TECH LAB SYSTEM

Installation and User's Guide Version 7.X

Ê>C*Æ4E0Ä$#mË
3035104E00403
35104-E0 Edition 2
 SECOND EDITION

First Printing, March 2004

Copyright 2003 Lab-Volt Systems, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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ISBN 0-86657-368-2

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THIS
 System Administrator’s Shared Resource
Configuration Instructions for TechLab 7.x

The TechLab system includes system software and courseware that runs under
Microsoft Windows, as well as interfaced hardware systems, industrial grade
equipment, and other materials as appropriate for the courseware.

When configured for client/server operation the TechLab system requires two shared
resources that should be set up in accordance with the following:

Both resources shall be shared read/write until all needed courseware is loaded.
The computer name for the resources shall be no more then 14 alphanumeric
characters.
The actual folders to be shared shall have a name no more than 8 alphanumeric
characters in length.
Folder names and computer names shall not contain spaces or special characters.
The Data resource should be a hidden share.
The System resource should be changed to "read only" after all courseware is
installed.

To facilitate the installation of the TechLab system on individual workstations by

someone other than the system administrator please print the resource information in
the spaces below and provide this sheet to the installer.

TechLab System:
Computer Name Resource Name

TechLab Data:
Computer Name Resource Name

Installer: Use these resource names when installing The TechLab system on a
workstation. Keep this sheet in a secured location away from students. Please notify the
system administrator when all desired courseware is loaded into The TechLab system
so they may adjust resource permissions.

i
THIS

ii
 Foreword

In conjunction with Lab-Volt's various product lines, TechLab provides hands-on

instruction in a wide range of topics from everyday life skills and career preparation to
science and technology.

The TechLab system includes system software and courseware that run under
Microsoft Windows, as well as interfaced hardware items, industrial grade equipment,
and other materials as appropriate for the course.

Each course follows a carefully designed instructional program. Students become

familiar with all aspects of the subject matter. Students demonstrate mastery of course
objectives through a series of computer-administered quizzes and tests as well as with
real time lab experiments and demonstrations.

The TechLab system includes utilities that allow the instructor to configure the system
and set options for the courseware. The optional TechLab management system,
GradePoint 2020, includes utilities that allow the instructor to manage students,
organize student rotations, monitor student activity, and create user-defined and
customized courseware.

The TechLab system can be run on stand-alone workstations or over a network. This
manual provides complete instructions for installing, configuring, and using the system.

The person doing the installation should have experience installing and configuring
software on a personal computer running under Windows 98, NT, ME, or 2000. If
TechLab is to be run over a local area network (LAN), the installer should have
knowledge of how a LAN operates or access to the person that installed the LAN. The
installation will go smoothly if you read this guide before starting the installation,
carefully following the installation steps herein.

The first step in installing the TechLab system is to set up and connect the computers
and arrange the workstations that will make up the technology lab. If TechLab is to run
over the network, you should first be sure that the LAN is functioning correctly. You may
wish to clear as much hard drive space as possible on stand-alone workstations.

iii
Chapter Two: Installation provides information on TechLab configurations, sharing
resources, and network filenames. This is followed by detailed instructions for installing
TechLab in the client/server configuration and for installing the stand-alone
configuration. Please read this section carefully, even if you are familiar with prior
versions of TechLab, as the installation procedures may vary.

Chapter Three: Getting Started and Chapter Four: Configuration Options provide
information on configuring TechLab options and settings. This information is also
available as online help in the Configurator.

The remaining sections of this manual include a glossary and instructions for
uninstalling TechLab.

iv
 Table of Contents

Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1
The TechLab System.................................................................................................. 1
Configuration Versions................................................................................................ 1
Client/Server Configuration..................................................................................... 2
Stand-Alone Configuration...................................................................................... 2
TechLab Suite............................................................................................................. 3
TechLab System..................................................................................................... 3
The Configurator..................................................................................................... 3
TechLab Courseware ............................................................................................. 4
GradePoint 2020..................................................................................................... 4
Student Journal ...................................................................................................... 4
NetOp ..................................................................................................................... 5
Text-to-Speech ....................................................................................................... 5
Third Party Products ............................................................................................... 5
Installation ..................................................................................................................... 7
Quick Start .................................................................................................................. 7
Installing the Stand Alone Configuration ..................................................................... 9
Installing the Client/Server Configuration .................................................................. 13
Peer-to-Peer Server Setup ................................................................................... 13
Windows NT Server Setup and Windows 2000 Server......................................... 15
NetWare Network Server Setup ........................................................................... 17
Installing TechLab System Files ........................................................................... 18
Getting Started with TechLab .................................................................................... 23
Configuring TechLab................................................................................................. 23
Profiles, Labs, and Exceptions.................................................................................. 23
Adding Students........................................................................................................ 25
Creating a Student Data File ................................................................................ 26
Importing Student Records ................................................................................... 26
Create .TXT File of Student Records.................................................................... 27
Installing Courseware ............................................................................................... 30
Resources, Launches, and Associated Applications................................................. 32
Associated Applications........................................................................................ 32
TechLab Launches ............................................................................................... 32
TechLab Resources.............................................................................................. 35
Security Settings ....................................................................................................... 36
Default Language Selection ...................................................................................... 36

v
 Create Workgroups................................................................................................... 38
Configuration Options for TechLab........................................................................... 39
Profiles ...................................................................................................................... 40
Configurator Modes .................................................................................................. 43
Associated Applications ............................................................................................ 45
Base Unit .................................................................................................................. 46
Courseware............................................................................................................... 47
Loading TechLab Courseware:............................................................................. 47
Relating Courseware & Evaluations: .................................................................... 49
Media ........................................................................................................................ 49
Security ..................................................................................................................... 54
Student ..................................................................................................................... 56
TechLab Launches ................................................................................................... 58
TechLab Resources.................................................................................................. 61
Test........................................................................................................................... 67
Workbook.................................................................................................................. 69
Unit ........................................................................................................................... 70
Uninstall Instructions.................................................................................................. 73
Uninstalling Tech-Lab ............................................................................................... 73
NetOp Student .......................................................................................................... 75
NetOp Teacher ......................................................................................................... 77
Glossary....................................................................................................................... 79

vi
TechLab System Overview

OVERVIEW
This User Guide provides the information needed to install and configure TechLab in the
Windows networking and Novell NetWare environments. It also gives an example of
installing GradePoint 2020 and setting up NetOp Teacher and Student. The last section
of the guide provides comprehensive information about NetOp School.

The TechLab System

TechLab is a system for administering Lab-Volt courseware. TechLab can manage
software from multiple lines (such as F.A.C.E.T., Tech-World, Tech-Design, Tech-Life,
and Information Technology) concurrently on the LAN.

The Tech-Lab System provides system utilities and configuration software with the
runtime on one CD-ROM. The TechLab runtime must be installed on each workstation.

Lab-Volt courseware does not have to be installed on each workstation. TechLab

workstations can now access courseware across the network, although some third-party
products may need to be installed at individual workstations.

TechLab has an optional management system, GradePoint 2020. This management

system can be used to enable scheduling, developing and printing reports, customizing
tests, and tracking competencies. GradePoint 2020 is distributed on its own CD-ROM.

Configuration Versions
TechLab can be installed in two different configurations. If your technology lab contains
networked computers, installing TechLab to a server to share programs, media, data,
and courseware across that network is likely your best choice. If your technology lab
doesn't have a network, you will need to install TechLab as a stand-alone product.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 1

TechLab System Overview

Client/Server Configuration
This configuration greatly frees up the amount of hard drive space needed on a
workstation to operate as part of a TechLab system. Courseware data, programs and
media files instead reside in one centralized location elsewhere on the lab network.

Installing TechLab in this configuration requires the installer to have basic knowledge of
how a Local Area Network (LAN) operates, or have access to a person who does. The
person doing the installation should be logged in as an Administrator. Failing that, the
installer's profile should at least allow him or her to create shares and install programs
with full read/write access.

• Designate a PC on the network as the TechLab server. This is a PC that is

operational throughout the class day. Ideally, this computer will have the most
contiguous free hard drive space of any machine in the lab. If its name contains
spaces or special characters, it will need to be renamed for use as the server. This
document and other materials may refer to the TechLab server as LVTServer.
• Use the default names for the installation. Using the default names simplifies the
installation at student workstations and possible technical support calls. The default
share name of the data folder is R3QB8AIG$. The default share name of the
systems folder is TLSystem.
• Every workstation in a client/server configuration must have full read/write access to
the TLData and TLSystem folders or the system will not work. Once all courseware
has been installed, the system directory should be made "read only."
• Install Net-Op if GradePoint 2020 will also be installed on this network.

Stand-Alone Configuration
This configuration places all TechLab programs, courseware data, and associated
media files on a single workstation. If there is no network available, then this is the
configuration that must be used.

Installing TechLab in this configuration requires only a profile with permission to add
programs to the workstation.

• There should be substantial free space on the hard drive on the workstation PC.
• There is no need to create shared folders for this configuration. The installer will
create all the folders needed. There is no need to rename stand-alone workstations.
• NetOp may be installed to a stand-alone machine but unless there is a network
connection there will be no benefit derived from NetOp on such a machine.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 2

TechLab System Overview

TechLab Suite
The TechLab system is actually a collection of hardware, software programs, and online
features designed to interact with and instruct students in a computer and/or laboratory
setting. TechLab requires a PC running Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP at each
workstation. A 9-pin serial port, or 9-pin-to-25-pin adapter, is required for any TechLab
course that uses a base unit.

Laboratory instrumentation and other associated hands-on products vary from course to
course, as well as from product line to product line. Please refer to the manuals
accompanying each course and/or item for the particulars.

This manual's focus is the installation and use of the software that unite the following
components into the TechLab system.

Required components:
• TechLab system software
• TechLab Courseware

Tools for the instructor:

• GradePoint 2020
• NetOp School (remote control software)

The above programs are described in this section. In addition, there are a number of
third-party applications that some TechLab courseware titles may include to further
enhance the student's educational experience.

TechLab System
TechLab system is the underlying program that manages the execution of TechLab and
User-Defined courseware lessons. It also takes care of accessing and saving student
data.

The Configurator
The Configurator is TechLab's utilities program. Instructors use this password-protected
program to configure and customize the system with multiple profiles of preset TechLab
preferences for lab and/or workstation settings. Student data files are also first created
with this program.

The Configurator is installed automatically with TechLab.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 3

TechLab System Overview

TechLab Courseware
The lessons and hands-on experiments are contained in TechLab courseware. The
individual courses are installed to the TechLab server and assigned to workstations in
the Configurator.

GradePoint 2020
GradePoint 2020 is the management software for TechLab. The instructor can use
GradePoint 2020 to collect, grade, and organize student data, as well as generate
reports based on that student data. GradePoint 2020 should only be installed on an
instructor workstation where students cannot access the program, even though it is
password protected.

GradePoint 2020 contains an electronic grade book for each class that allows for the
tracking of assignments beyond the grades generated within the TechLab system. It has
a convenient feature that allows grades from the technology labs to be updated
automatically on demand. GradePoint 2020 also contains an editor that allows the
instructor to create and customize courseware, tests, and evaluations.

Additionally, GradePoint 2020 offers instructors the ability to schedule rotations, to track
student grades and TechLab activities, and to access supporting programs such as
Student Journal, Net-Op, and the Configurator.

Student Journal
Student Journal is an onscreen notebook that each student can access while they are
logged into TechLab. Student Journal allows students to share notes with other
students in their workgroups. Student Journal does not function across the Internet and
it does not act as a messaging program. However, when it is used on a network,
students may access their Student Journal from any active TechLab workstation they
log into.

When Student Journal is used in conjunction with GradePoint 2020, the instructor may
post messages to Student Journals. The instructor may also review, edit, or delete any
Student Journal note.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 4

TechLab System Overview

NetOp
In labs equipped with GradePoint 2020, NetOp School allows instructors to monitor
student workstation activity across the LAN. NetOp shows the instructor exactly what
students at target workstations currently see on their monitors. The instructor can
override a workstation’s mouse and keyboard and use them to shut down or start up
programs on the workstation PC from the instructor's computer.

Text-to-Speech
Text-to-Speech is an optional program that allows students to hear the text of TechLab
courseware. Text-to-Speech does not function with pre-tests, posttests, or evaluations.

Third Party Products

Many Lab-Volt courses come bundled with third-party software products that can be
launched from within the TechLab system at the appropriate points in each course.
Some of these provide additional learning content and simulation activities. Others are
tools like professional design software, the knowledge of which can put students at a
competitive advantage as they enter the workforce.

Instructors can also enrich students' studies with additional programs of their own
choosing. Almost any software program can be incorporated into the TechLab
environment via the Launch and the Resource features of most TechLab modules.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 5

TechLab System Overview

THIS

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 6

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

INSTALLATION

TechLab can be installed in one of two different configurations. If your technology lab
contains networked computers, installing TechLab to a server to share programs,
media, data, and courseware across that network is likely your best choice. If your
technology lab does not contain networked computers, you will need to install TechLab
as a stand-alone product.

If your school has a "System Administrator Only" access policy to the school's server,
you may wish to make use of the "System Administrator’s Shared Resource
Configuration Instructions for TechLab 7.0x" tear-out in the beginning of this manual.
Simply give this tear-out to your System Administrator and ask him/her to create the
folders listed on it so that all workstations can access the server and folders across the
local area network (LAN).

Quick Start
This section assumes whoever is installing the TechLab system is both familiar and
comfortable with the network environment of the lab or school. Detailed step-by-step
instructions can be found in the subsections immediately following the Quick Start
instructions. This section provides an overview of the process.

The person installing TechLab should log in as "Administrator" or as a "User" with full
read and write permissions.

If installing the Client-Server configuration of TechLab, first prepare the network and the
TechLab server before running setup.exe from the TechLab CD-ROM. Use of the
default names is not required; however, the installation process will be easier if they are
used. The default names are:

• Data resource on the server shared as "R3QB8AIG$"

• System resource on the server shared as "TLSystem."

A Stand-Alone configuration does not require shared resources.

If the shares are given names other than the defaults, be sure to write down the
names chosen. These names will be required during the process of installing TechLab
on the server.

The server name cannot be longer than 14 alphanumeric characters and the folder
names cannot be longer than eight alphanumeric characters. Neither server nor folder
names can contain spaces. If the folders are not shared properly, you will not be able to
install TechLab across the network to any TechLab workstation.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 7

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

Insert the TechLab Setup CD-ROM in the server's CD-ROM drive and run setup.exe
from the disc. The install will ask you for the configuration of TechLab you want to
install: Stand Alone or Client/Server.

Stand Alone Installation

If a Stand Alone installation is selected, the setup program will ask for the destination
folder. By default, the destination folder for the Stand Alone configuration installs to a
folder named "TLStand." Once you accept the folder name, the setup program will
confirm your selection and install TechLab to the workstation.

TechLab provides a two-step installation process that frees up the CD-ROM quickly so
that you can move to another workstation and start another Stand Alone installation
while the current installation is completed.

Once the Stand Alone version of TechLab is installed, you will need to go to the desktop
and double click the TechLab icon. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue. This
program will ask if you wish to install NetOp and/or Text-to-Speech at this time. Note:
Without a network, NetOp provides no benefit to the instructor and should not be
installed.

Your system may need to restart during this process. If so, you will have the choice of
entering your username and password now or waiting until the computer requests them.
If you wish to enter the information now, select the Automatic Login button and enter
your username and password in the appropriate fields.

If you select Manual, you will have to provide your username and password if the
installation process requires a system restart.

Client/Server (Network) Installation

If you select the Client/Server configuration, the install will ask for the destination folder
of the server side of TechLab. By default, the destination folder for the Client/Server
configuration installation is named "TLSystem." If this is not the name on the server,
enter the name of the folder you created earlier. Next, the install will ask for the name of
the pre-created and shared data folder and the name of the computer it resides on.
Select the default names if those were used, otherwise, enter the share name of the
data folder and the name of the TechLab server.

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TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

Once setup has finished installing the basic components to the TechLab server, The
TechLab system can be installed to each TechLab workstation. At each workstation,
browse to the networked TechLab server. (If it is not possible to browse to the
TLSystem folder, then the folder has not been shared properly.) Within the "TLSystem"
folder, you will find the TechLab.exe. Double-click on it to launch the Client side portion
of TechLab system.

The Client installation program offers the choice of installing NetOp and/or Text-to-
Speech at this time. If TechLab isn't to be used in conjunction with GradePoint 2020,
NetOp provides no benefit and should not be installed.

Your system may need to restart during this process. If so, you will have the choice of
entering your username and password now or waiting until the computer requests them.
If you wish to enter the information now, select the Automatic Login button and enter
your username and password in the appropriate fields. If you select Manual, you will
have to provide your username and password if the installation process requires a
system restart.

You may run the Client side installation program across the network to multiple
workstations at the same time. When the installation process is finished, the TechLab
icon will appear on the desktop of the PC.

NOTE: Do not allow anyone to install or run a TechLab

course while any workstation is installing TechLab.

Installing the Stand Alone Configuration

This configuration is useful in labs without a local area network. The installation is
divided into two stages. The first stage requires the TechLab CD-ROM to be in the CD-
ROM drive. The second stage does not require the CD, so it is possible to proceed to
the next workstation, thus saving time.

1. Insert the TechLab CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the workstation. With the
Stand Alone configuration, there is no need to create shared resources in
advance. Run setup.exe from the CD.
2. The Lab-Volt Installer's Welcome window will appear on your screen so that you
may confirm the version you are installing.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 9

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

3. The License Agreement for TechLab

will appear. If you do not accept the
agreement, this program will close and
TechLab will not be installed on your
machine. Read and accept the
agreement before clicking on the Next
button.

4. The Information window will appear.

Read the release notes for any
updated information or conditions that
do not appear in this manual. Click on
the Next button.

5. The Select Installation Type window

appears. Select the Stand Alone
Operation option. Click the Next
button.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 10

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

6. The Choose Destination window

appears. By default, the Stand Alone
configuration will attempt to install to
the "TLStand" folder (creating it if
needed). If you wish to install
TechLab to another folder, click on
the Browse button. This will open the
Select Target Destination window
where you can browse to an existing
folder or create a new folder for
TechLab by clicking on the New
Folder button. Once you have
chosen the destination for TechLab,
click on the Next button.

7. A Confirmation window will appear confirming that this is a Stand Alone install
and that it is going to be installed to the specified folder. If any information is
incorrect, click on the Back button. Otherwise click on the Next button.

8. The system and data files will now be installed onto this workstation. When this
initial process is finished, you may click on the Finish button. A TechLab icon
should appear on the desktop. The CD-ROM may be removed from the computer
at this time so that the install process may be started on another workstation.
You are now ready to begin the second stage of the install: integration of
systems and third party products.

9. Click on the TechLab icon. Note: If the

TechLab icon is not present, open
Windows Explorer, browse to the folder
where you just installed TechLab (in
most cases this will be named TLStand).
Open the "TLSystem" folder, which will
contain TechLab.exe. Run this program.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 11

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

10. The TechLab Installation

Options window will
appear. Under the section,
Logon Options, select
either Automatic or
Manual Logon. Your
system may need to restart
during this process. If so,
you will have the choice of
entering your username
and password now or
waiting until the computer requests them. If you wish to enter the information
now, select the Automatic Login button and enter your username and password
in the appropriate fields. If you select Manual, you will have to provide your
username and password if the installation process requires a system restart.

11. In the TechLab Setup Options section of this window, you may choose to install
NetOp and/or Text-to-Speech. Without a LAN, NetOp provides no benefit and
should not be installed. Click on the OK button.

12. You will be warned that Internet Explorer 5.5 will be installed if the install does
not find Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher already installed on this machine. Click on
the Yes button to continue.

13. Workstation installation begins. Depending on your selections, the installer may
need to restart the machine once or twice. Once the installer is finished, you may
open the Configurator and customize this workstation's settings.

Installation and User's Guide V 7.X 12

TechLab System Chapter Two: Installation

Installing the Client/Server Configuration

The TechLab installation process at the server is the same for Windows networking and
Netware environments. The only difference is the method of server setup. Select the
server setup that applies to your environment from the next three sections. Once the
resource folder has been created on the server and shared, install the server side
systems and then you'll begin the student workstation installations.

Peer-to-Peer Server Setup

In a Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Network, any computer can be the TechLab server. Usually
the instructor workstation is selected as the server. Ideally the server should be the PC
with the largest amount of contiguous hard drive space on the network. Note the
computer name; it will be needed during the install process.

Under Windows XP,

1. Click the Start button

2. Mouse up to “My Network Places.” Right-click on it to bring up a contextual
menu.
3. In the contextual menu, choose “Properties.” This will cause a “Network
Connections” window to open.
4. In the Network Connections window, click on the Advanced menu. Choose
“Network Identification…”.
5. A System Properties dialog will appear. Look in the Computer Name to see what
the computer’s name currently is. The name cannot have more than 14
alphanumeric characters (no spaces or special characters) or TechLab will not
function properly. Click the “Change…” button to alter the name if needed and
click OK to return to the desktop.

Under Windows 98, Me, NT 4 or 2000,

1. From the desktop, right-click on Network Neighborhood and select Properties.

2. A Network window appears with tabs. Click on the Identification tab.
3. Note the name in the Computer Name: box. The name cannot have more than 14
alphanumeric characters (no spaces or special characters) or TechLab will not
function properly. Alter the name if needed and click OK to return to the desktop.
4. For Windows 2000 the information is under the "Network Identification" tab.

Create a folder on the TechLab server and share it as R3QB8AIG$.

NOTE: The names of the folder and the Share Name

are your choices. However, if you use the default data Share
Name (R3QB8AIG$) you can accept the default Resource
during installation of TechLab on the student workstations.

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The folder name on the server can be a maximum

of eight alphanumeric characters (no spaces or
special characters).

1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C: drive

(your hard drive). Click on the File menu, select
New, and click on Folder. Type the folder name
TLData and press Enter.
2. To create a shared resource, right-click on the
folder icon and then select Properties.
3. Click on the Sharing tab. Ensure that Shared
As is selected and enter "R3QB8AIG$" as the
Share Name. Using a dollar sign as the last
character in the Share Name means the folder
is not visible over the network. (If you use a
different Share Name, note it for the TechLab
7.00 installation.)
4. Click on Full for Access Type. (Access Type must be Full.)
5. Click Apply and then OK.
6. Repeat the above process, naming this second folder "TLSystem." Share this folder
as "TLSystem" with full access. Again, the actual names are your choices, but the
use of these default names will speed up the install process and reduce confusion
during technical support calls.

The TechLab server setup is complete. Skip to "Installing TechLab system Files."

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Windows NT Server Setup and Windows 2000 Server

To set up the Windows NT server for TechLab, the installer must have full rights to a
drive or the network administrator must do the following setup:

• Create a user group for your students.

• Create a folder for student data (TLData in this example) and assign a share name
(R3QB8AIG$).
• Give the student group full access to the student data folder.

Note the name of the network server. You will need this name during the install process.
The server name cannot have more than 14 alphanumeric characters (no spaces or
special characters). A computer name that exceeds this limitation will cause TechLab to
function improperly. You will need to alter this name before you can install TechLab.

1. At the Windows NT server, right-click on Network Neighborhood and select

Properties.
2. A Network window appears with tabs. Click on the Identification tab.
3. The server name is in the Computer Name: box. Change if necessary and click OK
to return to the desktop.

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Create a student data folder on the TechLab server named "TLData" with the shared
resource name of "R3QB8AIG$." The sharing process must be done at the server.
Create a TechLab systems folder and share it as "TLSystem."

NOTE: Although the student data folder name and the

systems folder name, along with their Share Names are
your choices, the default data Share Name for installation is
R3QB8AIG$. When you use this Share Name, you can
accept the default Resource during installation of TechLab
on the student workstations.

The folder name on the server can be a maximum of eight alphanumeric characters (no
spaces or special characters).

1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C: drive (where C

is your hard drive). Click on the File menu, select
New, and then Folder. Type the folder name
"TLData" and press Enter.
2. To share the folder, you must be at the Windows NT
server. To create a shared resource, right-click on the
folder name and then select Sharing.

3. Click on Shared As and enter "R3QB8AIG$" as the

Share Name. Using a dollar sign as the last
character in the Share Name means the folder is
not visible when browsing over the network. (If you
use a different Share Name, note it for the
TechLab installation.)

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4. Click on Permissions and the Access Windows NT

Through Share Permissions window
appears. The Type of Access: box for
the student group must be set to Full
Control. Click on OK.
5. The Sharing tab reappears. Click on
Apply and then OK.
6. Repeat steps 1 - 5 to create a folder
named TLSystem, and be sure to
share this folder as "TLSystem".

The Windows NT TechLab server setup is

complete. Skip to "Installing TechLab
system Files."

NetWare Network Server Setup

The following example assumes that the Client for NetWare has been installed on the
student workstations.

To set up the NetWare server for TechLab, the installer must have full rights to a
volume on the network server, or the network administrator must do the following setup:

• Create a group for your students so that appropriate permissions can be given.
• Create a directory on the root of the volume so that the TechLab system can store
data. The name of the directory is your choice, but limit the name to a maximum of
eight alphanumeric characters. We suggest using the default name of “TLDATA”.
• Once this folders has been created, right click and choose “Trustee Rights…” as
seen below.

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• In the Netware Rights window, in

the bottom pane select the user
account(s) that the students and
instructor will be using and select
“Add”. Their names will then
appear in the upper pane under
“trustees”.
• You will need to allow these
trustees full access (R= read, W =
write, C = create, M = modify, F =
file scan and E = erase). It is
recommended to use default
naming conventions for this folder
and attributes should be changed
to hidden.
• Create a directory on the root of
the volume so that the TechLab
system can access its system files
across the network. The name of
the systems directory is your
choice, but limit the name to a maximum of eight alphanumeric characters. We
recommend the default name of “TLSYSTEM”.
• You will need to allow these trustees full access (R= read, W = write, C = create, M
= modify, F = file scan and E = erase) during the installation. It is recommended to
use default naming conventions for this folder. Upon competion of the software
installation you may change the rights on the TLSystem folder to R=read and F=File
scan.
• Record the volume names and directory names for the TechLab installations at the
server and at student workstations.

If you can name the network server, we suggest LVTServer. This document and older
Lab-Volt System materials may refer to the TechLab server with this name.

Typically, the computer name for the network server has been determined. You may
use the established name if it has 14 or fewer alphanumeric characters with no spaces
or special characters, otherwise TechLab may not perform properly.

Make a note of the network server name, volume name, folder name for the student
data, and folder name for system files. You will use this information when installing
TechLab on the server and on student workstations.

Installing TechLab System Files

The TechLab Client-Server configuration installation occurs in two phases. The first
phase, the serverside install, requires the TechLab CD-ROM to be in the CD-ROM drive
of the server. The second phase, the workstation side install, does not require the CD;

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you merely need to browse to the server from that workstation and run the TechLab.exe
program.

Do not open the Configurator while installing TechLab to a workstation. Do not run any
courseware while TechLab is being installed to a workstation.

1. Insert the TechLab CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the designated server. Run
setup.exe from the CD.
2. The Lab-Volt Installer's Welcome window will appear on your screen so that you
may confirm the version you are installing.
3. The License Agreement for TechLab will
appear. If you do not accept the agreement, this
program will close and TechLab will not be
installed on your machine. Read and accept the
agreement before clicking on the Next button.
4. The Information window will appear. Read the
release notes for any updated information or
conditions that do not appear in this manual.
Click on the Next button.
5. A Net Op language selection window may
appear. Select a language, then click Next.

6. The Select Installation Type window appears.

Select the Client/Server option. Click the Next
button.

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7. The Choose Installation Targets window will

appear. By default, the name of the machine
you are doing the install on will appear in the
Computer Name fields. If this is NOT the
name of the TechLab data and/or systems
server, enter the appropriate names in the
appropriate fields. Select the default resource
(share) names or, if you did not use the default
names, enter the resource (share) name of the
TechLab system folder (TLSystem) in the
upper Resource Name field. Enter the
resource (share) name of the data folder's
share name (R3QB8AIG$) in the lower
Resource Name field. Click the Next button.

8. A Confirmation window will appear

confirming that this is a Client/Server
install and that it will be installed in the
desired folder. If any information is
incorrect, click on the Back button.
Otherwise, click on the Next button.
9. The installation process will install the
system files onto this server. When this
server side install is finished, click on the
Finish button. You may remove the CD-
ROM from this server and start the install
process with the workstations. You will
not need the CD-ROM for the second
stage of the install.
10. At a student workstation, open the
Network browsing window (My Network Places in Windows ME and Windows 2000,
for example) and browse to the TechLab system server (LVTServer). Open the
TechLab Systems folder (TLSystem, if using the default name). If you cannot browse
to this folder, it may not have been shared properly; see your systems administrator.
Double-click TechLab.exe.
11. The TechLab Installation Options window will appear. Under the Logon Option
Section choose either Automatic or Manual Logon. If you select the Automatic
Logon option, you will need to enter and re-enter the logon password. This option
saves you time in restarting the computer and allows you to turn your attention
elsewhere. If you select the Manual Logon option you will simply logon to this
workstation as normal after any restart that may be caused by the installation
process.

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12. In the TechLab Setup Options

section of this window, you may
choose to install NetOp and/or
Text-to-Speech. Click on the OK
button. Note: If you will not be
using GradePoint 2020, NetOp
provides no benefit to the instructor
and should not be installed.

13. You will be warned that Internet

Explorer 5.5 will be installed if the
install does not find Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher already installed on this machine.
Click on the Yes button to continue.

14. Client-side installation begins. Depending on your selections, the installer may need
to restart the workstation once or twice. Do not open the Configurator while any
workstation is being installed.

After installing TechLab on each student workstation, you may use any machine that
has TechLab on it to configure all the student workstations. Refer to the "Getting Started
with TechLab" and the "Configuration Options" sections of this guide for in-depth details.

Once the TechLab System is running and all the courseware has been loaded on it, the
System Administrator should change the share properties on the TechLab system
(TLSystem) folder to READ ONLY.

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GETTING STARTED WITH TECHLAB

Before any student can sit down at a workstation and enter a course, TechLab must be
configured. Configuration consists of several steps, not the least of which are creating
student data files and installing courseware and third party software.

The Configurator is used to add student records, delete student records, and to create
setting profiles, which allow you to configure options in the TechLab system. The
Configurator can be accessed from either a TechLab workstation or an instructor
machine with GradePoint 2020 installed on it.

Configuring TechLab

The Configurator uses sets of preferences called "profiles" to manage different

technology lab environments. Typically, each class will have its own profile.

Each profile contains lab settings and workstation overrides. The preference options
chosen within that profile's Lab setting affect all workstations on the TechLab network
when that profile is active. The preferences and machine specific exceptions created
within a profile exist only for that profile.

This chapter discusses the basic procedures for adding student records and installing
courseware so that interactive instruction may begin immediately. The Configurator tabs
are discussed in greater detail in the next section, Section Four: Configuration
Options for TechLab. Student interaction with TechLab is discussed in Section Five:
Student Experience.

Profiles, Labs, and Exceptions

Warning for Client/Server users: Do not attempt to configure TechLab while TechLab is
being installed to any workstation. You may install to additional workstations at any
other time without losing your profiles settings. The Configurator can only be accessed
from one station at a time to prevent conflicting preference settings.

After installing client-side software to at least one workstation, instructors will need to
add student records and TechLab courseware to the TechLab system.

The TechLab system enables instructors to easily manage the various workstation
settings of their technology lab through the use of profiles. Each profile comprises a
working class environment of settings that every workstation will comply with, unless set
otherwise with a workstation override. Each profile tracks which TechLab workstations

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are set to which setting overrides. Changing the active profile means the lab's settings
and the overrides change with it, allowing the online learning environment to be set,
altered, and reset as needed.

One profile is enough to get started with TechLab. Once instructors have a stronger
understanding of the needs of each class, they may further customize, duplicate, and
create new profiles. Section Four contains step-by-step instructions for making and
using multiple profiles.

The following instructions in this section relate to "lab settings" unless noted otherwise.
Student data and available curricula, for example, are lab settings that cannot have
workstation exceptions. You should be certain to click on the Lab button unless you
intend to create a workstation override. For stand-alone configurations, you should use
lab settings exclusively for each profile, unless you need to relate Associated
Applications to the workstation.

Workstation overridden options are exclusive to the profile they reside in. Workstation
overrides may vary from one profile to the next. When another profile becomes active
the workstation overrides for that profile take effect.

To enter the Configurator:

1. Double-click on the desktop

TechLab icon.
2. TechLab will open to the Security
window. Click on the Configurator
button.
3. The Instructor Password dialog
box appears. Enter the password
(tenure is the default password)
and click OK.
4. The Profile Selection window of
the Configurator appears. We
recommend using the Default
Profile setting at this time. Later,
you may create and reconfigure
profiles as needed. Click on the Lab button under Profile Settings.
5. The Lab Settings screen appears with ten tabs. There is no specific order these tabs
need to be addressed. However, it is usually easiest to begin by adding students
and courseware before proceeding to the remaining options.

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Adding Students
Student data files need to
be added to the TechLab
system before students can
access TechLab
courseware. These files
track each student's lab
grades, course history, and
password. Additionally,
GradePoint 2020 uses this
data to access student
notebooks, to schedule
rotations, and to track
TechLab activities.

The buttons in the

Configurator's Student tab
enable the instructor to
create student records in
two ways. First, the Add
button enables the creation
of individual student records as described in the following section. Second, the Import
button allows groups of student records to be derived from text (*.txt) files or comma
delimited (*.csv) files as described later in this chapter.

Each student record requires the following information: A unique student code and the
student's first and last name. You may also add the student's middle initial and gender if
you so desire. Students are required to have passwords, but they may create those
themselves when they first enter TechLab. All information given at this time may be
edited later, except for the student code. This code can never be changed.

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Creating a Student Data File

After opening the Configurator and clicking on the Student tab, you may create
individual student records. Clicking the Add button causes the Add New Student
window to appear. Complete the requested information and click OK.

Directions for importing multiple students into TechLab follow immediately after this
topic.

• Student Code – Maximum of 9

alphanumeric characters. Must be
unique. Spaces will be ignored.
• Last Name – Maximum of 25 letters
and spaces.
• First Name – Maximum of 24 letters
and spaces
• Middle Initial – (This field is optional.)
Maximum of one letter.
• Gender – (optional) M or F
• Password – (optional) Students
determine their own passwords at logon time, unless you assign the password
before then. Maximum of 4 alphanumeric characters.

You must have a unique student code for each student before that student's data file
will be created. Entries in all fields are required except gender and the middle-initial
field. (The Password is required now or at logon.)

After the student record is created, the name of the student and a partial student code
appears in the student record list. Partial student codes are used to protect student
privacy.

Importing Student Records

This option enables you to import a group of student records. Pre-existing TechLab
student records cannot be imported this way, only the information needed to create
student records.

The student records file to be imported should meet the following conditions:

• The student record fields may be in any order that is convenient, however, the order
of the fields for all student records must be the same for that import session. You will
identify the field order when you use the Import Wizard.
• Commas used as field separators only.
• Use five fields (no Password) either with data or commas as placeholders.

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• Note the path to the folder. If the folder with this data is on another computer it
should be shared, so that you can browse for the path during the import session.
• If this file does not meet these criteria, you may edit or recreate this file with software
that can save the file as a .txt file such as Notepad.

Create .TXT File of Student Records

Use any software that can create .txt files (Notepad or Word for example) to create the
student records. In the following example, the field order is – last name, first name,
middle initial, gender, and student code.

The number at the beginning of the student record will be ignored as well as the hyphen
in the student code. They are present for readability. (You are not required to number
the entries or to use a hyphen in the student code.)

1, Jones, William, C, M, 08723-0001

2, Brown, John, M, 08723-0002
3, Smith, Walter, A, M, 08723-0003
4, Melrose, Tina, E, F, 08723-0004

Note the following characteristics for the sample student records:

• The numbers in the first column are for your information and clarity only; however, a
comma separates the number from the next field.
• The student code can be any alphanumeric entry (up to nine characters) as long as
it is used only once. The sample uses a combination of zip code and arbitrary
numbers. The Import Wizard ignores the hyphen.
• The student record for John Brown illustrates the use of commas as a placeholder
field for a missing middle initial.

Save the file and keep a record of the name to use in the Import Wizard. In the following
example, the folder name is TechClass 1 and the document is Studfile.txt.

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Using the Import Wizard

1. From the Student tab in the
Configurator, click on Import.
2. The Import Wizard window
appears. Enter the document
path for the student records
you created. (If you do not
know the document path, click
on Browse. Browse the drive
or the network to find the
folder and then double-click
on the document. The Import
Wizard enters the path.) Click
on Next.
3. The Import Wizard Field
Transmission window
appears. It has two panes. You identify the order of the fields in your student record
on the right side. The required student record fields are on the left side. Double-click
on the entry on the right side that matches the highlighted field on the left side. (The
field of your student record on the right turns red when the selection is recognized.)

4. Continue the process for

each highlighted entry on the
left side. (Notice that the
number one will be ignored
because it has no required
matching entry.) When all the
required fields are selected,
click on Next.

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5. In the next screen, the Import

Wizard shows the student records
that will be created in the top box
and the records that it could not
recognize in the bottom box.
(Records that could not be
created are usually caused by
student codes previously used or
an insufficient number of fields.)

NOTE: Verify the fields in the records that will be created.

Give particular attention to the student code. If you have
student code errors, you may want to click on Cancel,
correct your student record file, and perform the import
process again. (Student codes cannot be edited.)

If you have a few errors, you may want to continue and edit
the records later with the TechLab Configurator, as
described in Section Four: Configuration Options for
TechLab.

6. Click on Finish and the Student tab

on the Configurator re-appears with
the listing of student records. The
import session is complete.

The student import process cannot be

interrupted or canceled. If you decide
these students should not have been
imported, you will have to delete these
students as described in Section Four.

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Installing Courseware

You can add courses before or after any student records are added. The Courseware
tab enables you to install and delete courses on the student workstation. After the
courses are installed, their titles appear in the Courseware Available pane. Installed
titles appear in every profile's Courseware tab.

In the Lab Setting mode of a profile, checked titles indicate that a courseware is
selected for all workstations when the associated profile is active. Student access to
titles through workstations may vary from profile to profile.

In the Workstation Override mode of a profile, checked titles indicate that a course is
selected for that specific workstation when that profile is active. There is no way to
exclude courseware from a specific workstation once it has been made available within
the lab setting. These checked titles appear in addition to the titles checked as available
to the "lab." Workstation access to titles may vary from profile to profile.

1. To add courseware, enter any profile. Click on the Courseware tab.

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2. The Lab-Volt Courseware dialog box

appears. Click on the Start button once you
have placed a TechLab courseware CD in
the machine's CD-ROM drive. The
installation of multiple CDs may require you
to return periodically and insert the next
required CD. Insert the courseware CDs in
the order listed on the disks. Do not attempt
to install the TechLab Resource disk(s) from
this tab. For the client/server configuration, Lab-Volt strongly recommends installing
each resource CD physically at each workstation to avoid network-sharing issues, as
detailed in the next topic. See Section Four for details on using UNC paths for
sharing software across a network when that is possible.

3. When you finish adding

courses, click on the Complete
button.

4. The course titles appear in the

Courseware Available pane
on the Courseware tab.
Checked courses in the Lab
Settings view are selected for
all workstations for that profile.
Checked courses in the
Workstation Settings view
appear in addition to any
checked courses in the Lab
Setting view. Checked titles can
vary from profile to profile.

In the illustration above, the

instructor has installed three different levels of "Controls and Sensors." These three
titles will appear in the Courseware tab for all profiles on this TechLab system. For
this profile (Default Profile), only "Controls and Sensors Level 1" will be available to
all workstations.

Section Four: Configuration Options for TechLab discusses courseware issues in

greater depth.

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Resources, Launches, and Associated Applications

TechLab courseware packages often include third-party programs that enhance the
students' learning environment. Third party programs may actually be the topic of a
particular unit of a course or even the course itself. Instructors may decide to offer
students access to additional applications as well.

Students at workstations access these programs from within the courses themselves,
from the Resource button, or from the Launches button.

Associated Applications
The Associated Applications tab lists the third party applications that are known to the
selected workstation. Relations are either automatically created when the course is
installed or they appear once a student or instructor "maps" the location of the
application from within the courseware. Section Four discusses this tab in greater detail.

The Associated Applications tab only appears when Configurator runs in workstation
override mode, not in lab mode.

TechLab Launches
After installing third party software as per their instructions, you use the TechLab
Launches tab to create paths for launching the programs from the student's
workstation. Typically, you install the software on the student workstation, however if the
third party software can be run across a LAN and be accessed by multiple users, it can
be installed on any computer on the LAN. In such a case, the student computer(s) must
have full access rights to the application and there must be an UNC path entered rather
than a drive path.

Lab-Volt strongly recommends, that applications to be launched from TechLab be

installed at the workstations themselves.

The TechLab Launches tab is available in either lab or workstation override mode.
Each path is created only for the selected profile. Changes will not go into effect until
the Configurator is closed.

To add an application launch:

The following example assumes Microsoft Works was installed on the student
workstation and the Configurator was launched in the workstation override mode.
Section Four discusses the Launch tab in greater detail.

1. Click on the TechLab Launches tab.

2. The TechLab Launches tab moves to the front.

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3. Click on the Add button and the Application Link window appears. The Target is the
path to the application .exe (Msworks.exe).

4. If you know the path, you can type the information in the Target box, otherwise click
on Browse. Follow the path shown during the installation,
C:\Programs\Microsoft Works, until you find Msworks.exe. Highlight it and
then click on Open.

NOTE: An alternative method of finding the Target box path

is to right-click on the icon on the desktop (Microsoft Works
for this example) and select Properties from the menu. Click
on the Shortcut tab. Use the path in the Target box of the
Shortcut tab.

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5. The Application Link window reappears with the target completed.

NOTE: The Title is your choice. It will appear when you click
on the Application Launch button in the curriculum.

The Parameter box is usually left blank, unless there is a

parameter that must be supplied to the program.

6. The default Working Directory for the application appears, if

applicable. This is the place where the Microsoft Works program
automatically saves documents. If your Instructor Guide told you to
create a folder for the student documents, change the path to target
the new folder.
7. Click on OK and the TechLab Launches tab reappears with the title of the
application.

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TechLab Resources
Resources provide information, tools, and optional exercises that you may choose to
have your students access during a lesson, when a lesson has been completed, or at
the completion of the course or topic.

Lab-Volt supplies Resources with the curriculum on a separate CD-ROM and the
instructor can create additional resources.

Some Tech-Design 5.0 or higher modules and Information Technology courses have a
Resource CD-ROM that is installed using the Install button on the TechLab Resources
tab. All the information to access these resources is provided through the installation.
TechLab Resources must be setup at each related workstation using the workstation
mode.

Typical resources supplied by Lab-Volt are Calculator, Careers, Challenges,

Environmental Impacts, Internet Link, Print Current Page, and Timeline.

Additional resources created by the instructor may be added to the Resource menu
with the Add button. (These resources can be on the student workstation or in a shared
folder on any computer on the LAN, provided these programs can be run across the
network and accessed by multiple workstations.) In this case, the instructor must supply
the UNC path (computer name\folder as opposed to drive letter\folder) to the resource.

Lab-Volt strongly recommends installing resources at individual PCs using the

workstation override mode. If you do create Resource paths in the lab setting mode,
the fully qualified path is the same for all workstations. Example: If
c:\windows\calculator.exe is setup in the lab settings mode, then each
workstation will look for the file on its own c:\windows folder.

Remember, workstation overrides are for the selected profile only. However, overrides
will carry over to newly created profiles when the former profile is duplicated. If a
resource is not available to a student when it should be, the computer lab may be set to
the wrong profile. Changes in profiles do not take effect until the Configurator is closed.
Open instances of TechLab when a new profile becomes active will not be set to the
new preferences until they are closed and reopened.

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Security Settings

After you are finished loading the workstations that make up your TechLab system, you
may wish to change the instructor's password. You should set the TL System to share,
read only. It is not mandatory that you do so, but it is strongly suggested.

The Security tab enables you to

change the instructor's password and
find the location of the student data
folder. This tab always applies to
every workstation and instructor
machine on the TechLab network
regardless of the profile, with the
exception of Default Language
Selection.

When you click on the Change

Password button, the New Instructor
Password window appears. Enter your
new password twice and click on OK
to change the password. This new
password goes into effect once the
Configurator is closed, this password
will be the same for all classes and all
profiles.

Student passwords can be changed from the Student tab.

Default Language Selection

TechLab is installed with English as the default language. This means the TechLab
system for all workstations will be launched in English. Now that you have installed
courseware, applications, and students, you may wish to set some student workstations
to use another language as default or you may wish to create whole profiles in another
language.

No matter which language is set as default, students may still select to open
courseware in any language available at the workstation by clicking on the Select
Language button before they logon. Student language choices are based on
courseware selected for that workstation.

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Set a workstation to a specific language:

1. Open the Configurator.

2. Select a profile. Remember: any changes you make will be for that profile only.
3. Click on the Workstations button.
4. The Available Workstation window appears. Select which workstation you'd like to
create the override for. You may only enter and edit one workstation at a time.
5. Click on the Edit button. The Configurator will appear in the Workstation Override
mode. Select the Security tab.
6. Click the Workstation Override button ( ), which will make the Language
Selection field available. As long as the Workstation Override button is depressed,
the override will be in effect.

7. Select one of the available languages and click Apply. Changes will not take effect
until the Configurator is closed.

Create a profile with another language as the default:

1. Open the Configurator.
2. Select a profile that is closest to your needs and then click on the Duplicate button.
If none of the existing profiles is suitable, the Create button will create a new profile
with the default profile as the template.
3. The New Profile Name window appears. Enter a new, unique title for your profile up
to forty (40) characters long and click OK.

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4. The newly-created profile becomes the Selected Profile. The TechLab system
continues to operate under the profile that was active when Configurator was
opened. Click on the Lab button.
5. The Configurator opens in the Lab Setting mode. Click on the Security tab.
6. The Security tab appears. Select a new default language from the Default
Language Selection drop down menu. Changes will not take effect until the
Configurator is closed (if the selected workstation has TechLab open, changes will
not appear until that TechLab closes and is relaunched).

Create Workgroups
Workgroups allow students to share ideas and experiences during the learning process.
The bulk of TechLab courseware was created to be interactive with groups of two or
more students. When scheduling rotations at each workstation, it is best not to plan too
far ahead. Our courseware is quite flexible in regards to the order students may take
individual modules and/or units, as well as how many students may take the same
courseware at a given time. It is for this reason that the Scheduler function of
GradePoint 2020 does not create rotations of a specific length of time.

Profile settings for the lab and workstations can be set so the workgroups are graded as
a whole or as individual students. Instructors may alter workgroups from course to
course or workstation to workstation without fear of disrupting grades during a rotation.

However, it is strongly recommended that any group of students who log into a course
together, remain together until the rotation has been finished. Rearranging workgroups
in the middle of a rotation may alter unit history, as many courseware titles require these
continued associations in order to properly credit unit progress and lab grades. When
conflicting associations occur in these titles, the students logging in would be advised to
create a new group record based on one student's course progress. Selecting the
student with the least progress within the course will ensure full exposure for the group.

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CONFIGURATION OPTIONS FOR TECHLAB

The Configurator is used to add student records, delete student records, and to create
setting profiles, which allows you to configure options in the TechLab system.

The Configurator's profiles contain lab settings and workstation settings. Typically,
each class will have its own profile, but each class can have as many profiles as it
needs. The preferences selected within that profile Lab setting affect all workstations on
the TechLab LAN, with the specific preference/machine overrides created within that
profile's workstation setting excluded.

The Associated Applications tab, however, only applies to specific, individual

workstations. This tab appears only within the workstation override mode of the
Configurator.

We recommend you use the Configurator to configure the first profile with all the
common settings, courses, launches, and resources that most classes will use as
detailed in Chapter Three. Duplicating this customized profile and then making slight
modifications for each new profile will likely save time. It is faster than reinstalling
resources and launches to each profile as they are created. It is simply faster to modify
the common profile than to recreate it.

If an individual workstation needs different settings, simply use the Configurator's

workstation override setting to override specific lab settings for that workstation by
clicking on the Workstation Override ( ) button.

The Selected Profile always becomes the active profile once the Configurator closes. A
change of profiles while students are logged on TechLab may force students to log off
unexpectedly. Students need only to log back in.

Only one instance of Configurator can be opened at a time. You will get a warning
message that the Configurator is being used at another machine if you attempt to
launch a second instance.

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Profiles
Instructors manage the various workstation settings of their technology lab through the
use of profiles. Each profile is a collection of lab settings. Instructors can create multiple
profiles and switch between them at will, thus adjusting the lab’s settings (default
language, the threshold for passing, whether courses are preceded by pretests, whether
media runs from local machines or via the network, etc.) to the needs of each class.

As the instructor develops an understanding of the needs of each class, he or she may
wish to further customize each profile, create new profiles based on the existing ones,
or recreate the default profile as shipped.

A change of profiles while students are logged on TechLab may force students to log off
unexpectedly. If that happens, students need only to log back in and resume work.

It is possible to accept particular settings on individual workstations from those of the

rest of the lab. “Workstation Overrides” are specific to a single profile, so if a
particular workstation has Overrides for one class’ profile, it can still use the lab-wide
settings when other profiles are active.

It is not necessary to physically access any particular workstation in order to create

Overrides for that workstation. The instructor can use the Configurator to edit the
selected profile's standard settings and overrides at any time, from any TechLab
workstation pointing to the same-shared system folder. (This is subject to the limitation
that only one instance of the Configurator may change settings on the TechLab Network
at any time. Should an attempt be made to open a second Configurator, a warning
window will appear indicating which workstation currently has the Configurator open.
However, the second instance of Configurator can still be used to install courseware.)

Student records and loaded courseware titles cannot have workstation exceptions. They
will be the same for each and every profile created in the TechLab system. The
instructor should be certain to select the correct profile when editing settings for any
function other than adding/editing student records and loading more courseware.

Changes to a profile do not take effect until the Configurator has been closed. Prior to
closing the Configurator, the instructor should take a moment to be sure that the desired
active profile is displayed in the Selected Profile field. The Selected Profile always
becomes the active profile once the Configurator closes.

Please note that students currently logged into courseware may not experience setting
changes immediately. The instructor will need to have these students log off and log
back in if the setting changes are to have the proper impact on their lab grades.

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When entering the Configurator, the instructor will usually click on the Lab button in the
Profile Settings group at the right end of the Configurator window. When planning to
create Workstation Overrides for the selected profile, the instructor should click the
Workstations button instead.

If the instructor has a stand-alone configuration of TechLab, the instructor should use
lab settings mode exclusively for each profile except when relating associated
applications to the workstation.

At this stage, the instructor has probably customized the default to handle the minimum
demands of each class as directed in Section Three by adding students and
courseware. The following section will guide the instructor through all the setting tabs
within the Configurator, enabling the creation of multiple profiles fully customized for the
needs of each class.

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To Create Additional Profiles:

• Use the Selected Profile
drop-down menu to select the
desired profile. When the
Configurator first opens, the
active profile will be displayed
in this field. The Selected
Profile does not become the
Active Profile until the
Configurator is closed.

• Click on the Create button to

create a profile based on the
default profile as shipped.
Provide a unique name no more than 40 characters long. Once created, this new
profile will become the Selected Profile.
• Click on the Duplicate button to create a profile based on the current Selected
Profile. Provide a unique name no more than 40 characters long. Once created, this
new profile will become the Selected Profile.
• Click on the Rename button to change only the name of the Selected Profile.
Provide a new and unique name under 40 characters. Renamed, this profile will
remain the Selected Profile.
• Click on the Delete button to delete the current Selected Profile. Another profile will
become the Selected Profile. The last profile cannot be deleted.
• Click on the Lab button to edit the lab settings for the Selected Profile. Changes
made to student records, loaded courseware, and the password will affect all
profiles, including those profiles yet to be created. All other changes, such as
selected courseware, are strictly for the Selected Profile only.
• Click on the Workstation button to select a workstation to assign overrides to for the
Selected Profile only.

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Configurator Modes
The buttons in the “Profile
Settings” group at the right side
of the Configurator window allow
the instructor to choose between
Lab mode and Workstation
mode. As the names imply,
choice of mode determines
whether changes to settings will
apply to the entire lab or to
individual workstations.

If the instructor accesses the

configuration screens in
Workstations mode, most of the settings controls on the following screens will have
“Workstation Override” buttons ( ) beside them. By default, the Workstation Override
buttons are not selected and the controls they accompany are grayed out and
inaccessible. In order to make setting changes for those controls, the instructor should
click the associated Workstation Override button, thus making the controls accessible.

As discussed in the previous section of this manual, Workstation Overrides only apply to
the profile that is active at the time they are set. If the instructor wishes a particular
workstation to have special settings in multiple profiles (or in all profiles), the settings
have to be created in each profile.

Unless stated otherwise, the following can be adjusted to a lab setting or a workstation
override for the selected profile only:

• Base Unit. This tab contains interface options for Lab-Volt's base units, interactive
hardware used in much of F.A.C.E.T. and TechWorld.
• Courseware. This tab applies to all profiles in regards to available courses. Selected
courses (represented by checkmarks) vary from profile to profile. Workstation
overrides can include more selected courses than the lab standard for that profile.
Overrides cannot be used to block courseware from a workstation.
• Media. This tab gives you the ability to select the narration option and the size of the
video window of the embedded multimedia within TechLab courseware.
• Security. This tab supplies the data location and handles the single instructor
password that applies to all profiles. This tab also handles the default language
selection of the lab settings and workstation overrides.
• Student. Create and edit student records for all profiles from the tab. Workstation
overrides are not possible.
• TechLab Launches. This tab handles software relations between TechLab modules
and applications listed under Launches within TechLab for the selected profile only.
Launches created as Workstation Overrides add to the Lab rather than block.

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• TechLab Resources. This tab manages the installation of TechLab Resource CD-
ROMs and software relations between TechLab modules and those applications to
appear under Resources within TechLab, for the selected profile only. Resources
installed in the Lab setting mode cannot be blocked with Workstation Overrides.
• Test. Pretest and posttest options can be adjusted from this tab.
• Unit. This tab contains options for taking units, including the unit-grading schema
for the various product lines.
• Workbook. This tab contains workbook options.

Note: Some courseware do not utilize some components.

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Associated Applications
The Associated Applications tab is only available in the Workstation Override mode. It
lists the third party applications that can be launched from within TechLab on the
selected workstation. This tab will be useful in special instances as described below.

Some Lab-Volt courses incorporate supplementary software products developed by

companies other than Lab-Volt. These programs are installed separately, using the
installation software provided by their publishers.

Lab-Volt’s courseware assumes that those third-party applications have been installed
at the default locations suggested by the third-party installers. As long as this is true,
the third-party programs will launch at the appropriate times as students work their way
through the courses.

If the third-party software is installed to a different location, the Lab-Volt courseware will
not know where to find it. The first time the courseware needs to launch the third-party
software, the instructor will be prompted to browse to its location. The Lab-Volt
courseware will retain the correct location from then on.

However, if the third-party software is later moved or renamed (perhaps because of an

update), it will be necessary to inform the TechLab system of the change. This can be
accomplished by accessing the Configurator’s Associated Applications tab, clicking
the name of the appropriate application in the list, and clicking the Reset button.

This has the effect of restoring the application’s path to the default. In order to enter the
application’s new path into the system, it is necessary to run the courseware up to the
point that the associated application is used, let the browse window appear, and browse
to the new location.

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Base Unit
The Base Unit tab contains a group of controls related to the hardware simulation
devices known as base units. It provides the option of sharing the base unit, selecting
the base unit COM port, and specifying the base unit polling time. When set within the
Lab Setting mode, these selections become the standard for the selected profile.
This tab's single Workstation Override button manages all three base unit settings as
a single override. As is true throughout the TechLab system, Workstation Overrides
apply only to the currently-selected workstation and only when the profile that they are a
part of is active.

Some base units have two serial port connections that allow two PCs to connect to
them. If such a base unit is connected to two workstations, the Share Base Unit
checkbox can be selected on both workstations in order to enable the shared
functionality.
You must select the serial port that connects to the interactive base unit from the Base
Unit Com Port drop down menu. When the base unit is shared, the serial port must be
the same designation on both PCs. OFFLINE is used for demonstration purposes when
a base unit is not available. Many features are disabled while using the system offline.
Base Unit Poll Time indicates the interval that the software validates (polls) the
presence of the base unit during the activity. The minimum interval is ten seconds and
the maximum is 30 seconds. It is possible to adjust the poll time to optimize workstation
performance, but this should only be done when instructed by Lab-Volt Technical
Support.

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Courseware

The Courseware tab is where courseware is added to the TechLab system and related
to various workstations for student access. All loaded courseware is available to all
profiles.

When the box to the left of a courseware title is checked in the Lab Setting mode, that
title is available on all workstations whenever the current profile is active. When a
course’s checkbox is left unselected in Lab mode, it can be made available on particular
workstations via Workstation Override mode. This functionality allows courses that
require specific peripherals or equipment to be confined to workstations that fulfill those
requirements.

Courseware relations (whether lab settings or workstation overrides) may vary from
profile to profile if desired.

When viewed in Workstation Override mode, the Courseware tab does not offer a
Workstation Override button. The checkboxes beside the titles determine which courses
will be available to students on the current workstation when the current profile is active.

Note: Workstation Overrides can only add items to each workstation’s list of related
courses. Workstation Overrides cannot be used to deselect course relations that are
selected in lab mode. Therefore, if it is necessary for a particular course to be
unavailable on some of the lab’s workstations, that course must be related to the
appropriate workstations via Workstation Overrides, not in lab mode.

Loading TechLab Courseware:

(Note for GradePoint 2020 users: User-defined courseware and evaluations appear
automatically in the Course List pane upon creation.)

1. Click on the Configurator’s Courseware tab in either Lab or Workstation Settings

mode.
2. Insert the TechLab Curriculum CD-ROM.
3. Click on the Add button. The Lab-Volt Courseware window will appear.
4. Click on Start. The Configurator will automatically search the CD-ROM for the files.
A window will appear with a list of the courseware available, unless the CD-ROM
contains only one course.
5. Select the desired courseware by clicking its title.
6. Click on OK. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed until all courseware from this CD that
is to be installed is installed. For multiple-disc courses, repeat steps 2 to 4 as
needed. The data will be loaded and then the Lab-Volt Courseware window will
reappear.

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7. Click Complete. New courseware titles will appear in the Courseware List pane.
Available courseware appears in all profiles and workstation override settings.
Courseware will not appear on a workstation until related to a profile and/or
workstation.

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Relating Courseware & Evaluations:

1. Open the Configurator. Select a profile from the Selected Profile drop-down menu
and click on the Lab button.
2. Click on the Courseware tab.
3. Check the courseware that should appear as choices on all workstations while the
selected profile is active. (To make courses available only on specific workstations,
leave them unchecked for now. Use Workstation Overrides to relate them to the
workstations where they should appear.)
4. Click on OK. Changes do not appear on workstations until the Configurator is
closed.

Media

The Media tab gives you the ability to select the narration option, select video start size,
to enable annotations, or enable closed captioning, when available.

When Configurator is accessed in Workstation mode, each media option has a

Workstation Override ( ) button beside it. Clicking the Workstation Override button will
allow changes to be made to that option.

The override settings are specific to the currently-selected profile. If multiple profiles are
used in the lab, it will be necessary to create workstation overrides for each profile.

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Enable Narration
The Enable Narration checkbox only determines whether Text to Speech functionality
is activated within the TechLab system. Certain other options can be changed at a
systemwide level within Windows. Select the voice and speed of narration by
performing the following steps.

1. Click on Start, select Settings, and click on Control Panel.

2. The Control Panel window appears. Double-click on Speech.

3. The Speech Properties window appears with the Text to Speech tab in front. Select
the voice from the Voice Selection drop-down menu.

4. After making your voice selection, you can click on Preview Voice to hear a sample.
5. Adjust the voice speed by moving the slider on the Voice speed bar.
6. Click on OK to implement your selection. Close the Control Panel window.

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Enable Closed Captioning

When Enable Closed Captioning is checked, the narrative will appear as on-screen
text when videos play during courses. Some courses do not offer closed captioning.

Enable Annotation
Annotation is a powerful and flexible tool that allows the instructor to make custom
additions to the text of Lab-Volt courseware. When the Enable Annotations option is
checked, the instructor can add notes to lesson screens within courses that support the
annotation feature.

Annotations can be used to direct the student to more information, enabling the
instructor to have the student view graphics or large amounts of information at the
appropriate time during the lesson. (See the "Adding Resources" section of TechLab
Resources for a direction example.)

The annotations can consist only of text. A scroll bar will appear if the size of the text
exceeds the size of the annotation window.

To add an annotation, open a course and advance to the screen where the annotation
is to be displayed. Perform the following steps.

1. Logon to your Tech-Design 5.0 module or Information Technology topic.

2. Find the screen that you want to annotate. Press Ctrl+Shift+F2 simultaneously to
change to instructor mode.
3. The Instructor Password dialog box appears. Enter the instructor password and click
on OK.

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4. The Instructor Mode Edit

Annotation window will appear.
If this is an existing annotation,
you may edit it at this time. In
this case, your annotation is
new, so the window is blank.
New annotations are blank.

NOTE: The Instructor Mode

Edit Annotation window
appears in the left corner by
default. Even though the
student can move the
annotation window, the
instructor sets the default size
and location.

5. Click in the box and enter the information that you want connected to this screen.

NOTE: The text scrolls

when the information
doesn't fit in the
annotation window.
When the student enters
this screen, the
annotation appears. The
student can move the
window by clicking on
the annotation title bar
and dragging or by
clicking on the X button
to close it. The
annotation will always
appear when navigating
to this screen.

6. When you complete the annotation, click on the X button in the title bar and the
annotation is saved. It will appear each time a student enters this screen, unless
annotation is off.

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Removing the Annotation

1. To delete an annotation, perform the previous steps one through four.
2. Highlight all the text and spaces in the Instructor Mode Edit window and press the
Delete key.
3. Click on the X button on the title bar and the annotation is deleted.

NOTE: If the blank window remains, press Ctrl+Shift+F2 to

return to Instructor Annotation Edit mode and delete any
spaces that may remain. Click on the X button to exit.

Local Media Directory

This location points to the folder where local media files will be copied. This location
should not be a UNC path; it must point to a folder on the local hard drive. If the folder
does not exist, TechLab will create it. The drive, however, must have enough room and
be writable. For example, if one workstation has a CD-Drive as its C:\ drive, then there
must be an override for the Local Directory at that workstation pointing to a folder on
the primary hard drive (such as D:\TLWrkStn).

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Security

The Security tab enables you to change the instructor's password and find the location
of the student data folder. This tab always applies to all profiles pointing to the same
data location regardless of the mode or profile selected, with the exception of language
selections.

When you click on the Change Password button, the New Instructor Password window
appears. Enter your new password twice and click on OK to change the password.

To get the location of the student data files, click on the Get TechLab Data Location
button for the server name and resource name.

TechLab is installed with English as the default language. This means the Configurator
and the control panel for all workstations will be launched in English, until set otherwise.
Available English courseware and evaluations will be listed in the Available Courses
pane. If the Default Language is changed, the Configurator and control panel will open
in the selected language.

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Students retain the ability to change their workstation to another language. By clicking
on the Select Language button before they log on, students may elect to open
courseware in any language, provided courseware in the language is available at their
workstation. For example, if you have loaded Video Production (40026), but you have
not loaded Producción de vídeos (40026), students will see course #40026 when in the
English mode, but will not have access to course #40026 when in the Spanish mode.

Select Language does not work as a translator program. Student Journal entries and
annotations remain in the language they were written in. Third party software accessed
through TechLab courseware will not be translated. Internet sites visited via the web
portal in the TechLab system will not appear in any language other than what they were
written in.

Reset the Default Language:

1. Open the Configurator.
2. Select a profile (Remember: any changes you make will be for that profile only).
3. Click on the Lab button to change the default language for the profile. Click on the
Workstations button to create an override for a specific station. If applicable, the
Available Workstation window appears. Select which workstation you'd like to create
the override for. You may only enter and edit one workstation at a time.
4. Click on the Edit button. The Configurator will appear in the Workstation Override
mode. Select the Security tab.
5. Click the Workstation Override ( ) button, which will make the Language
Selection field available. As long as the Workstation Override button is depressed,
the override will be in effect.
6. Select one of the available languages and click Apply. Changes will not take effect
until the Configurator is closed. If the selected workstation has TechLab open,
changes will not propagate to that workstation until students log off and log back on
to that instance of TechLab. Student language selection prior to logging in always
takes precedence over the default language.

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Student

From this tab, a TechLab administrator can add, delete, edit, or import student records,
regardless of whether the tab is accessed from the Lab Setting mode or Workstation
Override mode from the profile screen. All profiles have access to all students.

Creating a Student Record

After clicking the Add button, the Add
New Student window appears. Enter the
requested information and click OK.

• Student Code – Maximum of 9

alphanumeric characters. Every
student code must be unique.
• Last Name – Maximum of 25 letters.
• First Name – Maximum of 24 letters.
• Middle Initial – Maximum of one
letter. (This field is optional.)
• Gender – M or F (optional)
• Password – Maximum of 4 alphanumeric characters. You may assign the
password, or students can determine their own passwords at logon time.

You must have a unique student code for each student. Entries in all fields are required
except Gender and the Middle Init. fields. (The passwords are required, but can be
created by the student when they first log on.)

After the student record is created, the name of the student and a partial student code
appear in the student record list.

This method creates one student record at a time. To create a group of student records,
see the "Importing Student Records" section.

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Editing Student Records

All fields of the student record can be edited except the student code.

1. Click on the student record you want to edit.

2. Click on Edit. The Edit Student Information window appears.
3. Change the information and click OK.
4. If you do not want to change any information, click Cancel and return to the Student
Record window.

Deleting Student Records

When you delete a student record, you effectively erase it, thus the student code can be
used again.

1. Click on the student record you want to delete and it will be highlighted.
2. Click Delete and a Confirmation window will appear.

3. This allows you the opportunity to confirm the deletion. Click on the appropriate
button. You will return to the student record list.

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TechLab Launches

After installing third party software, you use the TechLab Launches tab to create the
path for launching this program without having the student leave TechLab. Typically,
you install the software on the student workstation, however if the third party software
can be run across a LAN, it can be installed on any computer on the LAN. In this case,
the workstation computer must have full access rights to the application and the
instructor must enter a full UNC path
(\\computername\sharedfoldername\application.exe) rather than a local
path (c:\folder\application.exe).

Local paths, even to mapped locations, should be avoided completely (unless the
instructor is at the physical location of a workstation and creating a workstation
override). Lab-Volt strongly recommends using the workstation mode of the Launches
tab at the physical workstation locations exclusively, as mentioned in Section Three:
Getting Started with TechLab.

Adding an Application Launch

The following example assumes that Microsoft Works was installed on the student
workstation and that workstation is currently selected in the Configurator.

1. Click on the TechLab Launches tab.

2. The TechLab Launches tab moves to the front.
3. Click on the Add button and the Application Link window appears. The Target is the
path to the application executable (for example, msworks.exe).

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4. If you know the path, you can type

the information in the Target field,
otherwise click on the Browse
button. Follow the path shown
during the installation,
C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Works, until you find msworks.exe.
Highlight it and click on Open
button.

NOTE: An alternative method of

finding the Target path is to locate
the executable’s icon in Windows. (In some cases, the desired icon will be on the
Windows desktop. In many cases, it will be in c:\program files\.)
Right-click on the icon on the desktop (Microsoft Works for this example) and select
Properties from the menu. Click on the Shortcut tab. Use the path in the Target
field of the Shortcut tab.

5. The Application Link window reappears with the target path completed.

NOTE: The Title is your choice. Whatever is typed here will

appear in the Application Launch menu in the curriculum.

The Parameter field is usually left blank (unless otherwise

directed).

The default Working Directory for the application appears.

This is the place where the linked application program
automatically saves documents. If your Instructor Guide
told you to create a folder for the student documents, change
the path to the new folder.

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6. Click on OK and the TechLab Launches tab reappears with the title of the
application.

Editing or Deleting a Launch

After highlighting an entry on the TechLab Launches tab, you can click on the Edit
button to change any of the four fields in the Applications Link window. Click on OK to
implement the change.

To delete an application link, highlight it and then click on the Delete button. A
Confirmation window appears. When you click on Yes, the application title is removed
from the window and it will not appear on the Applications Launch menu in the
curriculum.

To remove the actual application from the workstation, use the Control Panel, found in
your Start Menu under Settings, and select Add/Remove Programs. This must be
done at the computer the application has been installed on.

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TechLab Resources

Resources provide information, tools, and optional exercises that you may choose to
have your students explore.

Some F.A.C.E.T., Tech-Design 5.0, and Information Technology titles have a Resource
CD-ROM that is installed using the Install button on the TechLab Resources tab. The
settings that enable access to resources provided by Lab-Volt are configured by the
installer.

Typical resources supplied or configured by Lab-Volt are Calculator, Careers,

Challenges, Environmental Impacts, Internet Link, Print Current Page, and
Timeline.

The instructor can install additional resources. Resources created by the instructor are
added to the Resource menu with the Add button. (These resources can be on the
student workstation or in a shared folder on any computer on the LAN.) In this case, the
instructor must supply the path to the resource.

TechLab Resources usually must be set up at the workstation.

Resources created by the instructor are added to the Resource menu with the Add
button. (These resources can be on the student workstation or a shared folder on any
computer on the LAN.) In this case, the instructor must supply the path to the resource.

Lab-Volt strongly recommends using the workstation mode of the Resources tab at the
physical workstation locations exclusively, as mentioned in Section Three: Getting
Started with TechLab.

The following examples first show how to install Lab-Volt supplied resources and then
how to add an instructor created resource.

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Installing TechLab Resources

Installation of TechLab Resources supplied by Lab-Volt is similar to installing TechLab
courseware. The following example shows the installation of the TechLab Resources for
the Tech-Design 5.0 module, Computer Applications. These examples assume you are
physically at the local workstation, in Workstation Override mode.

1. Launch the Configurator and click on the TechLab Resources tab. The TechLab
Resources tab moves to the front.
2. Click on the Install button and the TechLab Resource Installer window appears.
Follow the directions.

3. The InstallShield Welcome window appears. Click on Next.

4. The Choose Directory window appears. Leave the default path in place unless you
want to use a different location. Click on Next.

5. The Setup Status window appears that shows the resources installing.
6. When the installation is complete, the InstallShield Wizard Complete window
appears. Click on Finish.

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7. The TechLab Resources tab reappears with a list of TechLab Resources.

This list of resources will appear when you click on the Resource button in the
curriculum.

NOTE: Make sure there are no applications running (except

the course) before launching a resource. Other applications
may cause some resources (such as Timeline) not to run
properly.

Adding Resources
The Add button for resources enables you to customize the multimedia presentation.
You may want to add current events, direct the student to local information, have the
student complete an electronic journal, or include any online information you choose.

The online material must have the application available to open it. For example, if it is a
Microsoft Works document, Microsoft Works must be on the student workstation.

You can give verbal directions when to use the material or have the directions appear in
the lesson by using the Annotation feature described in the "Media" section.

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The following example shows how to add a Microsoft Works document to the Resource
list and then use the Annotation feature to tell the student when to view the document.
(The document was placed in a user folder named Resource.)

1. Launch the Configurator in the Workstation Override mode and click on the
TechLab Resources tab to bring it to the front. Click on the Add button.
2. The Application Link window appears. If you know the path, you can type it in the
Target field. If not, click on the Browse… button.

3. Browse to find the Resource folder and double-click on it (or highlight it and click on
Open). The contents of the folder appear.

4. Double-click on the document (or highlight the document’s icon then click the Open
button).

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5. The Application Link window reappears with Target path and Working Directory
path. Enter the Title that you want to appear in the Resources list. Click on OK.

NOTE: The Title is your choice. Whatever is typed here will

appear in the resource menu in the curriculum.

The Parameter box is usually left blank (unless otherwise

directed by the teacher's guide that came with the course).

The default working directory appears.

6. The TechLab Resources tab reappears with the title of the document.

This entry will appear in the menu of resources when the student clicks on the
Resource button in the curriculum.

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Resources can be linked to any file across the LAN, provided it is in a shared folder that
the workstation has permission to access, and provided that you have the correct UNC
path. However, large files should reside on the student workstation.

To automatically tell the student when to use this resource, Enable Annotation must be
checked in the Configurator’s Media tab. Perform the following steps to use the
annotation feature.

1. Logon to your Tech-Design 5.0 module or Information Technology topic.

2. Find the screen that you want to annotate. Press Ctrl+Shift+F2 to change to
Instructor mode.
3. The Instructor Password dialog box appears. Enter your password and click on OK.
4. The Instructor Mode Edit Annotation window appears. Click in the window to put the
cursor in it. Key in instructions for students to click on the Resource button and then
click on the title of the document. In the example that follows, the title is Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome and Computers.
5. When you complete the annotation, click on X in the top right hand corner of the
window. Each time the student views this screen the directions will appear.

NOTE: An application that can open the document (file) must

be on the student workstation hard drive. For example, if the
document was developed with Microsoft Works, Microsoft
Works or Microsoft Office must be on the hard drive.

Before the directions to use a resource can be operational, you:

• Create the resource and save it on the student workstation.

• Use the Add button on TechLab Resources tab in the Configurator to create the
title and path.
• Create the note on the appropriate presentation screen.

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Editing or Deleting a Resource

To edit a resource link, click on the title in the list of resources to highlight it and then
click on the Edit button. The Applications Link window will appear. Any of the four fields
in the Applications Link window can be edited. Click on OK to implement the change. It
should be noted that typing in a new location in the Target or Working Directory fields
will not move the file to that location.

To delete a resource link, highlight it and click on Delete. A confirmation window will
appear. When you click on Yes, the resource title is removed from the window and it will
not appear on the Resources menu within TechLab.

To remove a resource from the disk, use either the Control Panel and the
Add/Remove icon for applications or Windows Explorer to select the folder or file and
press Delete.

Test

The Test tab allows you to change the options for taking the pretest and posttest for the
courseware.

The Test tab works for the

selected profile only. As is true
for the rest of the Configurator,
changes are not implemented
until the Configurator has been
closed. Each of the Test tab’s
five options can be set for the
lab profile and each can also be
set as a workstation override. In
workstation mode,
Workstation Override buttons
( ) will appear beside each
control and behave as they do
throughout Configurator.

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Disable Pretest
If this option is not selected, students must take the pretest before entering any unit of
the course for the first time. When Disable Pretest is checked, a student may skip the
pretest.

Randomize Questions
When Randomize Questions is checked, both the pretest and the posttest have the
order of the questions changed each time a student takes the test. Evaluations are also
randomized while this option is active.

Show Grade
When this option is checked, students see their test score after taking the pretest,
posttest, and/or evaluation. Posttest scores are always the score for the test just taken,
and not the cumulative grade for the module.

Administer Tests
You have the choice of having students in a workgroup take tests individually or as a
group. One option must be selected. The Workstation Override button for this option is
just outside this box to the left when viewed in Workstation Override mode.

Posttest Limits
You may specify the number of times the posttest can be taken from one time to nine
times. Posttest scores are averaged together for an overall posttest score. This limit
cannot alter the averaging. Reducing the limit to four times, after a student has taken
the posttest six times will not change the averaged score. Evaluations are treated as
posttests.

A student may only take the pretest once.

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Workbook
The Workbook tab applies to Tech-Design 4.x and Tech-Life. You can select the
administration of workbook activities, whether to show grade and answers, and the
number of times a student can take an activity. The lab setting options available are for
this profile only. Workstation overrides are for the selected workstation only and only
within the selected profile.

Show Grades
When this option is checked, students see their score after completing an exercise,
activity, or experiment.

Show Answers
Students may see the correct answers after completing the exercise, activity, or
experiment when this option is selected.

Administer Workbook Activities

You have the choice of students taking the exercises, activities, and experiments
individually or as a group. The Workstation Override button for this option is just
outside this box to the left when viewed in Workstation Override mode.

Repeating the Exercise

This option specifies the number of times (from one to nine times) that the exercise,
activity, or experiment may be taken.

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Unit

Each TechLab course typically contains a Pretest, a Posttest and a Workbook section,
all of which may be combined to create an overall score for the lab. Workbook grades
are generated by unit activities and rubrics (in courseware where rubrics exist), with
every unit and/or rubric contributing equally to the overall Workbook score.
The Unit tab allows you to select unit test options as well as setting the passing
threshold and setting unit weight ratios before applying to total lab grade. The structure
of units may vary slightly within each product line.
The lab setting options available are for this profile only. Workstation overrides are for
the selected workstation only, within the selected profile only.

Insert Answer
In TechWorld, some questions must be answered correctly before the system allows the
student to continue. When this option is selected, TechLab inserts the correct answer
when the student presses the Insert key on the keyboard after the fourth incorrect
answer.

Unit Prerequisite
If the Unit Prerequisite is checked, students must complete the units in the order they
appear on the Unit menu in TechLab.

Unit Test Options

• Enable Help During Unit Test allows students access to the Unit Help during the
unit test. Unit Help remains available
for other parts of the unit even if it is not
checked.
• Enable Exit During Unit Test allows
the student to leave during a unit test
and return from where they exited.
• Enable Unit Test Feedback permits
the student to reenter the unit test after
completing it to get feedback based on
their answers.
• Randomize Unit Test Questions
enables a different order of unit test
questions each time the test is entered.
• Pass Threshold can be adjusted by the
instructor from ten to one hundred
percent. The default value is 70 percent.

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Unit Weight
Unit grades are based on activity
questions, quizzes, assessment rubrics,
and Unit tests. Use this option to
determine the ratio value of the unit's
various components that make up the unit
grade.

Each product line represented here with a

tab contains a number of graded activities
that typically make up each of its units.
Units may vary within any given
courseware, but the activities represented
in each product line tab represent the
widest range of types available to that
line.

Each unit is usually made up of the

following scored sections and activities,
although names may vary from product
line to product line:

• Fundamentals Section
Unit overview.

• Exercises Section
The Exercise Section is typically a set of up to three subset categories of activities.
They combine their weighted grades following the assigned ratios to create the
Exercise score. The weight in this field applies the weighted score from the subsets.
• Discussion
• Procedure
• Review

• Unit Test Section

Unit tests usually take place at the end of each unit.

Instructors may use ratio weighting to place greater emphasis on grading certain areas
of a unit. Ratio weighting allows greater flexibility than percentage based grade weights
as not all units will have the activities listed above; percentages become deceptive
when a total of 100% is impossible.

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By default, all Unit Components are equal. As components are adjusted, a fractional
expression of the components weight to the overall unit grade is displayed.

In ratio weighting, an instructor may give any part of a unit a weight from 0 to 9999.
Each unit's sub sections combine into the unit score based on their ratio to the other
assigned weights.

In this example, Unit Test counts six times as much as either of the other unit
components, meaning the Unit Fundamentals or Exercises equal only 1/8 of the Unit
Grade. If a F.A.C.E.T. unit were not to include Unit Fundamentals, the Unit Test would
then be worth 6/7ths of the unit grade.

By the same token, in the example, Procedure is worth twice as much as the other two
components of Exercise. If a F.A.C.E.T. unit were not to include Review, then
Procedure would be worth 2/3 of the exercise score. The weight of Exercise towards
the unit grade, however, doesn't change.

Students may track their unit grades and their effect on their workbook grades by
clicking on the Course Grades button within TechLab.

Each product line is represented with its own "tab" within the Unit Weight window. When
seen within the Workstation Settings mode, each "tab" has its own Workstation
Override button. When the button is depressed, the instructor may edit weights for that
courseware on that machine.

Each workstation override is for that profile only. Changes to a profile's lab setting will
not affect the overriding preference. However, when another profile is selected, that
profile's overrides will be active and the current profile’s overrides will become inactive.

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UNINSTALL INSTRUCTIONS
This chapter presents a brief guide to uninstalling TechLab and NetOp School. Unless
the instructions say so, you may not need to uninstall any of these programs to
upgrade. You may wish to back up the TechLab data folder (TLData) before upgrading
or uninstalling.

To uninstall earlier versions of TechLab, see the instructions in the manual that
accompanied the version you are going to uninstall.

Uninstalling Tech-Lab

Perform the following steps to remove the TechLab system from the server. It should be
done at the server itself. If you plan to upgrade to a newer version of TechLab, you may
wish to preserve the shared folders and merely delete their contents instead.

For Novell NetWare server, you will need the rights to delete the files or have the
Administrator delete it.

1. Launch Windows Explorer.

2. Right click on the TechLab data folder, TLData. Unshare this folder.
3. Press the Delete key.
4. Right click on the TechLab system folder (TLSystem). Unshare this folder.
5. Press the Delete key.

TechLab has now been deleted from the server. Stand-Alone configurations will need to
have the folder, TLStand, deleted. In each case where you delete the folder with
Windows Explorer, empty the Recycle Bin to remove the contents from the disk.

At each workstation, you will need to delete the folders, TLResource and TLWrkStn, if
present. The icons and Program menu entries for Tech-Lab are not needed so they can
be deleted.

To delete the desktop icon, single-click the TechLab icon, then press the Delete key.

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Delete the Tech-Lab entry in the Programs menu

1. Begin by clicking on Start, Settings, and select Taskbar & Start Menu.
2. The Taskbar Properties window appears. Click on the Start Menu Programs (or
Advanced) tab. Click on Remove.

Windows NT Windows ME and 2000

3. The Remove Shortcuts/Folders window appears.

4. Click on TechLab and then Remove.
5. Click on Close, and then OK.

Under Windows XP,

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Move the mouse pointer over “All Programs,” then over TechLab system.
3. Right-Click on “TechLab system”, then choose “Delete.”

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NetOp Student

The TechLab system includes NetOp Student as an optional install. If a previous

version of NetOp Student is present on a workstation, it must be uninstalled before
upgrading to a new version. This action allows the NetOp Student to be updated and
keeps the software from having duplicate NetOp Student entries in the registry. This
must be done at each workstation.

1. Open the NetOp folder in Windows Explorer and run the program, showhost.exe.
2. The NetOp Student icon will now appear in the system tray (usually the lower right
hand corner of your desktop. Click on the icon.
3. NetOp Student appears. Choose Exit.
4. The password prompt appears. You will need to enter the NetOp password. By
default, the password is "tenure". NetOp Student closes so that it may be
uninstalled.
5. Click on Start, Settings, and select Control Panel.

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6. The Control Panel window appears. Double-click on Devices.

7. The Devices window appears. Click on NetOp driver to highlight it and click on
Stop.
8. Click on Close and the Control Panel window reappears. Double-click on
Add/Remove Programs.

9. The Add/Remove Programs Properties window appears. Select NetOp Student on

the Install/Uninstall tab.
10. Click on the Add/Remove button and a message appears asking you if you want to
remove the application.
11. Click on Yes and the Uninstall Shield appears and deletes the entry. Click OK to
return to the Add/Remove Programs Properties window.
12. Click on OK to return to the Control Panel window.
13. Exit the Control Panel.

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NetOp Teacher

If you have GradePoint 2020, you may have NetOp Teacher installed on your instructor
machine. Typically, you need to uninstall this program from the instructor's machine in
the Add/Remove window located in your Start menu, under Settings. Refer to the
NetOp manual that came with your software for more detailed instructions, if needed.

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GLOSSARY
Within this manual, terms are used that have specific meanings within the TechLab
system. To avoid confusion, they are defined below. Please take a moment to read this
section.

ACTIVITY: Includes exercises, puzzles, quizzes, topic tests and rubrics found in
TechLab courses. An instructor with GradePoint 2020 can track activity progress and
scores with workbook reports.

BENCH: Specify a student or course not to be automatically scheduled for the rotation
about to be generated. Use this GradePoint 2020 feature when a student will be
unavailable while the rest of a class works through a rotation, or when the equipment
needed for a particular course will be temporarily unavailable.

CELL: Computer Enhanced Learning Location. A term for TechWorld courses.

CLASS: Refers to a group of students who have access to the lab during a certain
period of the day. A “class” does not necessarily denote age, subject, grade level, or
even a group of students under one teacher. Even if the students are divided between
two instructors, they must count as a single class for the purposes of assigning a profile.

(“Class” is also the name NetOp uses to identify a group of students it is monitoring.)

CLASS TITLE: Unique to GradePoint 2020. A name assigned to a group of students

who have access to the lab during a certain period of the day. The title may consist of
any sequence of characters, including international letters, and must be at least two
characters long. Each class title must be unique. Class titles may be named after the
instructor in charge of the lab during that period, the class period designation, or created
on any other basis that the instructor chooses.

COMPETENCY: Refers to an individual expertise requirement within a lab course or

evaluation. Each competency is linked to pretest and posttest questions in such a way
that the instructor can track a student’s progress in mastering the competency.
GradePoint 2020 allows the instructor to omit specific competencies in order to
customize TechLab courses to better reflect the instructor’s course requirements. You
must have GradePoint 2020 in order to review, select and track competencies.

CONFIGURATOR: A tool TechLab and GradePoint 2020 use to add and edit Student
Records and to alter variables within the TechLab environment. The Configurator can
be accessed from GradePoint’s Main Menu and from any TechLab workstation.

COURSE: A series of units, accompanied by a pretest and a posttest.

EVALUATION: An online exam created by the instructor with GradePoint 2020 and
administered with TechLab.

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GRADEBOOK: The portion of GradePoint 2020 that deals with TechLab and non-
TechLab grades. This virtual grade book program replaces or supplements your existing
paper book. GradeBook can be used to track such classroom events as attendance,
homework assignments, and tests not directly related to TechLab.

GRADE TYPES: Each assignment within GradeBook falls within a group such as
homework, lab, or project. Each group of assignments is defined by the instructor as to
the portion its score applies to the final grade.

INSTRUCTOR MACHINE: The machine with GradePoint 2020 installed on it, preferably
to be used exclusively by an instructor.

MODULE: Synonymous with “Course.”

OVERRIDE: A workstation-specific exception to a lab-wide setting.

PROFILE: A lab environment with a global lab standard of settings that every
workstation will comply with, unless set otherwise locally via overrides. Each profile
tracks which TechLab workstations are set to which overrides. Selecting a different
profile means the lab standards and the overrides change to the settings in the new
profile, allowing the online learning environment to be set, altered, and reset as needed.

RELATION: Assignment of a student or course to a class or profile. Courseware titles

selected to appear in a lab or workstation are said to be related to that lab or
workstation.

ROTATION: Refers to a scheduling iteration. A rotation is a set of student-to-course (or

group-to-course) allocations made in the Scheduler, either manually by the instructor or
automatically by GradePoint 2020. The duration of a rotation typically varies according
to the choice of the instructor and the amount of content in each course.

RUBRIC: The instructor’s evaluation of the offline portion of the module. Each rubric is
computed into the workbook grade with the equal weight of a Unit. Rubrics are the only
activity that can be edited with GradePoint 2020.

SERVER: A computer that stores files and transmits them to workstations via a lab
network.

STAND-ALONE: A workstation that is not networked. When TechLab is configured for

stand-alone use, data and system files are installed on the same machine that the
student uses.

STUDENT: Refers to the individual who will be taking at least one lab course.

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STUDENT CODE: a code of up to nine characters. As with class codes, any character,
including international characters, may be used. In most cases, student codes are
assigned before they are entered in the Configurator. Student codes cannot be changed
once they are entered.

UNIT: A course segment containing curriculum and activities.

UNIT WEIGHT: Within TechLab, a student’s grade for a Lab Course is computed from
the pretest, posttest, and workbook scores. Workbook scores are based on students'
performance within units, factoring in weighting assigned by the instructor.

“Weight” refers to the relative importance that each score has when the unit grade is
computed, defined as a percentage. Default grade weights vary between Lab-Volt
product lines. The weights can be redefined by instructors within the Configurator.

WORKSTATION: Any computer where TechLab is installed.

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