CORE-07 · Foundations

Digital Workplace Tools and Workflow Systems

Required for all majors →

Teaches students to be immediately productive in modern digital workplaces. Covers task management systems, team communication platforms, document collaboration, no-code automation (Zapier/Make), and API literacy. Every professional role uses these tools daily — this course ensures students aren't learning Jira, Slack, and Notion on the job.

20 Hours
7 Learning objectives
Apply Bloom's ceiling (?)
5 Competencies

Learning Objectives

Objectives

Depth
  • Navigate ticket/task management systems: create tasks, move through workflow columns, write meaningful updates, and participate in sprint ceremonies Apply
  • Manage team communication effectively: triage channels, thread conversations, set notification boundaries, and calibrate sync vs. async communication Apply
  • Use document collaboration tools for real-time and async teamwork: commenting, suggesting, version history, and permission management Apply
  • Build simple automations using no-code tools (Zapier/Make): configure triggers, actions, and multi-step flows connecting 2-3 services Apply
  • Read API documentation at a conceptual level: understand endpoints, authentication methods, request/response patterns, and common data formats (JSON, CSV) Understand
  • Evaluate and adopt a new SaaS tool within 2 hours: account setup, core workflow completion, and capability assessment for a stated need Apply
  • Manage credentials and access securely across 10+ tools using a password manager, understanding SSO and 2FA principles Apply

Levels: Remember · Understand · Apply · Analyze · Evaluate · Create — highest demands most original thinking.

What You'll Master

Task Management Systems

Jira/Linear/Asana proficiency, sprint board navigation, ticket lifecycle management.

Team Communication

Slack/Teams effectiveness, channel organization, async norms, notification management.

Document Collaboration

Notion/Confluence/Google Workspace workflows, real-time editing, version management.

No-Code Automation

Zapier/Make flow building, trigger-action logic, connecting services, basic API awareness.

Rapid Tool Adoption

Evaluating new tools against requirements, onboarding quickly, integrating into existing workflows.

What You'll Build

Workflow Automation — Student builds a working 3-step automation using Zapier or Make that connects real tools (e.g., form submission → Slack notification → spreadsheet logging), documents the setup process with screenshots, and writes a brief analysis of where this automation saves time vs. where it introduces fragility or maintenance burden.

Industry Tools, Not Toy Projects

Jira / Linear

Industry-standard task management and sprint board tools used across software and product teams.

Slack

Team communication platform for practicing channel management, threading, and async norms.

Notion / Google Workspace

Document collaboration platforms for real-time editing, commenting, and version management.

Zapier / Make

No-code automation platforms for building multi-step workflows connecting different services.

Postman

API exploration tool for understanding endpoints, authentication, and request/response patterns.

Prerequisites & What's Next

This Course Unlocks

  • Domain-specific courses in your chosen major

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