Copilot for Office 365 Training

Copilot for Office 365

• Understanding Microsoft Copilot
  • What Microsoft Copilot Is and Is Not
    • Copilot as an AI orchestration layer, not a replacement for skills
    • How Copilot differs from standalone AI tools
    • Common misconceptions about “AI doing the work for you”
  • From GPT Models to Microsoft Copilot
    • High-level overview of large language models
    • Why Copilot is grounded in Microsoft 365 data
    • The role of Microsoft Graph in Copilot responses
  • How Copilot Generates Answers
    • Tokens, context windows, and relevance
    • Why Copilot answers vary by user
    • What Copilot can see and what it cannot
• Copilot Interfaces and User Experience
  • Copilot Chat vs In-App Copilot
    • When to use Copilot Chat
    • When in-app Copilot is more effective
    • Switching between conversational and task-based workflows
  • Copilot Interaction Fundamentals
    • Understanding prompts as collaboration, not commands
    • Asking Copilot “why” and “how,” not just “do this”
    • Iterative prompting for refinement and accuracy
• Preparing Microsoft 365 for Copilot Success
  • Why Copilot Performance Is a Data Problem
    • File sprawl, email overload, and noisy Teams channels
    • How poor structure limits AI usefulness
  • Improving Information Quality
    • File naming, versioning, and organization strategies
    • Structuring Teams channels for meaningful context
    • Writing emails and documents Copilot can actually summarize
  • Permissions, Exposure, and Trust
    • How Copilot respects existing security boundaries
    • Risks of over-permissioned content
    • Why “Copilot surfaced this” is not a security breach
• Copilot in Microsoft Word: AI-Assisted Writing with Accountability
  • Drafting and Refining Content
    • Generating first drafts vs polishing existing content
    • Adapting tone, audience, and purpose
    • Improving clarity without losing intent
  • Structured Business Documents
    • Policies, procedures, proposals, and reports
    • Turning rough ideas into structured documents
    • Maintaining ownership and accuracy
  • Research, Citations, and Validation
    • Using Copilot to summarize source material
    • Verifying facts and avoiding hallucinations
    • When human review is non-negotiable
• Copilot in Microsoft Excel: Insight Acceleration, Not Skill Replacement
  • Asking Questions of Your Data
    • Natural language queries for insights
    • Understanding what Copilot infers vs calculates
  • Formulas, Analysis, and Trends
    • Generating formulas and explanations
    • Identifying trends and anomalies
    • Validating AI-generated insights
  • Responsible Data Analysis
    • When Copilot helps—and when it can mislead
    • Avoiding blind trust in AI-generated conclusions
• Copilot in Microsoft PowerPoint: From Content to Story
  • Creating Presentations Faster
    • Turning Word documents and notes into slides
    • Structuring decks for clarity and flow
  • Design and Layout Assistance
    • Design suggestions vs design decisions
    • Accessibility and localization considerations
  • Executive vs Informational Presentations

Before Taking this Class

Participants should be proficient users of Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).

Software/Setup For this Class

Participants must have access to Microsoft 365 (Business or Enterprise) with Copilot enabled:

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 (licensed and turned on by IT)

Must include access to:

• Word (Web & Desktop)
• Excel (Web & Desktop)
• PowerPoint (Web & Desktop)
• Outlook (Web & Desktop)
• Teams
• OneDrive
• SharePoint Online

Copilot Interfaces

Participants should be able to access:

In-app Copilot

• Copilot icon in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams

Copilot Chat

• Accessed via Microsoft 365 app launcher or browser