How to Learn Office 365 Online

If you’re just starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning Office 365 is no different. With Office 365, you can access Microsoft Office’s work productivity programs, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and marketing materials. You also gain online collaboration tools, such as text chat, video calling, cloud sharing, real-time editing, and task management among teammates. If you’ve always wanted to learn Office 365, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you. 

What is Office 365?

Office 365 (also known as Microsoft 365) is a cloud-based subscription service that includes Microsoft Office’s suite of programs along with other online services such as free cloud storage and web hosting. Since Office 365 functions with the cloud, users always have access to their documents so long as they have an internet connection. The service is compatible with PCs, Macs, tablets, and smartphones.

Microsoft Office is a popular suite of productivity programs that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. These programs are used worldwide by businesses across industries for their ease of use, accessibility, and collaboration features. The programs offer a variety of functions, such as word processing, spreadsheet creation, promotional material design, and team management. Office 365 combines these valuable programs into a single service that offers the advantages of online document sharing. Microsoft Office cloud services include Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange.

Read more about what Office 365 is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Office 365?

Office 365 gives users full access to Microsoft Office’s suite of programs. These include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. These programs allow users to create professional documents and reports, spreadsheets and databases, presentations, emails, and promotional materials. Office 365 also provides Microsoft Office cloud services, including Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange. Businesses worldwide use these programs for workplace productivity, team collaboration, and management. 

Office 365’s collaboration tools allow teammates to edit documents simultaneously in real-time online. Teammates can use the Teams app to text chat with one another and ask questions without leaving their computers. Documents can also be assigned to teammates as tasks and linked in their virtual calendar or Microsoft Planner, making them easily accessible and trackable in their workflow. Documents are shared easily with a link without downloading or emailing files. Office 365 is an essential business asset for facilitating collaboration within and across departments. 

As an online service, Office 365 offers several advantages. Users can access Office 365 from any device without needing the program installed. This enables users to work anywhere they like and prevents them from being chained to any singular device. Files and documents can also be stored online without taking up computer storage. Updates are applied automatically to the software without users needing to download them manually. The online features of Office 365 go a long way toward improving accessibility and usability.

Live Online Office 365 Training

A major perk of live online training is its availability. Students can learn from anywhere, provided they have a reliable internet connection. Students save time they would usually spend on a commute, and they are able to learn anywhere they find suitable. Online courses also often offer more flexible schedules than in-person classrooms for parents or job holders with busy schedules. In terms of engagement, live online classes try to replicate physical classrooms with hands-on projects and live instructors interacting with students in real-time. Students can also interact with their peers virtually. However, some students still find it preferable to learn in person. For them, it’s difficult to connect with their instructors and peers virtually, and they find at-home learning too full of distractions.

There are a number of live online Office 365 training options. Available classes are short, lasting only one day, and teach both beginner and advanced techniques. Noble Desktop’s Office 365 courses can be taken in-person or live online from anywhere. These classes teach various levels of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, from beginner to expert. Bootcamps are available that combine course levels into one comprehensive learning program.

On-Demand Office 365 Classes

On-demand Office 365 training is free and ideal for students with too busy of a schedule to attend regular classes or who prefer to learn at their own pace. Students can usually find beginner and advanced on-demand training resources. However, a drawback of this method is that training is not robust enough to advance a career. On-demand training also lacks an instructor, so students must rely on self-motivation to progress through the material. They also have no one to turn to for guidance if they struggle. Free training is also often out of date. Paid self-paced training often provides an instructor, but instructors are not live, and it can take time to receive a response. This method of training is best suited for individuals looking to learn beginner techniques but not specifically for career advancement.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

Not ready to dive into an entire course? Prefer an overview of Office 365? You can start learning Office 365 for free online. Noble Desktop offers free seminars in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. In the Top 10 Beginner Excel Tricks You Need to Know, you’ll learn beginner techniques that introduce you to Excel and teach you productivity hacks within the program. In the PowerPoint Presentation Design seminar, you’ll learn how to make a professional and eye-catching presentation within the program. These seminars are the perfect method for introducing you to Excel and PowerPoint and giving you examples of the power of Office 365. 

Noble Desktop offers additional Office 365 classes that teach Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook. After these seminars, should you wish, you can continue your education with additional Excel and PowerPoint classes. Bootcamps in both subjects are also available that combine multiple courses into one comprehensive learning package. These courses and bootcamps are open to beginners and guide students to mastery of the programs. 

Read about more free Office 365 videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning 

There are three training formats for learning Office 365: live online, in-person, and on-demand. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and individuals will find different methods work best for them depending on their schedule and needs.

Live online and on-demand classes are the most accessible training options. As they are online, students can attend classes from anywhere and don’t face the costly commute required by in-person classes. Students are also free to choose their most comfortable environment for learning. Online classes often offer more options in the curriculum than students can find in the limited in-person courses nearest them. On-demand classes win out slightly in accessibility because they aren’t tied to set class schedules. Students with busy lives may choose on-demand training to learn at their own pace.

The downside of on-demand classes lies in engagement. On-demand training often lacks instructors or classmates. Students are left to their own motivation to advance through coursework and have no one to turn to with questions or for support. When on-demand training does offer an instructor’s contact information for assistance, students may wait days or longer for a reply. Live online and in-person training rank far higher in engagement. Students can ask instructors for immediate feedback, interact with peers, and often receive guidance in job searching or building portfolios. In-person training wins out slightly over live online in that some people feel more comfortable initiating engagement with their peers or instructors in a physical setting.

When it comes to affordability, on-demand training wins out again. As these classes are self-led, they are often free. However, it’s important to weigh other pros and cons discussed in this section, especially when it comes to engagement or career advancement. The popular adage “you get what you pay for” often holds true when comparing on-demand courses vs. in-person or live online. While online training isn’t free, many institutions offer free seminars or introductory courses. And a full live online course is often cheaper than in-person training.

If you’re looking to advance your career, live online and in-person training offer the comprehensive learning you are looking for. While on-demand training will likely be enough to learn the basics of a skill, self-led learning can’t replace the knowledge a professional instructor possesses and passes on to their students. On-demand resources are also often dated and don’t hold up to industry standards. Professional instruction is almost always necessary to advance your career.

Overall, live online training is the best well-rounded option, offering most of the benefits of both in-person and on-demand classes. Students have no commute and usually have the option of more flexible schedules than with in-person training. Live online training replicates the interactivity of in-person classrooms with live instructors and classmate interaction. Some live online training can be found for free and offers the same self-led benefits as on-demand training. Paid live online training is an excellent and affordable option for professionals looking to advance their careers.

Tips to Succeed when Learning Office 365 Online

Online learning can be full of distractions without a dedicated workspace, especially for those learning from home. Children, pets, and other people working or engaging in other activities around the home can quickly draw attention. Thus, it’s essential for online learning that students create a decided workspace that is quiet and distraction-free. Some students prefer to learn online from a coffee shop or library for this exact reason, but it’s possible to find a quiet space at home as well.

Interacting with your peers and the instructor is important to learning and may be less evident in a virtual environment. While sitting in front of your computer screen, resigning yourself to being on your own can be easy. However, especially in online learning, it’s crucial to seek interactions with your peers and instructor to answer questions, motivate one another, and make learning an engaging and collaborative process. While you may be alone in your physical learning environment, you’re not alone in your learning experience! 

Lastly, make sure you plan for troubleshooting. Technology doesn’t always work as expected. The WiFi going down or your virtual camera failing to provide audio are a couple of examples of possible technical issues. Troubleshooting is always unexpected, so plan to start class and turn in assignments early so that you have time to find solutions if anything goes wrong. 

Learn Office 365 with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online training in Office 365. Courses include training in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook. You can choose between individual classes of various skill levels or bootcamps, which offer in-depth, comprehensive learning. When it comes to becoming an expert in a new skill, bootcamps are a fast and affordable alternative to college. Noble Desktop’s classes are small, taught by expert instructors, and include free retake options.

The Excel Bootcamp guides students from beginner to expert techniques. You’ll learn functions, formulas, Pivot Tables, macros, and additional expert tips and tricks. By the end of the course, you’ll be a true Excel master. The PowerPoint Bootcamp is a similar course that provides complete mastery of the program. You’ll start with the basics of customizing images, shapes, text, and animation before moving on to advanced techniques such as template creation, importing charts from Excel, and inserting multimedia. By the end of the course, you’ll be a wizard at creating professional and visually stunning presentations and slideshows.

If you like the idea of the comprehensive learning offered by bootcamps and are looking for further training in Office 365, NYIM is an affiliate school of Noble Desktop. It provides a Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp that covers the four major programs – Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook.

Key Insights

• You can take live online training from anywhere with an internet connection.
• On-demand training allows you to learn at your own pace without professional guidance.
• Free intro courses and tutorials can be a great starting point for learning.
• Live online training offers the closest experience to in-person engagement without the commute.
• Succeeding with online training involves having a dedicated and distraction-free learning space and remembering to interact with your peers and instructor.