Terms Matching exercise, a Collaboration Case, and Soft Skills Case.
• NEW! Key Terms Matching exercises require students to match key terms to their definitions. This requires students to work actively with important vocabulary and prove conceptual understanding.
• Enhanced! Mid-Level Exercises
• Creative Case (for PowerPoint and Word) allows students some flexibility and creativity, without being bound by a definitive solution.
• Analysis Case (for Excel and Access) requires students to interpret the data they are using to answer an analytic question.
• Discover Steps encourage students to use Help or to problem-solve to accomplish a task.
• Application Capstone exercises allow instructors to test students on the entire contents of a single application.

Also available with MyITLab

MyITLab^® is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed for Information Technology (IT) courses, to engage students and improve results. HTML5 Simulation exercises and Live-in-Application Grader projects come with the convenience of auto-grading and instant feedback, so students learn more quickly and effectively, and build the critical skills needed for college and career success. Digital badges allow students to showcase their Microsoft Office or Computer Concepts competencies, keeping them motivated and focused on their future careers.

• NEW! MyITLab 2016 Grader Projects: Live-in-the-Application auto-graded projects are available for the Mid-Level Exercises and Capstone Exercises in the textbook.
• MyITLab HTML5 Training & Assessment Simulations provide a high-fidelity environment including step-by-step summary of student actions and just-in-time learning aids to help  students as they Read, Watch, and Practice.
• NEW! Simulations for Office 2016 have been updated to match the pedagogical approach of the textbook projects, providing a direct, one-to-one learning experience.
• NEW! Windows 10 Coverage includes topic-based simulation trainings for the Windows 10 skills covered in the textbook, helping students get up and running with the new operating system.
• Hands-On Exercise Videos allow students to review and study the concepts covered in the Hands-On Exercises.
• Audio PowerPoint slides provide a lecture review of the chapter content, with narration.
• Multiple Choice quizzes enable students to test concepts they have learned by answering auto-graded questions.
• NEW! IT Innovation Station lets you stay current with Office and Windows updates, news, and trends, especially now that Microsoft Office is in the cloud. Monthly updates on the MyITLab Community site from Pearson’s product team and author-instructors offer tips on understanding the updates, using new capabilities, implementing new instructional techniques, and optimizing your Office usage.

The Exploring series charts students beyond the “point and click,” helping them understand WHY they use Microsoft Office skills along with HOW they perform them. The latest edition provides an easy-to-follow map through each chapter to help students learn, study, and review efficiently and be successful in this class and beyond.

New to the Exploring Series:

• Two-page chapter opener highlights the new outcomes, objectives, case study, and starting student data files
• Outcomes now added for each chapter
• Starting & Ending Data Files identified at the beginning of each chapter
• New Hands-On Exercise Videos cover both the essential Why & How of each exercise, walking students through the click path and explaining the concepts throughout.
• Application Capstone exercises are included in the book to allow instructors to test students on the en¿tire contents of a single application. These are available as a Homework Grader Project in MyITLab and now have an Assessment version as well.
• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Guide for instructors and students to direct anyone interested in prepping for the MOS exam to the specific locations to find all content required for the test.

Also available with MyITLab

MyITLab^® is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed for Information Technology (IT) courses, to engage students and improve results. HTML5 Simulation exercises and Live-in-Application Grader projects come with the convenience of auto-grading and instant feedback, so students learn more quickly and effectively, and build the critical skills needed for college and career success. Digital badges allow students to showcase their Microsoft Office or Computer Concepts competencies, keeping them motivated and focused on their future careers.

• MyITLab 2016 Grader Projects: Live-in-the-Application auto-graded projects are available for the Mid-Level Exercises and Capstone Exercises in the textbook.
• Simulations for Office 2016 have been updated to match the pedagogical approach of the textbook projects, providing a direct, one-to-one learning experience.
• Windows 10 Coverage includes topic-based simulation trainings for the Windows 10 skills covered in the textbook, helping students get up and running with the new operating system.
• IT Innovation Station lets you stay current with Office and Windows updates, news, and trends, especially now that Microsoft Office is in the cloud. Monthly updates on the MyITLab Community site from Pearson’s product team and author-instructors offer tips on understanding the updates, using new capabilities, implementing new instructional techniques, and optimizing your Office usage.