Spreadsheets as Mindtools

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Spreadsheets as Mindtools
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Objectives

• Review basic spreadsheet concepts
• Discuss spreadsheet functions
• Discuss spreadsheets as Mindtools

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Spreadsheet origins

• Jonassen
• Computerised numerical record-keeping systems
• Developed to replace paper-based ledgers
• Automated calculations on rows and columns
• Extended with additional functions
• Handling text
• Searching sorting
• Graphs

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Spreadsheet structure

• Grid of cells
• Columns labelled as A, B, C, etc
• Rows labelled as 1, 2, 3, etc
• Cells addressed as A1, M23, etc
• Cells may contain
• Literal text or labels
• Numerical values
• Formulas

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Spreadsheet formulas

• Typically start with
• Contain
• Numerical values
• Cell addresses as references to values
• Functions
• Mathematical, logical, text
• FUNCTION(argument, argument)
• Argument is range or list

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Relative absolute addressing
Relative addressing
Absolute addressing
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Additional functions

• Data handling
• Select
• Sort
• Graphs
• Select present

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Spreadsheets as mindtools

• Rapid calculation
• Permits hypothesis testing
• Rule-based approaches
• Describing relationships among data
• Users need to create work with abstract rules
• Investigating other relationships
• Sorting selecting
• Graphing