Goal

The goal of the certification program is to help you become more proficient with the software titles frequently used here at BYU-I.

 Benefits of Certifying

There are two main benefits to certifying:

1. A record of your certification will be recorded in the Personnel Office, demonstrating that you are continuing to become more proficient in your field.
2. You will become more skilled in various software programs. You will also be able to troubleshoot better.

 Certification Levels

The three levels are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. More detailed explanations of the levels are found in the Software Certification Blackboard class.

To become Bronze certified, you must:

1. Use Microsoft Word to create a 2-page newsletter about your department and create a template.
2. Use Microsoft Word and Excel to create a 13 page mail merge form document, create 5 mail labels using mail merge, and create a 5 page envelope mail merge document.
3. Use Microsoft Outlook  to share your calendar with another user. Filter and organize incoming messages. Create a distribution list. Create two signatures.

To become Silver certified, you must:

1. Complete the Bronze requirements.
2. Create a PowerPoint presentation about your department or division.
3. Use Microsoft PowerPoint to create a custom animation, and insert multimedia.
4. Use Microsoft Excel to create graphs, formulas, and functions.

To become Gold certified, you must:

1. Complete the Bronze and Silver level requirements.
2. Use Micrograde to create a sample class with students. Show how you would upload the students scores onto the web.
3. Use Blackboard to add content to an online class and create online quizzes.
4. Create a 3 page website which will be posted onto the BYU-I server.

 Logistics

To sign up for the program, contact Jim Croasmun (x2370 or croasmunj@byui.edu) and you will be added to a Blackboard class called Software Certification. (If you haven't used Blackboard before, Jim will explain how to get on and access all the materials you need.)

After signing up, go to http://www.byui.edu/onlinelearning/  and login using your normal username and password. You can then click on the class and access the detailed requirements for each assignment in the Assignments section. The process of submitting your assignments is explained after each section.

You will receive a 'diploma' for each certification level you successfully complete.

 Learning the Stuff

You may learn the material on your own, attend TechSmart Technology classes, or call the Department of Instruction and Technology  (x1200) to have someone help you one-on-one.

Using the help functions that come with most software titles is the probably the best way to learn this material. For instance, Microsoft has hundreds of mini-tutorials explaining the step by step process for completing certain tasks. This is where we, at this Department go when people call us up with questions we don't know how to answer. In the Software Certification class, the italicized words listed in the assignments are keywords you can type in the help window to pull up the relevant tutorials on that particular subject.

 

Good luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Jim Croasmun at extension 2370.