Course Outline
DAY 1
Module 1 — Claude Fundamentals, Prompting, and Personalization
Look beyond the simple chat interface to understand Claude's full potential. Identify its unique strengths, determine when it is the optimal choice over other AI tools, and learn how to personalize the tool so it aligns with the user's specific profile.
Key Topics
• Claude’s market positioning and its distinguishing features compared to other 2026 AI tools
• Model families: Fable, Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku, along with guidance on when to deploy each
• The probabilistic nature of AI, understanding hallucinations, and strategies for risk mitigation
• Comparing subscription plans and the specific benefits of a paid account
• Effective prompting: the importance of context over syntax, foundational structures, and best practices for starting new chats
• Custom Instructions for individual user profiles: defining role, priorities, and communication tone
Exercises
• Exercise 1 — Construct a comprehensive prompt to handle a customer complaint
• Exercise 2 — Set up Custom Instructions tailored to a specific user profile
Module 2 — Projects, Artifacts, and Skills
Leverage Projects to establish persistent workspaces equipped with dedicated knowledge bases, such as manuals, technical specifications, and standards. Explore Artifacts as a production space within the chat and define working procedures through Skills.
Key Topics:
• Projects: persistent workspaces that maintain their own history and specific knowledge base
• Project Instructions vs. Profile Preferences — understanding how they work together
• Sharing Projects across teams: capabilities of Team and Enterprise plans
• File uploads: handling PDFs, Excel files, and images
• Artifacts: creating documents, dashboards, and interactive prototypes directly within the chat
• Web Search: accessing real-time information with verifiable citations
• Skills: defining and applying repeatable procedures
Exercises:
• Exercise 3 — Develop a functional Project aligned with the user's specific context
• Exercise 4 — Generate a functional Artifact relevant to the user's work
• Exercise 5 — Create a functional Skill tailored to the user's needs
DAY 2
Module 3 — Cowork, Agents, and Microsoft 365 Integration
Shift your perspective from viewing AI as a chatbot to treating it as a collaborative partner capable of operating in the background with real-world, day-to-day data.
Key Topics:
• Claude Desktop: installation, system requirements, authentication, initial setup, and key differences from browser-based usage
• Claude in Chrome: installing the official extension, managing permissions, practical use cases, limitations, and security measures
• Claude Mobile: utilizing mobile contexts, synchronizing across devices, and best practices for working on the go
• Cowork: definition, functionality, and scenarios where it adds value
• Microsoft 365 connector: linking Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams
• Multi-step tasks: searching, reading, summarizing, writing, and sending
• Scheduled tasks: utilizing Scheduled Prompts
• MCP: The Model Context Protocol and the Connectors ecosystem
• Current limitations of Cowork and strategies to work around them
Exercises:
• Exercise 6 — Create a Cowork project and structure its folder system
• Exercise 7 — Configure a comprehensive Cowork project with Skills, instructions, and folders, then test it with a complex task.
Module 4 — Claude in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
Integrate Claude with Microsoft 365 applications, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, leveraging your own files to accelerate analysis, drafting, review, and the preparation of work materials.
Key Topics:
• Excel: data analysis, formula generation, data cleaning, indicator interpretation, and executive summary preparation
• Word: reviewing, rewriting, structuring documents, drafting proposals, reports, minutes, and professional communications
• PowerPoint: converting content into presentation narratives, writing scripts, refining key messages, and adapting content for target audiences
Exercises:
• Exercise 8 — Use Claude to analyze an Excel spreadsheet and generate an executive summary with conclusions and recommendations
• Exercise 9 — Transform a Word document or a set of notes into a structured PowerPoint presentation
Requirements
To fully engage with the practical exercises, please ensure you have the following ready prior to the course:
- Active Paid Claude Account: A Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan is necessary to access Projects, Artifacts, and the advanced models utilized in Module 2.
- Microsoft 365 Access: A functional account with access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is required to complete the integrations in Modules 3 and 4.
- Laptop with Installation Permissions: A computer where you are authorized to install Claude Desktop and the Chrome extension (essential for Module 3).
- Personal Business Files (Strongly Recommended): Prepare 2–3 real-world documents (such as a PDF manual, Excel spreadsheet, or Word report) to utilize during the hands-on sessions. Please verify that these files do not contain strictly confidential data.
Testimonials (2)
Learning how to prompt Claude and use it to digest all of the data I have available.
Mike Hartleroad - Furniture Row
Course - Claude AI for Data Analysis and Business Intelligence
how to engage with the Office environment and set up repetitive tasks
