Version of the courseware: All
- How do I install GCSE English Online?
- How do I open the zip files (I'm on a PC)?
- How do I open the zip files (I'm on a Mac)?
- How do I open the zip files (I'm using a Linux based computer)?
- I want to re-do all the Learning Objects from scratch and get rid of any saved information in the course. How do I do this?
- I'm using GCSE English Online on a shared computer and some interactions are showing up completed. What's happening and how do I stop it?
- Where do I find information on how to use GCSE English Online?
- The text is too small for me to see clearly in GCSE English Online. How do I make it bigger?
- I don't like the colour scheme of GCSE English Online. How do I change it to something that I prefer more?
- I just want to look at the Interactive Learning Objects. How do I get to them in GCSE English Online?
- How do I quickly visit pages I've looked at before when I am in an interactive Learning Object?
- I've visited a page in an interactive Learning Object and I have come back to it but the video assistant isn't playing automatically. Is this normal? How do I play the video assistant again?
Version of the courseware: Internet
- What is the Flash Player?
- I've opened GCSE English Online in a browser and I can't see anything on the screen?
- I think I have Flash installed but I can't see anything on the screen. What is going on?
- Do certain adaptive technologies work better with Flash Player than others?
- I'm using Internet Explorer and I'm trying to open the help files. I hear a beep sound and nothing else happens. How do I see the help files?
Version of the courseware: Virtual Learning Environment
- How do I use GCSE English Online with my VLE?
- What is the best size to set a GCSE English Online Content Package to display in my VLE?
- I can't upload a GCSE English Online Content Package to my VLE. It says it is too big. How do I fix this?
Version of the courseware: CD-ROM
- I have GCSE English Online to use as a CD-ROM but I can't get it going. How do I view the courseware?
- When I download a resource from the Scheme of Work from the CD-ROM, my web browser opens. Is this normal?
How do I install GCSE English Online?
Version of the courseware: Internet
If you want to install GCSE English Online on a server for students or teachers to view, it is very simple.
Your web administrator should copy all of the files on the GCSE English Online CD-ROM to a folder on your web server. The course will run automatically. No additional installation is required.
Note: Even though Flash Player files are common, make sure that the following mime types are allowed to be delivered by your server:
- File Suffix: .swf - Mime Type: application/x-shockwave-flash
How do I open the zip files (I'm on a PC)?
Version of the courseware: All
ZIP files can be opened without installing any software on most modern versions of Windows (if you are using a Mac please refer to the question below).
But if the zip files you've downloaded from the course won't open, you may need to install a program to handle zip files such as WinZip. An evaluation copy of WinZip can be downloaded for free from http://www.winzip.com.
After you have installed WinZip, double click on a zip file to open it.
If, for any reason, you do not want to use WinZip, there are many other programs available on the internet which handle zip files. A good place to start looking is http://www.download.com.
How do I open the zip files (I'm on a Mac)?
Version of the courseware: All
ZIP files can be opened without installing any software on most modern versions of Mac OSX (if you are using Windows please refer to the question above).
But if the zip files you've downloaded from the course won't open, you may need to install a program to handle zip files such as StuffIt Expander. StuffIt Expander can be downloaded for free from http://www.stuffit.com/mac/index.html.
After you have installed StuffIt, double click on a zip file to open it.
If, for any reason, you do not want to use StuffIt Expander, there are many other programs available on the internet which handle zip files.
How do I open the zip files (I'm using a Linux based computer)?
Version of the courseware: All
A popular zip file solution on Linux is Info-ZIP. This can be downloaded from: http://www.info-zip.org/UnZip.html#Linux
I want to re-do all the Learning Objects from scratch and get rid of any saved information in the course. How do I do this?
Version of the courseware: All
You need to clear the information from your previous attempts at the Learning Objects. To do this, enter the courseware. When it has loaded, press the "Options" button to open the options menu. Then press the "Clear Cookies" button in the options menu. This will clear information from all of your previous attempts at all of the Learning Objects.
Important Note: If you do this, you will clear information about ALL of the Learning Objects you have viewed. Only use the "Clear Cookies" button if you are sure that you want to lose this information.
I'm using GCSE English Online on a shared computer and some interactions are showing up completed. What's happening and how do I stop it?
Version of the courseware: All
If you have never used GCSE English Online before but it is showing up that you have visited Learning Objects before and interactions are automatically completed when you enter them, it means that some one else has used the courseware on your computer.
To reset the course to allow you to start from the beginning, see the question "I want to re-do all the Learning Objects from scratch and get rid of any saved information in the course. How do I do this?" above.
Where do I find information on how to use GCSE English Online?
Version of the courseware: All
GCSE English Online has extensive help files aimed at helping you get the most out of the courseware. You can view the online version of the help files here.
The text is too small for me to see clearly in GCSE English Online. How do I make it bigger?
Version of the courseware: All
You can change the text size of the course easily. Go into a Learning Object. Then press the "Options" button to open the options menu. Press the "Screen Preferences" button. On the right hand side of the Screen Preferences window you will see 3 text size options: default, large and small. Choose the option which suits you and then close the Screen Preferences window by pressing the "Close" button. Your chosen text size will then be applied.
I don't like the colour scheme of GCSE English Online. How do I change it to something that I prefer more?
Version of the courseware: All
You can change the colour scheme of the course easily. Go into a Learning Object. Once you are in a Learning Object, press the "Options" button to open the options menu. Press the "Screen Preferences" button. Near the top of the Screen Preferences window you will see 8 colour boxes. These represent the different colour themes: blue = default, black = inverted, white = high contrast, yellow = yellow background with blue text, green = green background with black text, purple = purple background with black text, pink = pink borders and orange = orange borders. Choose the option which suits you and then close the Screen Preferences window by pressing the "Close" button. Your chosen colour will then be applied.
I just want to look at the Interactive Learning Objects. How do I get to them in GCSE English Online?
Version of the courseware: All
Open the course menu and choose the option "Interactive Learning Object Suite" on the first page you come to. This will take you to a Level Menu. Choose Higher or Foundation and you will see a list of the subject areas covered by the interactive Learning Objects.
How do I quickly visit pages I've looked at before when I am in an interactive Learning Object?
Version of the courseware: All
The triangular pointer above the progress bar which shows you the current page you are on can be dragged. When you drag it, a small box will appear above it which will tells you the page you will go to when you release the pointer.
You will only be able to go to pages you have visited before using this method of navigation.
I've visited a page in an interactive Learning Object and I have come back to it but the video assistant isn't playing automatically. Is this normal? How do I play the video assistant again?
Version of the courseware: All
The video assistant is designed to only play automatically on your first visit to a page. After you have visited a page once, the video assistant will only play if you activate it.
To play the video assistant, click the "Open Assistant" button when it is available on a page. The video assistant will play automatically once it has been opened like this.
What is the Flash Player?
Version of the courseware: Internet
Flash is a rich multimedia technology, which allows delivery of engaging learning content, including sound, animations and video.
Version 7 of the Flash player has a 95.1% market penetration rate across Europe making it an almost ubiquitous technology for delivering multimedia content. Flash will be bundled as standard with the new version of Windows which will be released in 2006, making it the global standard for multimedia on the internet.
I've opened GCSE English Online in a browser and I can't see anything on the screen?
Version of the courseware: Internet
It is likely that you do not have Flash Player 7 or above installed. You can install it here:
- Flash Player for Windows 98, XP and Vista / Mac OSX and above (this link will open in a new browser window)
- Flash Player for Internet Explorer for Windows NT/95
- Flash Player for Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox for Windows NT/95
- Flash Player for Mac OS9.2 and below
- Flash Player for Linux (x86) (this link will open in a new browser window)
If you have installed a valid version of Flash Player but still cannot see the courseware, please contact us at gcsesupport@cdsm.co.uk.
I think I have Flash installed but I can't see anything on the screen. What is going on?
Version of the courseware: Internet
It is likely that you have an old version of Flash Player installed. GCSE English Online needs Flash Player 7 or above to work correctly. See the question above for details on how to install Flash Player.
If you have installed a valid version of Flash Player but still cannot see the courseware, please contact us at gcsesupport@cdsm.co.uk.
Do certain adaptive technologies work better with Flash Player than others?
Version of the courseware: Internet
The 4 main screen readers: JAWS, Windows Eyes, Hal and IBM Desktop Reader all support Flash Player.
In our testing with disabled users and these different adaptive technologies, we have found that some screen readers work better than others.
We recommend you use JAWS or IBM Desktop Reader with GCSE English Online to reliably access the content. Windows Eyes works well with the course but may struggle to update the content if your computer is not very powerful.
I'm using Internet Explorer and I'm trying to open the help files. I hear a beep sound and nothing else happens. How do I see the help files?
Version of the courseware: Internet
Note: This answer only applies to using the courseware on Internet Explorer. Please ignore this answer if you are using any other browser to view it.
The help files open in the pop-up window. Some versions of Internet Explorer may block the help files from opening. The best way to fix this is to go to "Tools" in the top menu of Internet Explorer. In the "Tools" menu, choose "Pop-up Blocker", then "Turn Off Pop-up Blocker". You will need to close Internet Explorer and then open it up again to let this change take effect.
You will now be able to open the help files.
How do I use GCSE English Online with my VLE?
Version of the courseware: Virtual Learning Environment
If you have the VLE version of the course, there will be a series of ZIP files on the CD-ROM provided by CDSM. These zip files are the individual SCORM content packages which make up the different interactive learning objects.
How to install these SCOs will differ depending on which VLE you are using. Here are some links to support sections for popular VLEs:
- Moodle - http://moodle.org/course/view.php?id=5
- Blackboard - http://www.blackboard.com/support/
- Digital Brain - http://corporate.digitalbrain.com/
- Learnwise - http://www.learnwise.com/
What is the best size to set a GCSE English Online Content Package to display in my VLE?
Version of the courseware: Virtual Learning Environment
A GCSE English Online Content Package is best set to display in a VLE at a width of 760 and a height of 550. You can experiment with the sizes though to find a display size that you feel fits best in your VLE.
I can't upload a GCSE English Online Content Package to my VLE. It says it is too big. How do I fix this?
Version of the courseware: Virtual Learning Environment
Some Virtual Learning Environments have a restriction on the size of Content Packages you are allowed to upload to them. You will need to get your administrator to adjust the settings of your VLE to allow Content Packages of up to 100 megabytes. How to do this will depend on your VLE.
I have GCSE English Online to use as a CD-ROM but I can't get it going. How do I view the courseware?
Version of the courseware: CD-ROM
If you are using a PC:
If the courseware is not playing automatically when you insert your CD-ROM, browse to the CD-ROM on your computer using Windows Explorer. Double click the "GCSE_English.exe" file to run the courseware.
If you are using an Apple Mac:
If you are using an Apple Mac, the courseware will not play automatically when you insert the disk. To run the courseware, browse to the CD-ROM in the Finder. Double click the "GCSE_English" file to run the courseware.
Note: If you are running the course from CD-ROM, you can also copy it to your computer and run it locally to save inserting and re-inserting the CD every time you want to view the course.
To do this copy all of the contents of the CD-ROM to a folder on your computer. Still use the file "GCSE_English.exe" to start the courseware. You will need approximately 450MB of free hard drive space to store GCSE English Online on your computer.
When I download a resource from the Scheme of Work from the CD-ROM, my web browser opens. Is this normal?
Version of the courseware: CD-ROM
Yes, this is normal. On some operating systems (usually Apple Mac), the CD-ROM version needs to open a web browser to download the resource you want from disk.
When you have finished downloading the resources you need. Close the web browser to return to the courseware.
