Completed Project Report


Providing Access to Risk Management Tools Through Excel Training

  • Award Amount: $46,331
  • Regional Center: North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2011 Unrestricted Grants
  • Project Director:
  • Email: kcd@ksu.edu
  • Organization: Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics

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Project Overview

The inability to use Excel spreadsheets limits producers´ capability to benefit from the many Excel calculators and tools publicly available. This project developed and presented a series of six day-long workshops throughout Kansas to provide hands-on Excel training. The workshops used laptop computers to allow participants to create their own spreadsheets. Some participants brought their own computer to the workshop, providing the opportunity for computer learning and competency beyond simply using Excel.

Four spreadsheets were created and used in the workshop to teach participants various skills, including: estimating machinery costs; crop budgets (using machinery cost data); determining principal and interest payment; and calculating 205-day adjusted calf weaning weight. These taught the following skills, among others: creating appropriate mathematical formulae and using the correct functions, linking between sheets, using absolute and relative references, formatting, copying, look-up tables, and what-if analysis.

In addition, a portion of the afternoon session introduced several of the Excel tools on the AgManager.info website and allowed participants to use these tools in a situation where they could ask questions of the workshop presenters.

Number of Participants: 102

Outcomes

Project Steps

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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DELIVERY AREA

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