APPL19839 Computer Skills for Trades Professionals

Capstone Project (worth 20% of your final mark)

Trades professionals in every field need to provide information to supervisors, co-workers, and clients. To be
viewed as professional, responsible, and skilled, sharing information in the right way, at the right time is
important.
This project asks you to apply your knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, email, and presentations
software to common workplace situations. There are multiple parts to this assignment, so read the instructions
carefully to earn full marks.

The situation:
You're going on vacation for two weeks. You work with a great team, and to ensure they can do their jobs while
you’re away, complete the following tasks before your last day:

Part 1: Spreadsheet

Create an Excel spreadsheet to submit your time for the month. For each day you worked you need to track:
• Date
• Project name
• Hours worked
• Pay rate
• Total hours
• Total pay

To correctly create your time tracking spreadsheet, input the following data:
- Days worked: 21
- Hours worked each day: 8
- Pay rate: $26.90
- Number of projects: 3 (You worked on each project for 7 days. Create descriptive names for each
project according to your trade).

Your spreadsheet should include:

- An itemized list of each day you worked (i.e., you should have approximately 21 rows of data in
your spreadsheet – one row for every day you worked).
- In addition to the daily totals, calculate the total hours and total pay for the entire month.
- Use the Count Function to determine how many days you worked that month.
- Clear, professional formatting that follows best practices discussed in class. Use shading, wrap
text, bolding, lines/outlines, labels, relative/absolute referencing, etc., to create a spreadsheet that
is easy for your audience to understand.
- A professional, descriptive filename and save your spreadsheet as a MS Excel formatted file

Part 2: Digital word file

Since you’re going on vacation, you need to hand over one unfinished project to one of your colleagues.
Create a short progress report in a word processing document that updates your team on a current project.
Your report will include:
• An appropriate filename
• A short introduction (3-5 sentences) that explains the project you’re handing over
• Three headings (Completed, In progress, Still outstanding)
• Three bullet points under each heading that summarize what has been completed, what is in
progress, and what is still outstanding.
• Clear, professional formatting that follows best practices discussed in class (appropriate
headings, headers, bullets, bolding, spell check, page numbers, etc.)
• A version of the report saved as a pdf with a professional, descriptive filename.
 Part 3: Outlook vacation notification and calendar meetings

Since you’ll be away for two weeks, you want to let people know who to contact while you’re out of the office.
Log into your Sheridan Outlook account and do the following:

1. In the Calendar section of Outlook, make it show which 14 days you are away on vacation. Take a
screenshot of the blocked off calendar section.
2. Create an out-of-office message that lets the recipient know about your absence, when you’ll return,
and whom they should contact for further assistance/ information. Make sure your message looks
professional and has a proper email greeting/closing/signature. Take a screenshot of your message.
3. Block off time in your calendar for a recurring weekly one-hour project status meeting that starts on
Monday at 9AM of the week you return from vacation and lasts for four weeks. You don’t want to forget
to attend the meeting for the duration of a month-long project. Take a screenshot of the recurring
meeting in your calendar.
4. Add all three screenshots to a document and save it as a pdf in one file with an appropriate filename.

**Note: There is a Reference Guide-Email Features for the Workplace (APPL19839) on SLATE.

Part 4: Five-minute presentation

Your last task before you leave for vacation is to create a five-minute presentation (using presentation or video
software of your choice) and present it to your team. Your company has an “innovation budget”, and they’re
asking each team member to present a proposal on an app, program, or template they should purchase for
employees to use in the field/on site. To get started on your presentation, complete the following steps:

1. Find an app, program or template related to your trade that would be a useful tool on site or in the
field.
[Hint: search a specific trade or trade specific concepts on Google, Google Play, the App Store (for
Macs/iPhones/iPads), or the Chrome Web Store.]

2. Download/review the app or program/template and see how useful it is. Consider how you would
use it on a project site. For example, a smartphone might be easier to use rather than bringing your
computer to specific work locations. There are many free apps out there, so make sure to read some
of the reviews first.
Note: Be careful when downloading apps or programs. You do NOT need to purchase an app
(experimenting with the trial version is fine).

3. Create a 5-slide presentation or video (approx. one minute of presenting per slide) that reviews the
app you’re proposing. It’s up to you how you organize your presentation, but make sure to include
the following information:
a. Name of your chosen app/program
b. Review/rating for this app/program
c. An explanation for why you chose this app/program; it should be clear that this is a useful
app for your trade
d. One disadvantage of this app/program
e. The website/link with the website/app description
f. Best practices for creating professional slide formatting (slide layouts, images, visual
information (SmartArt), consistent fonts, footers, etc.)

4. Give your presentation to your team. Your manager (professor) will set a schedule for when you’ll
present to your colleagues.

Project timelines:
- Class time to work on capstone project in weeks 13 and 14
- Presentation will be scheduled likely in week 14 or 15.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

When completed: Go to the APPL19839 Course page in SLATE → Click on “Assessments” → Click on “Assignments” →
Click on “Capstone Project” → Scroll down the page past the rubric & Click “Add a File” → Click on “My Computer” →
Click “Upload” → Select the 4 files from this project (Spreadsheet from Part 1, pdf files for Parts 2 and 3, and your
presentation/video file for part 4) & Click “Open” → Click “Add” → Click “Submit”

*Although you add each file individually, all 4 files should be uploaded to the same assignment drop box.

Rubric/Grading:
Your project will be graded on completeness, accuracy, and professionalism.

Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 0 marks

(4.5 marks) (3.75 marks) (3 marks) (1.5 marks)
Part 1: - Information - Information and - Some information This spreadsheet Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet inputted calculations on and calculations has no correct not
accurately. the spreadsheet are inputted calculations submitted.
- Calculations are are correct. correctly. or
correct. - Best spreadsheet - Some functions there were no
- Functions and practices were not and formulas functions or
formulas used always followed; were used. formulas used
correctly. perhaps a formula - Some best or
- Best practices could have been practices were the file was not
included to create used more used in creating, submitted as a MS
professional and efficiently or it is formatting and Excel formatted file
easy-to-read not formatted saving this
spreadsheet. professionally or spreadsheet file.
- File submitted via that easy-to read.
SLATE as a MS Excel - File submitted via
formatted file with SLATE as a MS
an appropriate Excel formatted
filename. file.
Part 2: - Content is - Content is Content is missing 3 or more of the No file with
Digital Word descriptive and descriptive some description following occurred: a progress
file complete. - Grammar/spelling and/or detail - Content is missing report was
(pdf of - Grammar/spelling is accurate. and/or some description submitted.
Progress
is accurate. - Some best Spell Check would and/or detail
Report)
- Best practices practices were show some - Spell Check would
included to create included to create grammar/spelling show grammar/
an easy-to-read an easy-to-read mistakes spelling mistakes
report. report. and/or - Report is missing
- Report formatted - Report formatted Report is missing elements that
accurately and accurately. elements that would create an
professionally. - File submitted via would create an accurate and
- File submitted via SLATE with accurate and professional
SLATE in pdf format appropriate professional report report
with appropriate filename. and/or - Inappropriate
filename. Inappropriate filename
filename. - Not a pdf file
Part 3: 3 Screenshots in pdf 3 Screenshots were Screenshots were Screenshots were No file with
Outlook file accurately show included: included in the pdf included in the pdf screenshots
vacation all required details: - calendar showing file, but 2+ details file, but 4+ details for Part 3
notification - calendar showing 14 days vacation are missing from are missing from was
and meeting 14 days vacation - out of office alert below: below: submitted.
reminder - out of office alert - calendar showing - calendar showing
- meeting set up on
- recurring meeting 14 days vacation 14 days vacation
Monday at 9AM
set up on 4 - out of office alert - out of office alert
beginning after
Mondays at 9AM
vacation - recurring meeting - recurring meeting
beginning after
AND set up on 4 set up on 4
vacation
- Out of Office Mondays at 9AM Mondays at 9AM
AND
message was okay beginning after beginning after
- Out of Office
and grammatically back from back from
message was
correct with no vacation vacation
professional,
spelling mistakes - Out of Office - Out of Office
detailed, and
- Submitted via message was message was
grammatically
SLATE with professional, professional,
correct with no
appropriate detailed, and detailed, and
spelling mistakes
filename grammatically grammatically
- PDF file submitted
correct with no correct with no
via SLATE with
spelling mistakes spelling mistakes
appropriate
- PDF file submitted - PDF file submitted
filename
via SLATE with via SLATE with
appropriate appropriate
filename. filename.
Part 4: - Five slides include - All the required One of the 2+ of the following No
Presentation complete required information was following occurred: occurred: presentation
information. included accurately - Slides and or - Slides and or file was
- Each slide is - Some best content is missing. content is missing. submitted
consistent, practices were - Best practices are - Best practices are AND
accurate. used but could be missing, and some missing, and some No
- Best practices used more professional slides look slides look presentation
to create - Student presented unprofessional. unprofessional. occurred in
professional slides using their file in - Presentation - Presentation class.
or video. front of class and wasn’t given in wasn’t given in
- Student presented submitted same front of class front of class
using their file in file via SLATE. and/or slides and/or slides
front of class and weren’t submitted weren’t submitted
submitted same file via SLATE via SLATE
via SLATE.
Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 0 marks
(2 marks) (1.5 marks) (1 mark) (0.5 marks)
Part 4 - Student provided - Student provided - Student provided - Student provided No feedback
continued… feedback on 2 of constructive constructive unconstructive or was given
the trades apps feedback on 2 of feedback on 1 of inappropriate and/or
Feedback on presented; the trades apps the trades apps feedback on the Student was
presentations feedback provided presented; presented presenters or the absent during
some original apps mentioned presentations
thought on
usefulness of apps