IT Tools and Techniques

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 3
• Convenor: Jerry Smallwood
• Assessment: portfolios (40% and 60%)

In this module you will learn about a range of software productivity tools, including document authoring, data presentation and calculation, presentation and graphics creation tools. You will explore the use of these tools in work and educational environments, and have the opportunity for extensive hands-on practice with the tools to bring you up to advanced user level.

Indicative syllabus

• IT tools in the workplace and in higher education
• Open source versus proprietary IT tools
• Document authoring tools and techniques
• Presentation creation tools and techniques
• Data presentation using spreadsheets
• Graphics creation tools and techniques
• Integrating data and graphics into presentations and documents

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• explain the role of IT tools in a workplace and educational context
• demonstrate awareness of currently available open source and proprietary productivity tools
• use document authoring tools to effectively perform a range of work and study tasks
• use presentation tools to create advanced-level presentations
• use spreadsheets to display data and make calculations
• use graphics creation tools to create effective graphics
• integrate information from spreadsheets and graphics into documents and spreadsheets.