Using Excel correctly: From the basics to advanced techniques*

This online workshop introduces the structure of the program as well as various calculation and presentation options in Excel. Using small, concrete example exercises, participants will practice the practical applications of the presented functions on their own computers.

This course is offered exclusively to students in Faculty 02 (Humanities and Cultural Studies). A certificate of participation will be issued upon successful completion (verified by the submission of the Excel files you worked on during the workshop).

It is also possible to earn 1 credit toward additional key competencies for this course. To do so, submission of the completed Excel files (see above) is mandatory, and an additional academic assignment must be completed.

Please consult your examination regulations, as not every degree program requires the acquisition of additional key competencies.

Contents include:

• Getting to know the Excel user interface
• Basics of spreadsheet editing
• Working with files, workbooks, and worksheets
• Entering data in Excel (manually, importing data, formatting data)
• Using function wizards
• Performing calculations across worksheets using simple formulas and functions
  (e.g., basic arithmetic operations, summing, average, minimum, maximum)
• Using AutoComplete with fixed cell references in functions
• Creating and editing charts
• Special considerations for saving and printing; creating page breaks, headers, and footers using field functions
• Use and syntax of complex (nested) functions (e.g., SUMIF, OR, IDENTICAL, LOOKUP, LEFT, LEN; TEXT, SEARCH; SUB, FIND)
• Array or matrix formulas
• Working effectively with text-based cell contents (e.g., for participant or address lists)
• Structuring, organizing, and monitoring table contents
• Structuring, sorting, and filtering by cell content and formatting
• Creating drop-down lists
• Helpful display options for large data sets (e.g., “Freeze Panes”)
• Creating custom number formats and lists
• Conditional formatting of cells
• Add comments to cells
• Complex data analysis (e.g., pivot tables, database functions)
• Combining and consolidating data
• Applying protection and security features
• Using placeholders/wildcards and comparison operators
• New features in data processing

No prior knowledge of Excel is required. The exercises will be conducted in Excel 2019 or the corresponding Office 365 version (or Excel for Mac). Explanations for earlier versions can be provided on a case-by-case basis. OpenOffice, lightweight, or online versions of the software cannot be used in this course. If you use “Excel” with a different language setting, we recommend that you install the German language pack before the course begins.

For information on how to obtain and install Office 365 (including Excel) and use it free of charge as a student at the University of Kassel, please visit the ITS website (https://www.uni-kassel.de/its/it-dienste-software/microsoft-365-buerosoftware/installation-und-nutzung-von-office-365.html).

Please allow some time for the installation.

Note: If you are reinstalling the program, please keep in mind that updates may be installed the next time you restart your computer.
We recommend using a computer mouse and a second monitor so that you can follow along with the tutorials simultaneously.

The course is conducted using the “Panopto” program, which is licensed by the University of Kassel. Participating students do not need to download this software; instead, they will receive a link to a video playlist via Moodle. The videos contain individual learning modules that can be viewed in a web browser. The videos include practice exercises that you are expected to complete during the course. For review, there are videos showing sample solutions to the practice exercises.

The videos will be made available to all registered students and can be worked on over several days as needed. If you have any questions, the instructor will be available to assist you on three scheduled dates via support chats and Zoom.

Registration for the Moodle course is mandatory, as this is how the video playlist, additional information, and announcements are sent to participants, and how the submission of workbooks and course credits is organized.

The link to the Moodle course will be emailed to you well in advance of the event.

Duration:
The videos will be available from Saturday, July 25 (10:00 a.m.) through August 9, 2026 (6:00 p.m.).

The instructor will answer your questions in the support chats and via Zoom on the following days at the times listed:

Monday, July 27, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 1, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 5, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Deadlines:

For the certificate of participation:

• Submit (upload to Moodle) the completed Excel files for the certificate of participation by August 9 at 6:00 p.m.

For the 1-credit key competency module:

• Submit (via Moodle upload) the completed Excel files for the certificate of participation by August 9 at 6:00 p.m.
• Submit (via Moodle upload) the completed Excel files for the course assessment by September 6 at 6:00 p.m.

Instructor:
Dipl.-Biol. Nicole Burghardt, MSc. Landscape Planning

Please review the terms and conditions of participation before registering.

Online registration is no longer available.