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About Isoph's Online Courses

These FAQ responses were provided to you to assist you in answering your questions.  Please review the information below as often times the resolution to an issue will be available.

In addtion, if you are a registered user, you will be able to login to the Help Request Form should the below FAQ responses not resolve your issue. 

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about Isoph's online courses:

How much do courses cost? Are discounts available?
Our pricing gives one learner unlimited anytime, anywhere access to all the courses in the purchased suite for an entire year. Most of our course suites are only $30, with some technical course suites priced at $60.  However, N-TEN members will receive a 15% percent discount on all course registration fees. More information about pricing and availability is available at
www.nten.org/discounts.

What type of computer and software do I need to access your courses?
You can take any of our courses on computers running Windows, Macintosh, or Linux. You need only an Internet-connected computer and Web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape versions 4.0 or higher). Please read our technical information below if you would like additional details.

Do I need high-speed Internet access?
No. Our courses are specifically designed to be accessible for dial-up Internet connections at speeds as low as 28.8k. No downloading of course files is required before, during, or after a course is taken by an online user. This keeps local hard drives free of unnecessary files.

I'm relatively new to the Internet -- can I use online learning?
Yes.  We design our courses to be interactive and user-friendly. If you can use Yahoo, Amazon, or eBay, then you can take one of our online courses.

When do courses start? Can I go back and review lessons?
Each learner has a full year from the date of purchase to access the online course. Courses are designed so that you can progress at your own pace -- take a course all at once or a few lessons at a time. Since the courses are entirely Internet-based, you can access your courses from work, home, or any other Internet-connected computer. During the year, you can go back and review lessons as much as you'd like.

How do I learn?
Courses take advantage of the Web's interactive possibilities, allowing users to utilize multiple learning styles, including simulations, visual representations, hands-on exercises, and quizzes. These interactive elements allow learners to explore concepts in a fun and engaging manner. In addition, skill assessments allow you to test your knowledge and get the most from your learning time.

Technical and Help Information

The Institute's course interface is intended to be as intuitive as possible. Chances are you will have no problem simply diving into your online learning experience. But, just in case, some basic troubleshooting and overview information is provided here:

  • Required Browser Settings
  • Special Components
  • Logging In
  • Course Menu ("My Courses")
  • General Information and Procedures
  • Descriptions of Course Menu Items
  • Logging Out
  • Course Menu
  • Courses and Lessons
  • Taking a Lesson

    Required Browser Settings
    The following browser settings are required for the Isoph interface to function properly. If you are encountering trouble, check to be certain that your browser is set up to meet the following requirements:

    Browsers
    We supported Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers. Although other browsers may work, Isoph does not provide support for them.

    Cookies
    Your browser must be set to accept cookies. Isoph uses cookies to maintain a logged on session for you between requests. If your browser does not accept the session cookie, the Isoph learning community system will continually prompt you to log on. See your browser help for information on setting cookie options.

    Javascripting
    Your browser must accept scripting and support javascript. Javascript is used to open new windows for courses and lessons and is also used in the navigation buttons. Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers meet this requirement.

    Frames
    Your browser must support frames. A frameset is used to separate the header, navigation, and content areas in the Isoph Institute. Netscape 4.0 and higher browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher browsers meet this requirement.

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    Special Components
    No special components (such as Java applets) are used on the standard Isoph pages at this time. To take full advantage of simulations within the courses, you will need to have Flash Player 5 or higher. Go to the Macromedia Web site at
    http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash, and follow the posted instructions for downloading and installing the software.

    To make sure that the simulations play properly, ActiveX must be enabled. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools, and select Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and then the Custom Level button. The only settings that should be disabled are Download unsigned ActiveX controls and Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked safe for scripting. Everything else should be enabled.

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    Logging In
    In order to control access to courses, learner information, and the discussion features, certain areas of the Isoph environment require that the user be logged in.

    If you try to access certain restricted areas of the Institute, your will be directed to a log-in form. You must supply a valid log-in and password before you will be able to access the restricted areas.

    You may also have to log in again if your session has timed out. After a period of time in which no requests are received from you, the server will delete your session. This is done in order to recover server resources in case of abandoned sessions (sessions not logged out properly). The default timeout period is 20 minutes. You should simply log in again.

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    Course Menu ("My Courses")
    The learner menu page is personalized just for you. Your name should appear in the title line of the page. If it does not, please contact Isoph at
    support@isoph.com before starting any courses. This ensures that you will get credit for any course work you do.

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    General Information and Procedures
    We've made the learner interface as intuitive to use as possible. You can use this interface to view your courses, launch lessons, and track your progress. You can also engage in threaded discussions, chat, attend online conferences, take part in surveys and polls, and browse our list of online resources.

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    Descriptions of Course Menu Items
    From the course menu, you can view the full description of a suite of course by clicking the "View the full description" link beneath each title. To return to the course menu, click your browser's Back button.

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    Logging Out
    It is important to log out when you finish a session with your online courses. Just closing your browser does not close your session. Your session continues to use server resources until the session times out. More importantly, if you don't log out properly, we may not have an accurate record of the work you've done.

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    The Course Menu



    A basic course menu looks similar to this. There are three parts to the listing of suite of courses:

    1. Suite Name: The name of the suite marks the beginning of each entry on the course menu page.
    2. Launch Link: Clicking on the text "Launch courses" will open the lesson menu from which learners can choose a lesson to launch from within the selected suite.
    3. Description Link: Clicking on the text "View the full description" will open a description of the selected suite.

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    Courses and Lessons
    A course is made up of one or more lessons that contain the actual material you are to learn. Sometimes these lessons are grouped into series the way chapters in a book may be grouped into units. When you click on the name of a suite from the main menu, you will see a menu of the series and the lessons that make up that suite.

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    Taking a Lesson
    From the pop-up lesson menu, select a lesson. Lesson Menu
    Click on the plus sign to the left of a series name or on a series name (such as Business Communications) to expand the view and see the lessons contained in that series. To launch a lesson, simply click on a lesson name (such as Business Communication: Documentation).

    Note: If a lesson is not ready to launch, you will see an error message instead of the lesson launch window. If this happens, log out, and close your browser. Restart your browser, and try again. If you still cannot start the lesson, contact Isoph at support@isoph.com.

    The lesson will launch in a separate window. Proceed through the lesson according to its instructions. When you finish the lesson, click the x in the upper right-hand corner of the window to close the window.

    If you exit a course by using the exit button, the Isoph learning community system will bookmark your location so you can start at that point the next time you launch the lesson.

    Note: Be sure to either finish the lesson or use the lesson's standard exit method. Do not simply close your browser. If you do, we will not be able to accurate record the work you have already done.

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    Have questions? Email -holly@nten.org
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