As we visit with instructors, we often are told that students don’t read the book in the Office course. As a result, the students miss important points of information that are contained within the paragraphs that precede or follow the step-by-step presentation in our Office books.

When beginning the design of Office 2007, Microsoft realized that users of Office 2003 frequently did not use many of the features in the software or even know the features existed because they were buried in submenus and dialog boxes - somewhat akin to students not obtaining information from our book because they did not delve deep enough into the text. To solve their problem, Microsoft developed the Office 2007 ribbon and the associated user interface. Their approach was to place most of the tools on the ribbon so users easily could locate a particular feature and simply use it.

To overcome the “students don’t read” phenomenon, we used a similar philosophy when developing our Office 2007 book. We determined we had to place information in a location that was more likely to be read by students. Because we knew that students read the steps, it was clear we needed to use the steps area to convey more information. We zeroed in on three major changes that would help alleviate the “Don’t read” problem.

1.    Use the figure callouts: We had to make better use of the screen shots. To do so, we placed more information in the callouts that accompany the screen shots. In this manner, the information we want a student to know is conveyed in the context of the problem, not in paragraphs of text following the screen shots.

2.    Questions and Answers: Inevitably, some information must be conveyed in text form, so we chose to convey the information in the most compelling manner we could determine: a question and answer. Through an innovative design created by Joel Sadagursky and the Shelly Cashman Series Team, the Q&A’s have been incorporated into the steps and are a primary means of communicating with a student who often will not read paragraphs of text.

3.    Modify the step: In our Office 2003 book, a step consisted of a single command, such as “Click the Print button.” Because we knew students read the steps, we decided to add information to the step. In our Office 2007 book, the command is “Click the Print button to print the document.” Students will perceive a cause and effect from doing the step, leading to increased retention without the need for further explanation.

Have we fixed everything for students who fail to read the text? Not likely. As textbook writers, we ultimately depend on the written word to convey content. Our efforts were directed at enticing a student into reading the material because the material was presented in a manner that was more accessible and compelling.

You can view these changes in the Shelly Cashman Series Microsoft Office 2007 Sneak Preview (ISBN 142399700X). Check with your sales representative.

Did we include other changes to the Office 2007 books? You bet. Stay tuned.

Gary and Tom

Can you feel the excitement in the air?

It's official--Microsoft has simultaneously released Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 to the public. Both of these products released to business customers in late November, but now consumers worldwide are able to purchase the software that promises to increase productivity and change the way people use computers.

 From the Microsoft Corporation:

“Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 will transform the way people work and play,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “Personal computers have become a key part of the daily lives of almost a billion people worldwide. Millions of consumers had a hand in helping us design, test and create the most exciting versions of Windows and Office we’ve ever released. Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 squarely address the needs and aspirations of people around the globe.”

Want to get your own sneak peak of these great new products?

Visit http://www.course.com/office/guidedtours.cfm to view sample movies from A Guided Tour of Windows Vista and A Guided Tour of Microsoft Office 2007.

Microsoft Office features a new Open XML file format that moves away from the proprietary file format of previous Office versions. The new Office XML file format allows for Microsoft documents to be portable among other applications and external sources. 

The Office XML format uses ZIP compression technology to reduce files sizes, in some cases up to 75%.  It also provides enhanced security and improves the ability to open damaged or corrupted files. This new file format is used in Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2007. 

While there are great benefits to the new file format, it may pose an issue for people using previous versions of Microsoft Office who need to exchange documents with Microsoft Office 2007 users.  To address this problem, Microsoft has developed a special Compatibility Pack that allows users of other Office versions to open, edit, and save documents in the Office XML format.  This free Compatibility Pack can be downloaded from Microsoft Office Online. The link can be found at the bottom of the post.

Those planning to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 still can save files in the older Office file formats (.doc, .ppt or .xls).  This allows Office 2007 users to exchange files with users of older Office versions.

By introducing the Office XML format, Microsoft Office now allows for easier exchange of information and ideas across a variety of platforms, a benefit to all computer users.

Read more about the Compatibility Pack and how to download it here.

For those of you familiar with SAM (Skills Assessment Manager) 2003, you’ve seen the current blue and black user interface, and perhaps you have observed that its simple design doesn’t necessarily reflect the cutting edge technology that is behind it.

Course Technology is changing all that for SAM 2007. We asked for suggestions from customers like you, and we listened to your feedback. Consequently, the user interface has been completely overhauled, including the addition of cleaner, easier-to-read screens. The new white background has been enhanced with bright red, blue, and gray accents that will clearly and quickly show you where you need to go. (See screenshot below.) 

Additionally, the screens have been reorganized for greater ease of navigation. SAM 2007 is based on a three-pane architecture, with the left pane containing links to all areas of the site, such as the Users screen, the Sections screen, and the Exam and Training screens. The middle pane is where you, the user, perform all of your actions, whether you’re an instructor creating an exam or a student beginning an assignment. Within the middle pane we have added a tab configuration to enable different actions within that pane. This allows you to move back and forth between functions without scrolling or losing your place on the screen. The right panel consists of various links to helpful user manuals and documentation, as well as the contact information for technical support. With technical support available on every screen, we hope that students will feel they have our Help resources at their fingertips anytime they need it.

We have also made significant enhancements to the simulation screen, where students perform their exams or training assignments. We have increased the size of the simulated Microsoft^® Office environment, made the mode buttons on the training screens larger, and added more information about the selected student’s progress in the assignment on the lower left corner of the screen.

While the new SAM 2007 looks radically different, it retains all of the same functionality you have come to expect from the SAM family. We have not removed any of SAM’s functions, but are continually adding more helpful, time-saving features. Stay tuned for future posts to find out how we have made SAM 2007 an even more powerful tool for training and testing students!

Happy New Year!  Celebrating a new year always makes me a bit nostalgic, looking back on what we’ve accomplished, but at the same time, anticipating what’s to come.

2007 marks my 16^th year at Course Technology.  Obviously, much has changed, but in thinking about what to write in this blog entry, I discovered how much has remained the same.  When I started in 1991, CTI (as we were then called) was a small start-up company with a grand vision:  Change the Way People Teach and Learn About Technology.

The company had recently moved out of the founder’s garage into an office building in Cambridge, MA.  We had a typewriter at the front desk so that we could type envelopes (far more professional than a hand-written envelope!) and we all took turns covering the phones on our lunch hour.  We each had a desktop computer (MAC 2E) that ran an early model email package. But, we also had a DOS-based PC on our desk.  When I asked what that computer was for, my manager explained our Manuscript Quality Assurance (MQA) process to me. 

Course Technology was founded on the idea that if you create a technology product (whether it be software or a textbook) you have to ensure the quality of it before it goes out the door.  This was an idea that was common in the software industry but unheard of in publishing.  We had an MQA supervisor who hired college students (remember I said we were located in Cambridge, MA?) to test each product.  In addition to that, everyone in editorial would keystroke the books.  My first assignment was to keystroke Lotus 1-2-3 for Accounting (one of our first titles).  Not only was I learning about the world of publishing, but I was also learning the latest software.  What a job!  I can tell you that a couple of things have stayed the same.  First, we continue to run all of our products through several phases of MQA and SQA (software quality assurance).  We are still the only publishing company that does this.  And, I still get to learn something new every day. 

Another thing I remember from the early days is interviewing with what felt like the entire company (3 visits with about 5 people each time).  Come to find out, it was pretty close -- I was employee number 23!  As the CFO explained to me at the time, it was important to find someone with just the right fit since we all worked so closely together with one common vision.  Obviously, we are now a much larger organization, spanning the globe with people, products, and resources, but the right fit is still instrumental to our success.  My team is focused on just one discipline – general computing.  We only do one thing, are passionate about what we do, and expect to do it better than anyone else.  As a result, our authors, editors, marketing managers, software designers and developers are all invested in our common vision.

Something else you might find interesting is that we had sales reps on the payroll before we had a published product!  There were two reps – one inside sales rep and one field sales rep.  They each covered the entire country.  I bring this up because they weren’t selling a product, they were working with instructors to find out what was working in the classroom, what challenges they faced by teaching in a changing environment, and what was influencing their decision-making.  We now have hundreds of sales representatives in multiple sales channels spanning the entire globe.  But that’s not all!  We were the first publisher to introduce a team of Educational Technology Consultants (ETCs) who partner with the sales forces to train, market, and consult on the latest technology – ours and the industry’s. So, the roots of “sales consultant” have endured.  Many customers tell me they learn more from our reps and ETCs than from any other source.

2007 is a big year for my team:  new application software, new operating system, and a new version of SAM. We’ve learned a lot over the past 16 years, and our authors have been publishing in this space for decades more than that.  This body of knowledge, combined with a passion for learning, is what propels us forward to invent new products and services. Each year the products change but our mission has remained (with the addition of one new word):  Change the Way People Teach and Learn with Technology.  I’m lucky to be part of this organization and look forward to working with you to determine where to go next!

--Nicole Pinard, Vice President