Word processing skills are necessary to succeed in online courses because professors expect students to compose essays, write papers, and even take tests using their word processing software. At UNCG, Microsoft Word is the standard word processing application used. It is part of Microsoft Office.

Types of Word Processing Software

Do you have Microsoft Word on your computer? Generally, Microsoft Word is installed as part of Microsoft Office. If you need to install Microsoft Office, including Word, see your local computer store or check with the UNCG bookstore, because they offer discounts for educators and students.

Do not confuse Microsoft Office / Microsoft Word with Microsoft Works. Microsoft Works is a basic program that should never be used for your online courses.

Do you have Word Perfect on your computer? If you already use Word Perfect and know how to convert Word Perfect documents to Microsoft Word format, then you might choose to do this.

Converting Word Perfect to Microsoft Word format - The easiest way is to save the file in Rich Text Format (rtf). Microsoft Word can open this format with no problem.

Tips

Share your file with your instructor. If your instructor has difficulties to open your file, you should do:

1. Save your files in the lowest common version. When in doubt, save as Word Version 6.0 on a Macintosh or Word 6.0/95 on a PC.
2. Make sure that if you are sharing files between a Macintosh and a PC, you should add the file extension .doc to your filename. (example: filename.doc)
3. File name should not include symbols (#, &, etc) or spaces.

Format your documents. Make sure you know how to set the formatting, such as line spacing, indentions, and tabs, for new documents that you create. To access these features, use the Format pull-down menu and choose Paragraph. Many professors ask that word douments be formatted double-space in 12 pt. Time New Roman.

Do not use cutesy fonts, unnecessary elipses, all caps, unnecessary bold, et cetera. These are annoying and generally associated with non-scholarly work. For example:

Inappropriate:

Prayer in schools is a very controversial subject... every school district has its own thoughts on school prayer... parents have their own thoughts, too... THINK THAT PRAYER SHOULD BE A PART OF THE SCHOOL DAY.

Appropriate:

School prayer is a controversial issue throughout the country. Depending on what part of the country you survey, you might encounter different attitudes regarding school prayer. Parents and school administrators in a rural southern Virginia county might support prayer in schools while those in large metropolitan areas might support complete elimination of prayer from schools.

Become familiar with the accepted style guides for your discipline. In education and social sciences, the APA format is preferred. In business, MLA might be preferred. Unfortunately, in a multi-disciplinary / liberal arts program, students might take classes from many disciplines. Purchase a quick desk reference book like Fowler & Aaron's The Little Brown Handbook -this book contains a quick guide to all of the common style guides, plus, it contains a handy grammar review! You can find a copy of this book at a reasonable price at http://half.ebay.com .

• Internet Connection
• Web Browser
• Plug-ins
• Office Computing
• Word
• Protect Your Computer