Basic Module - Word Processing - DS4Y
Basic Module - Word Processing - DS4Y
Catholic University
of Zimbabwe
WORD PROCESSING
DIGITAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH
DIGITAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH – WORD PROCESSING
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 2
UNIT 1 - Key Concepts of Word Processing ....................................................... 4
1.0 Using Word: Creating a Word Document ............................................................................... 5
1.1 Saving a word document ........................................................................................................ 8
1.2 Editing a word document ...................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Cut, Copy and Paste .............................................................................................................. 11
1.4 Different file formats and how to save them ....................................................................... 17
1.5 Inserting Different Objects in a Word Document ................................................................. 20
1.6 Insert a new object ............................................................................................................... 23
1.7 Finalising a document and printing....................................................................................... 26
1.8 Using mail merge .................................................................................................................. 28
1.9 Project business proposal ..................................................................................................... 37
Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 38
References........................................................................................................... 38
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Introduction
A Word Processor is used for creating textual documents especially by using a computer. When using
a word processor, it's important to keep in mind a few best practices and tips to maximize efficiency
and create professional-looking documents. Here are some helpful suggestions for using a word
processor effectively:
1. **Document Formatting:** Utilize the formatting features of the word processor to structure
your document. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to organize
content and improve readability.
2. **Spell Check and Grammar Check:** Take advantage of the built-in spell check and grammar
check tools to ensure that your document is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
3. **Styles and Templates:** Learn about styles and templates within the word processor to
maintain consistency across your documents. Using pre-defined styles and templates can help
you create professional-looking documents with minimal effort.
4. **Inserting Images and Graphics:** If your document requires images or graphics, understand
how to insert and format them within the word processor. Pay attention to image placement,
alignment, and text wrapping options.
5. **Page Layout and Margins:** Familiarize yourself with page layout settings, including margins,
page orientation, and page size. Adjust these settings to suit the specific requirements of your
document.
6. **Headers and Footers:** Learn how to add headers and footers to your document, which can
include information such as page numbers, document title, author name, and date.
7. **Tables and Columns:** If your document includes tables or columns, be proficient in creating
and formatting them within the word processor. Adjust column widths, apply borders, and use
appropriate table styles to enhance the visual presentation of your data.
8. **Collaboration and Review Tools:** Explore collaboration and review features, such as
comments, track changes, and version history. These tools are useful when working on
documents with others or when seeking feedback on your work.
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9. **Document Navigation:** Understand how to navigate through long documents using features
like the table of contents, bookmarks, and hyperlinks. This can help you and your readers quickly
locate specific sections within the document.
10. **Saving and File Formats:** Know how to save your document in different file formats, such as
PDF, DOCX, or RTF, depending on the intended use or distribution of the document.
By harnessing the capabilities of your word processor and familiarizing yourself with these best
practices, you can produce polished, well-organized documents efficiently. However, it is not
possible to cover everything above in this module given the limited time frame allocated for this
program. More advanced courses are needed to make up for those areas not covered here.
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1. Document Creation: Word processing allows users to create new documents from scratch or start
with a template. It provides a blank canvas where text, graphics, and other content can be added.
2. Text Editing: Word processors offer a range of editing tools for manipulating text, including
features such as copy, cut, paste, find and replace, spell check, and grammar check.
3. Formatting: Word processing software provides options for formatting text, such as changing font
styles, sizes, and colors, adjusting paragraph alignment and spacing, creating bulleted or numbered
lists, and applying styles and themes.
4. Document Organization: Users can organize their documents using features like headers and
footers, page numbering, tables of contents, section breaks, and pagination.
5. Collaboration: Many word processors support collaboration features, allowing multiple users to
work on a document simultaneously, track changes, and add comments.
6. Graphics and Media: Word processing software enables the integration of images, charts, and
other media into documents, allowing for visually appealing and informative content.
7. Document Management: Word processors often include tools for managing documents, such as
file saving, version control, and document templates.
8. Printing and Publishing: Word processors facilitate the printing of documents either directly or
through print preview. They also offer options for exporting documents to various formats, including
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Understanding these key concepts of word processing can help users effectively utilize word
processing software to create, edit, and format documents for various purposes.
1. Open Word
From the desktop or from your ‘Start’ menu, open Microsoft Word by clicking on ‘All
programs’ then navigating through to Microsoft word as below:
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4. Select Blank document, or double-click a template image or type the kind of document into
the Search for online templates box and press Enter.
Tip: For practice using Word features, try a learning guide like Welcome to Word or Insert your first
table of contents.
The basic steps to create a new document in Word are listed below:
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To change the font size of selected text in desktop Excel, PowerPoint, or Word:
1. Select the text or cells with text you want to change. To select all text in a Word
document, press Ctrl + A.
2. On the Home tab, click the font size in the Font Size box.
Tips:
• When you select text, a mini toolbar appears near your cursor. You can also change the
text size in this toolbar.
• You can also click the Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size (Grow Font and Shrink
Font in some earlier versions of Office programs) icons until the size you want is
displayed in the Font Size box.
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Secondly, saving your document to OneDrive so you can get to it from anywhere – at work, at home,
or on the go. Or save to another location, like your desktop.
OR
5. Update the name and file type if you want, and select Save.
Save personal files to OneDrive - Personal, and work files to your company OneDrive or
SharePoint site.
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When you save to OneDrive or SharePoint, all your changes are saved automatically. You can turn
AutoSave on or off on the Quick Access Toolbar, either above or below your ribbon.
If you don't see the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click the ribbon, and select Show Quick Access
Toolbar.
Note: When your document is stored in OneDrive, Word will save your changes automatically.
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Activity 1
DIGITAL SKILLS
Digital skills encompass a wide range of competencies that are essential for navigating and
thriving in the digital age. These skills enable individuals to effectively use digital tools,
technologies, and platforms to communicate, collaborate, create, and innovate in various
individual, professional, and educational settings.
Digital skills are essential in today's interconnected and technology-driven world, where digital
literacy and fluency are required for personal, academic, and professional success. Developing and
honing digital skills can open up a range of opportunities and empower individuals to leverage
technology to communicate, collaborate, innovate, and thrive in the digital age. Continuously
enhancing digital skills through learning, practice, and real-world application is key to staying
relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
1. Select text to format and choose font options on the Home tab: Bold, Italic, Bullets,
Numbering, and more.
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Activity 2
With the cut, paste, and copy commands as well as Clipboard, Office lets you move text,
graphics, and more in a file or across the apps.
Cut
Paste
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Note: Paste only uses your most recently copied or cut item.
Copy
Clipboard
1. After you have cut or copied content, like from the web or another app, select Clipboard
in your app.
2. Click where you’d like your item to go in the file and then select it from the Clipboard
and select paste
Note: Clipboard only stores content up until you close an Office app or turn your computer off.
Activity 3
1. Cut and paste the first paragraph to the end of last paragraph
2. Copy and paste “individual, professional, and educational settings” to the first sentence
in the second paragraph to replace “personal, academic, and professional success”
The Office Clipboard allows you to copy up to 24 items from Office documents or other
programs and paste them into another Office document. For example, you can copy text
from an email message, data from a workbook or datasheet, and a graphic from a
presentation, and then paste them all into a document. By using the Office Clipboard, you
can arrange the copied items the way that you want in the document.
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You’re not limited to only pasting the last item you copied or cut when you use the
Clipboard task pane. The Clipboard task pane holds many of the last images and text you
copied or cut.
Note: You can still do simple cut, copy, and paste the way you're used to, either by using the
buttons on the ribbon or the keyboard shortcuts CTRL+X (Cut), CTRL+C (Copy), or CTRL+V
(Paste).
1. To open the Clipboard task pane, click Home, and then click the Clipboard dialog
box launcher (highlighted in pink in the screenshot below): Select Copy
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As items are added to the Office Clipboard, an entry is displayed in the Clipboard
task pane. The newest entry is always added to the top. Each entry includes an icon
representing the source Office program and a portion of copied text or a thumbnail
of a copied graphic.
4. Click where you want the items to be pasted. You can paste collected items into any
Office program.
5. Do one of the following:
▪ To paste items one at a time, in the Clipboard task pane, double-click each
item that you want to paste.
▪ To paste all the items that you copied, in the Clipboard task pane, click
Paste All.
You can delete items from the Office Clipboard individually or all at the same time.
▪ To clear one item, click the arrow next to the item that you want to delete, and then
click Delete.
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▪ To control how the Office Clipboard is displayed, click Options at the bottom of
the task pane.
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Option Description
Show Office Clipboard When Automatically displays the Office Clipboard when
CTRL+C Pressed Twice you press CTRL+C twice.
Show Office Clipboard Icon on Displays the Office Clipboard icon in the status
Taskbar area of the system taskbar when the Office
Clipboard is active. This option is turned on by
default.
Show Status Near Taskbar When Displays the collected item message when
Copying copying items to the Office Clipboard. This option
is turned on by default.
1. Learn how to use copy and paste with Office Clipboard by selecting and copying items on
the passage of activity 1 above.
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You can use the Office programs to save or convert your files to PDFs so that you can share
them or print them using commercial printers. And you won’t need any other software or add-
ins.
Examples include resumes, legal documents, newsletters, files that are intended to be read (not
edited) and printed, and files that are intended for professional printing.
Important: Many programs, including Microsoft Word, have the ability to open and edit PDF
files. Simply sharing something as a PDF is not sufficient to guarantee the recipient can't edit the
file.
To see step-by-step instructions, select an Office program from the drop-down list.
• Access
• Excel
• OneNote
• PowerPoint
• Project
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• Publisher
• Visio
• Word
1. If the file was previously saved, select File > Save a Copy.
If the file is unsaved, select File > Save As.
2. Select Browse to choose the location on your computer where you want to save
the file.
4. Select Save.
• To make a PDF file from only some of the pages in your document, choose an
option under Page range.
• To include tracked changes in the PDF, under Publish what, select Document
showing markup. Otherwise, make sure Document is selected.
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• To create a set of bookmarks in the PDF file, select Create bookmarks using.
Then, choose Headings or, if you added bookmarks to your document, Word
Bookmarks.
• If you want to include document properties in the PDF, make sure Document
properties is selected.
1. If the file was previously saved, select File > Save a Copy.
If the file is unsaved, select File > Save AS.
2. Select Browse to choose the location on your computer where you want to save
the file.
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7. Select Save.
▪ Tables - choose Table, hover over the size you want, and select it.
▪ Pictures - select Pictures, browse for an image on your computer, a online stock
image, or with an image search on Bing.
Note: Older versions of Word may have Online Pictures on the ribbon next to Pictures.
▪ Icons - choose Icons, pick the one you want, and select Insert.
▪ 3D Models - select 3D Models, choose from a file or online source, pick the image you
want, and select Insert.
▪ Chart - select Chart, choose the chart you want, and select OK.
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Insert Table
For a basic table, click Insert > Table and move the cursor over the grid until you highlight the
number of columns and rows you want.
For a larger table, or to customize a table, select Insert > Table > Insert Table.
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Tips:
• If you already have text separated by tabs, you can quickly convert it to a table. Select
Insert > Table, and then select Convert Text to Table.
• To draw your own table, select Insert > Table > Draw Table.
Tip: To insert more than one row (or column) at the same time, select as many rows or
columns as you want to add before you click the insert control. For example, to insert two
rows above a row, first select two rows in your table and then click Insert Above.
1. Click in a cell to the left or right of where you want to add a column.
2. On the Layout tab, do one of the following:
▪ To add a column to the left of the cell, click Insert Left in the Rows and
Columns group.
▪ To add a column to the right of the cell, click Insert Right in the Rows and
Columns group.
You will need to know where the Table Design and Layout contextual tabs are when
working on the design and structural layout of a table. The Table Design and Layout tabs are
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only visible after you have clicked inside of a table, and appear at the top of the screen on
the ribbon.
Depending on the version of Word or Outlook you're using, you can insert a variety of
objects (such as PDF files, Excel charts or worksheets, or PowerPoint presentations) into a
Word document or an email message by linking or embedding them. To insert an object,
click Object on the Insert tab.
To create a new file that is inserted into your Word document or email message:
1. In the Object dialog box, click the Create New tab, and then select an option from the Object
type list.
The default program for that file type opens, where you can enter any text or data you want.
When you close the program, any added content or changes appear in your Word document or
email message.
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2. If you want the new file to appear as a clickable icon, rather than the first page of your new file,
select Display as icon. If this check box is selected, you can choose a different icon by clicking
Change Icon.
Tips:
• The information in the Result section changes based on the selected object type and whether
Display as icon is selected. Use this information to help you determine what you want to insert
and how you want it to appear.
• In Outlook, the Display as icon option is only available if you format your email as RTF (Format
Text > Format > Message Format > Rich Text).
1. In the Object dialog box, select the Create from File tab, and then click Browse to
find the file you want to insert.
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2. To link to the source file, rather than embedding it into your Word document or
email message, select Link to file.
3. If you want the inserted file to appear as a clickable icon, rather than the first page
of the file, select Display as icon. If this check box is selected, you can choose a
different icon by clicking Change Icon.
Tip: The information in the Result section changes based on whether Link to file and
Display as icon are selected. Use this information to help you determine what you
want to insert and how you want it to appear.
Embedded objects become part of the Word file or email message and, after they are
inserted, they are no longer connected to any source file.
Linked objects can be updated if the source file is modified. Linked data is stored in the
source file. The Word file or email message (the destination file) stores only the location of
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the source file, and it displays a representation of the linked data. Use linked objects if file
size is a consideration.
Note: For keyboard shortcuts in the Editor pane, there's no need to press Alt. Just use the
underlined letter to select the command (like i for , g for I, etc) .
For more topics on spelling and grammar see Spelling and grammar in Word.
Before you print, you can preview your document and specify which pages you want to print.
If the text is too small to read, use the zoom slider at the bottom of the page to enlarge it.
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3. Choose the number of copies, and any other options you want, and select the Print button.
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2. In Word, type the body of the letter that you want to send to your mailing list.
Your mailing list is a data source that contains the information that Word uses to customize your
letter. See Data sources you can use for a mail merge.
If you need to sort or filter your mailing list, see Mail merge: Edit recipients.
Add name, address, and other fields in your database through Merge Fields.
1. Go to Mailings > Insert Merge Field and select the field you want to add.
Add fields for all the information you want on your letter.
2. Choose OK.
1. Go to Mailings > Preview Results to preview your letter. Use the left and right arrows to
scroll through each record.
2. To make additional changes, select Preview Results again to return to fields view.
3. When the letters look how you want, select Mailings > Finish & Merge > Print
Documents.
Go to Mailings > Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents to review and update
each letter individually before printing.
When you save the mail merge document, it stays connected to your mailing list for later use.
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To reuse your mail merge document, open the mail merge document. Choose Yes when Word
prompts you to keep the connection.
Use mail merge for bulk email, letters, labels, and envelopes
• Data sources
Your first step in setting up a mail merge is to pick the source of data you'll use for the
personalized information.
For details about data sources, see Data sources you can use for a mail merge.
• Excel or Outlook
If you know you'll be using Excel or Outlook as the source of your data, see:
Document types
Word provides tools for incorporating your data into the following kinds of documents. Follow
the links for details about each type:
▪ Letters that include a personalized greeting. Each letter prints on a separate sheet of
paper.
Create and print a batch of personalized letters
▪ Email where each recipient's address is the only address on the To line. You'll be
sending the email directly from Word.
▪ Envelopes or Labels where names and addresses come from your data source.
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▪ Directory that lists a batch of information for each item in your data source. Use it to
print out your contact list, or to list groups of information, like all of the students in each
class. This type of document is also called a catalog merge.
In Microsoft Office Word, styles are reusable sets of formatting options that you can apply to text.
For example, suppose you want the headings in your document to appear in bold and in a
particular color and font size. Although you can manually set each formatting option individually
for each header, it is much easier to use a style that applies all of these options at once.
You can apply a specific style quickly and easily from the Styles gallery on the Home tab. You can
also manage the contents of the gallery by adding new or other popular styles and deleting those
that you don't need.
The styles that you use frequently can be kept in the Styles gallery on the Home tab for ease of
use. You can create a new style and add it to the gallery at any time.
For example, perhaps you want text that contains certain information about your business to
always appear as bold and red in your document.
2. On the mini toolbar that appears above your selection, specify the formatting that you want. For
example, you can click Bold and Red .
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3. With the formatted text selected, click the More arrow in the lower-right corner of the
Styles gallery, and then click Create a Style.
4. Give the style a name—for example, Business Fact—and then click OK. The style that you created
appears in the Styles gallery with the name that you gave it, ready for you to apply whenever you
want to text to appear bold and red.
You can move any existing style to the Styles gallery for easy access.
4. Select text in your document in the style that you want to move, and then click the style in the
Styles task pane.
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You can change the definition of styles that are available for your document. For example,
suppose you want the Heading 1 style to stand out more. You could use a larger font size or a
heavier font, or you could add more space above and below the heading.
1. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click the style in the gallery that you want to change,
and then select Modify.
2. In the Modify Style dialog box, change the style any way that you want, and then click OK.
For example, under Formatting, you can click the arrow next to the Color box, and then click a
new font color. All instances of the style are updated automatically throughout the document.
1. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click the style that you want to remove from the
gallery.
2. Click Remove from Style gallery on the shortcut menu.
Note: Removing a style from the gallery does not remove the style from the entries that appear in
the Styles task pane. The Styles task pane lists all of the styles in the document.
You can use styles to quickly apply a set of formatting choices consistently throughout your
document. If you want formatting choices that are not available from the built-in styles and
themes available in Word, you can modify an existing style and customize it to suit your needs.
You can change the formatting (such as font size, color, and text indentation) in styles applied to
titles, headings, paragraphs, lists, and so on. You can also select formatted text in your document
to create a new style in the Styles gallery.
The styles covered in this article are located in the Styles gallery, a visual menu located on the
Home tab. To apply a style, simply select the text you want to format, and then click the style you
want in the Styles gallery. To learn more, see Apply a style to text in Word.
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You can modify an existing style in the Styles gallery in two ways:
If you have text in your document that already has a style applied, you can change the formatting
of that text and apply it to the style in the Styles gallery.
1. Select text in your document that has the style applied, such as Heading 1.
When you select text that has a style applied, that style is highlighted in the Styles gallery.
2. Format the selected text with the new attributes that you want.
For example, you might want to change the point size for the Heading 1 style from 16 points to 14
points.
3. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click the style that you want to change, and then click
Update [Style Name] to Match Selection.
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Note: All text with the style that you changed will automatically change to match the new style
that you defined.
You can modify a style directly in the Styles gallery, without using the text in your document.
1. On the Home tab, right-click any style in the Styles gallery and click Modify.
2. In the Formatting section, make any formatting changes you want, such as font style, size, or
color, alignment, line spacing, or indentation.
3. Choose whether the style change applies to the current document or to all future documents.
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You can select formatted text in your document to create a new style that you add to the Styles
gallery.
3. In the Create New Style from Formatting dialog box, give your style a name and click OK.
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Note: If you want your new style to appear in all new Word documents, right-click it in the Styles
gallery, click Modify, and then select New documents based on this template at the bottom of
the dialog box.
A business proposal can bridge the gap between you and potential clients. Done correctly, it will
outline your value proposition and persuade a company or organization to do business with you
(Hart, 2023).
Here, you will take a look at the various kinds of business proposals and go over how to write one.
You will also see some ideas and examples to help guide yours. Stand to be guided by the source
below:
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1. Write your own business proposal that can help you to do business with other companies or
clients.
2. You can make use of the available templates to formulate yours.
Conclusions
Word processing involves the creation, editing, formatting, and printing of text documents using
specialized software known as word processors. This module is prepared for the candidate to
understand these key concepts in Word-processing. The learners are prepared to apply formatting
options correctly including file management, file formats, adding objects and data to a document,
finalizing and printing a document. The participants are also taken through preparation of and using
the mail merge facility during the course of this module. Understanding these key concepts of word
processing can help users effectively utilize word processing software to create, edit, and format
documents for various purposes.
References
*** Hart. M. (*2023). How to write a business proposal (Online).
[Link] [Cited 22/04/2024]
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