Scripting and automation for IT and business: Shell, powershell, bash and VBA

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 8 details that are specific to your organisation.

Length
40 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At onboarding of operations staff
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Reading and filtering text
What would you do?

You need the lines containing "ERROR" with a count

Try it: this is one of 15 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 40 minutes
  • Sorting activity, scenario, timeline, accordion and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, poll, ranking, word cloud slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 343.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
SO 343.1Use variables, conditions and loops in a shell script and predict the resultBest practiceWhole course
SO 343.2Filter and read text safely with common command-line toolsBest practiceWhole course
SO 343.3Write spreadsheet macros that do not surprise the next user + your infoOrganisation's macro and end-user computing controls [check before build]Whole course
SO 343.4Schedule a script with logging and safe defaultsBest practiceWhole course
SO 343.5Review a script for risky commands before it runs + your infoOrganisation's change rulesWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 8 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 40 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

A script that deleted the wrong folder

3 pages

8 min
Before you beginNoteList
The clean-upTextImage
What went wrongTimelineQuiz
2

Variables, conditions and loops in a shell

3 pages

8 min
Building blocksAccordion
Predict the outputSorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Reading and filtering text

2 pages

5 min
Filters in a pipelineProcess
Which tool?ScenarioQuiz
4

Spreadsheet macros without surprises

3 pages

7 min
Macro habitsChecklist
The overwritten totalScenarioQuiz
ControlsNoteYour info
5

Scheduling, logging and safe defaults

3 pages

7 min
Safe defaultsTabs
Rank the riskSorting activity
CheckMulti-select quiz
6

Code review of a script and final assessment

2 pages

5 min
The reviewer's checklistChecklistYour infoKey fact
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "bring a script you rely on
PollHow are your scripts reviewed before they run?
QuizSafest first step before a destructive command? (Dry run or listing ✔ · Run as administrator · Run twice · Skip logs)
Content · customiseSafe defaults and the review checklist {{CHANGE_MANAGEMENT_POLICY_LINK}}
RankingRank these commands by risk: list files, copy files, move files, delete by variable, overwrite config
QuizA macro writes to a fixed cell that moved. Fix? (Named range ✔)
Word cloudThe scariest command you have typed
ScaleHow confident are you reviewing a colleague's script?
Q&AAsk the trainer anything
Content · customiseClosing {{HELP_CONTACT}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Confidence in shell basics · text filtering · macros · scheduling · script review grid
  6. Where do your scripts and macros live? multiple choice
  7. Which script or macro would worry you if it failed? short text
  8. I can say ‘I would not run this yet’ without feeling judged. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the end-user computing rules and change route? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

8 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Link to the organisation policy referred to in the course{{POLICY_LINK}}
  • Link to the change management policy{{CHANGE_MANAGEMENT_POLICY_LINK}}
  • Where completion is recorded{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Link to the post-course and 30-day survey{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Who to ask for help or to report a concern{{HELP_CONTACT}}
  • Link to the self-paced course{{COURSE_URL}}
Show all 8 fields
  • List of approved tools and versions{{APPROVED_TOOLS}}
  • Link to the baseline survey{{SURVEY_1_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run scripting and automation for IT and business: Shell, powershell, bash and VBA training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At onboarding of operations staff, and before shared scripts or macros are put under review.

Who needs this training?

Sysadmins, IT operations and DevOps staff, and finance analysts who automate with macros; run by IT operations leads with L&D.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.