1

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES VISAYAS

College of Management

BA 183.1
Introduction to Information Technology

STUDY GUIDE: WEEK 6 (5 hours)

TOPIC: MY EXCEL AND WHYS

LET’S BEGIN

Essays, reports, letters, flyers--- doing all these is a breeze in Word or in any word processor. But how
about the weekly budget, listing of names, class records, score sheets, financial statements, vouchers,
demand projections, or anything that calls for data processing or requires calculations? A word
processor might also do the job, but it is not the suitable software for these types of tasks. From here,
we will tell you why!

When it comes to performing basic to complex calculations, MS Excel is the go-to application. Satya
Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, cannot imagine a world without MS Excel, proclaiming it as Microsoft’s most
important consumer product (Cocking, 2017). In one way or another, you will get a chance to use the
spreadsheet program maybe in your personal or professional life. The activities this week aim to
improve your skills in the use of MS Excel.

Specifically, you will learn how to:

a. create a worksheet with formulas and functions;
b. apply conditional formatting;
c. explain the difference between absolute and relative cell references;
d. present and organize data using a chart or graph;
e. use IF function and LOOKUP function; and,
f. summarize and analyze data using a PivotTable.

You are expected to complete three (3) practice sets and submit six (6) laboratory exercises as part of
your course requirements.

READ & WATCH

MS Excel

MS Excel is a spreadsheet program that enables users to organize data, perform basic and complex
mathematical calculations, create charts and graphs, analyze data, and produce reports. The four
major parts of MS Excel as described by Shelly et al. (2008, p. 2) are as follows:
● Workbooks and Worksheets – A workbook is a collection of worksheets. Whereas, a worksheet
is a collection of cells organized in rows and columns that allows users to input, calculate,
manipulate, and analyze data.
● Charts – A chart is a graphical representation of data, and MS Excel can produce a range of
chart formats such as bar, pie, column, line, area, radar, etc.

Note that the course pack provided to you in any form is intended only for your use in connection with the
course that you are enrolled in. It is not for distribution or sale. Permission should be obtained from your
instructor for any use other than for what it is intended.
 2

● Tables – A table is used to organize and store data within a worksheet.

● Web support – MS Excel users can save worksheets or parts of it in HTML format so that the
data can be easily viewed and manipulated using a browser. Likewise, MS Excel features web
queries.

Did you know?

The total number of rows and columns on a worksheet is 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns. You can
view the last row by pressing CTRL + Down Navigation Arrow. While viewing the last column, press
CTRL + Right Navigation Arrow.

MS Excel has over 475 formulas, ranging from the simple arithmetic operations to complex statistical
and logical functions. Here are some of the most popular formulas that you need to know:
● =SUM to add numbers
● =TODAY() to display current month, day, and year
● =NOW() to display current month, day, year, and time of the day
● =RAND() to generate a random number between 0 and 1
● =COUNT() to count the number of values in a range of cells
● =AVERAGE() to get the average of numbers in a range of cells
● =MAX() to display the highest value in a range of cells
● =MIN() to display the smallest value in a range of cells

Did you know?

To view the formulas in all cells, press CTRL + ` (` is in one key with ~ , you can find it above the TAB
key).

You might think that MS Excel is a little bit difficult to learn especially if you don’t like numbers. But it
is actually fairly easy to use. The learning resources available here will provide you with step-by-step
procedures on how to use this spreadsheet program.

**********************************************************************************
There are many reasons why you need to learn Excel!

We will be using the book, Beginning Excel by Noreen Brown, Barbara Lave, Julie Romey, Mary Schatz,
and Diane Shingledecker, as our primary learning resource. As you read this book, learn by heart the
Skill Refresher, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Key Takeaways presented. Moreover, some topics may not
be included in the book; thus, other learning resources are provided. Links to YouTube video tutorials
are also made available to enhance your learning experience.

a. READ each of the following:

● Beginning Excel. (Brown et al., 2020).
(download e-book Beginning Excel.pdf on our course site)
- Chapter 1.1 Overview of Microsoft Excel, pp. 3 – 19
- Chapter 1.2 Entering, Editing, and Managing Data, pp. 20 – 43
- Chapter 1.2 Formatting and Data Analysis, pp. 44 – 66
- Chapter 2.1 Formulas, pp. 81 – 94
- Chapter 2.2 Introductory Statistical Functions, pp. 95 – 115
- Chapter 2.3 Functions for Personal Finance, pp. 116 – 132
- Chapter 3.1 More on Formulas and Functions, pp. 149 – 154
- Chapter 3.2 Logical and Lookup Functions, pp. 155 – 164
- Chapter 3.3 Conditional Formatting, pp. 165 – 172

Note that the course pack provided to you in any form is intended only for your use in connection with the
course that you are enrolled in. It is not for distribution or sale. Permission should be obtained from your
instructor for any use other than for what it is intended.
 3

- Chapter 4.1 Choosing a Chart Type, pp. 189 – 218

- Chapter 4.2 Formatting Charts, pp. 219 – 239
● Excel LOOKUP function with formula examples. (Cheusheva, 2019). Retrieved from
https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2017/04/05/excel-lookup-function/
● Excel 2016 – Intro to PivotTables. (GCFLearnfree.org). Retrieved from
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel2016/intro-to-pivottables/1/

b. WATCH each of the following:

(Note: For those you cannot access the videos, please message your FIC.)
● Excel Formulas and Functions Tutorial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl0Qk63z2ZY&list=PLlKpQrBME6xLYoubjOqowzcCC
d0ivQVLY&index=30
● Absolute, Relative and Mixed Cell References in Excel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSNuRasYl60&list=PLlKpQrBME6xLYoubjOqowzcCC
d0ivQVLY&index=17&t=0s
● IF function in Excel Tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mzGsJtJvLc
● MS Excel – Lookup Function. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulm4YXfXV3o
● Excel: Charts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wu7jYTr1Pk&list=PLpQQipWcxwt9kEYnMTd8nBu
RxC3LFmera&index=23&t=0s
● Pivot Table Excel Tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0wI61ahfLc
**********************************************************************************

THINK

“Study hard, practice hard, play ferociously.”

- John Kessel

We hope that most of your whys with regard to Excel, if not all, were answered. You are now ready to
apply what you have learned! Proceed to our learning activities (laboratory exercises) and hone more
your Excel skills.

Note that the course pack provided to you in any form is intended only for your use in connection with the
course that you are enrolled in. It is not for distribution or sale. Permission should be obtained from your
instructor for any use other than for what it is intended.
 4

LABORATORY EXERCISES

For your laboratory exercises, download the following files in our course site:
1. BA183.1 Learning Activity Guide 6.1_Week 6.pdf
2. BA183.1 Learning Activity Guide 6.2_Week 6.pdf
3. BA183.1 Learning Activity Guide 6.3_Week 6.pdf
4. BA183.1 Learning Activity Guide 6.4_Week 6.pdf
5. BA183.1 Learning Activity Guide 6.5_Week 6.pdf and pivotdata.xlsx

SUMMARY

For this week, you have learned how to use a spreadsheet software, MS Excel. You have experienced
creating worksheets with formulas and functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, IF function, and
LOOKUP function. You were also taught how to present and organize data using a chart or graph.
Likewise, you have come to know how to use a PivotTable for summarizing and analyzing data.

DIG DEEPER

To further develop your skills, you can continue with the rest of the chapters (Chapters 5 and 6, pp.
267 – 329) of the book, Beginning Excel. All the data files needed for the practice sets are available on
our LMS. Moreover, learn how worksheets are printed by reading all topics on “Preparing to Print.”
Try to print a worksheet if you have access to a printer.

RESOURCES

Brown, N., Lave, B., Romey, J., Schatz, M., & Shingledecker, D. (2020). Beginning Excel. Open Oregon
Educational Resources. Retrieved from https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/beginningexcel/

Cheusheva, Svetlana. (2019). Excel LOOKUP function with formula examples. Retrieved from
https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2017/04/05/excel-lookup-function/

Cocking, S. (2017). Seven reasons why Excel is still used by half a billion people worldwide. Irish Tech
News. Retrieved from https://irishtechnews.ie/seven-reasons-why-excel-is-%09still-used-by-half-a-
billion-people-worldwide

Excel 2016 – Intro to PivotTables. (n.d.). GCFLearnfree.org. Retrieved from

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel2016/intro-to-pivottables/1/

GCFLearnfree.org. (2016, February 8). Excel: Charts [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wu7jYTr1Pk&list=PLpQQipWcxwt9kEYnMTd8%09nBuRxC3LF
mera&index=22

Lalwani, Pavan. [Tutorials Point (India) Ltd.]. (2018, January 15). MS Excel – Lookup Function [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulm4YXfXV3o

Note that the course pack provided to you in any form is intended only for your use in connection with the
course that you are enrolled in. It is not for distribution or sale. Permission should be obtained from your
instructor for any use other than for what it is intended.
 5

Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., & Vermaat, M.E. (2008). Spreadsheet Application: Essentials Concepts &
Techniques in Microsoft Excel 2007. Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd.

Stratvert, Kevin. (2019, December 31). Absolute, Relative and Mixed Cell References in Excel [Video].
YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSNuRasYl60&list=%20%09PLlKpQrBME6xLYoubjOqo
wzcCCd0ivQVLY&index=17&t=0s

Stratvert, Kevin. (2019, December 16). IF function in Excel Tutorial [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mzGsJtJvLc

Stratvert, Kevin. (2019, July 12). Excel Formulas and Functions Tutorial [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl0Qk63z2ZY&list=PLlKpQrBME6xLYoubjOqowz%09cCCd0ivQVL
Y&index=30

Stratvert, Kevin. (2019, May 20). Pivot Table Excel Tutorial [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0wI61ahfLc

Note that the course pack provided to you in any form is intended only for your use in connection with the
course that you are enrolled in. It is not for distribution or sale. Permission should be obtained from your
instructor for any use other than for what it is intended.