Microsoft Excel (MS Excel) is one of the most important mathematical and statistical tools that I have learned in the class. MS Excel is a spreadsheet tool which allows its users to manipulate, graph and store a data set. Although there are a rage of many other applications and tools that can manipulate, graph and store a dataset, MS Excel is the most popular application due to its ease of use and accessibility (Vohra, 2011). Due to its easy accessibility, MS Excel is the most used tool among high school, college and university students worldwide. According to Vohra (2011), MS Excel is a commercial analytical tool among SAS, Tableau, Qlikview and Splunk and is used in almost all companies. Whether used by a student or a professional, the MS Excel software ensures development of industry best practices especially in the data analytic and teaching profession.
Application of MS Excel among Students
In a research conducted by Neurath and Stephens (2006), when MS Excel was integrated in a high school algebra class, there was a significant improvement in the students’ performance in the subject. In another study, the use of MS Excel in a statistics and probability class in both junior and senior students at Arlington High School resulted to a significant improvement in the students’ grades in the particular subject (Christensen & Stephens, 2003). In both studies, MS Excel was used to perform various mathematical functions. In the algebra study, MS Excel was used for solving equations, graphing lines, simplifying expressions, adding polynomials, and graphing equations with radicals. In the statistics and probability study, MS Excel was used for creating histograms using Analysis ToolPak, using MATCH function to find intersections in two or several datasets, finding the mean average, and variance using the AVERAGE, VAR, or STDEV functions and finding normal distributions using the NORMSINV and NORMDIST functions (Christensen & Stephens, 2003). Other uses of MS Excel as reviewed in the two studies include using the COMBIN and PERMUT functions to find permutations and combinations, finding the binomial probability distributions using the BINOMDIST function, and sampling distributions (Christensen & Stephens, 2003). In addition, I have found the MS Excel tool useful in plotting line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, box plots, and scatter plots. The plots enable students to analyze raw data in researches, lab experiments, and assignments.
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Application of MS Excel among Professionals
According to Kwak (2013), MS Excel is used by most professionals for quantitative analysis, statistical analysis of databases, and complex estimation. Among professions that heavily rely on MS Excel include marketers, business developers, sales professions, and finance professions. In the finance profession, Excel is used to extract and sort data during financial analysis. Excel is also widely used in other fields such as engineering and weather for data recording and analysis.
Developing Best Practices on the Industry using MS Excel
In a research conducted on the use of MS Excel in the teaching profession, it was found that MS Excel had a number of advantages over other specialized software (Chaamwe & Shumba, 2016). In the teaching profession, teachers can prepare templates in advance for students using the spreadsheet tool and update results easily, a fete not possible with many other spreadsheet tools. According Peck (2015), understanding MS Excel is a basic requirement in about 80 percent of all middle-skill job openings. The middle-skill jobs include office/administrative assistants, retail supervisors, and store managers. The article states that proficiency in MS Excel has prevented major trading losses and undercuts in economic papers.
Conclusion
It is evident that Microsoft Excel is among the most accessible and used spreadsheet application globally. Almost all profession can attribute using MS Excel at some point. Learning the MS Excel tool in this class will definitely go a long way in improving my future practices in the industry.
- Vohra, G. (2011). 10 Most Popular Analytics Tools in Business | Analytics Training Blog. Analytics Training Blog. Retrieved 5 November 2017, from http://analyticstraining.com/2011/10-most-popular-analytic-tools-in-business/
- Neurath, R., & Stephens, L. (2006). The effect of using Microsoft Excel in a high school algebra class. International Journal Of Mathematical Education In Science And Technology, 37(6), 721-726. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207390600989251
- Christensen, A., & Stephens, L. (2003). Microsoft Excel as a supplement in a high school statistics course. International Journal Of Mathematical Education In Science And Technology, 34(6), 881-885. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207390310001595546
- Peck, E. (2015). Knowing Excel — Yes, Microsoft Excel — Is Crucial To Making More Money. HuffPost UK. Retrieved 5 November 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/06/you-cant-escape-the-hegemony-of-the-spreadsheet_n_6816570.html
- Chaamwe, N., & Shumba, L. (2016). ICT Integrated Learning: Using Spreadsheets as Tools for e-Learning, A Case of Statistics in Microsoft Excel. International Journal Of Information And Education Technology, 6(6), 435-440. http://dx.doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2016.v6.728
- Kwak, J. (2013). The Importance of Excel. The Baseline Scenario. Retrieved 5 November 2017, from https://baselinescenario.com/2013/02/09/the-importance-of-excel/
