VISTAS Web-SAM Technical Support

	You can find out about the following topics here: minimum technical requirements and other basic operating information  how instructors create a VISTAS Web-SAM course how students register for a VISTAS Web-SAM course how to log into the Web-SAM after first-time registration how instructors access student scores in the Web-SAM how to contact technical support for the Web-SAM

Created in conjunction with Quia Corporation, the VISTAS Web-SAM is the electronic version of the printed VISTAS Student Activities Manual. The Web-SAM delivers the entire Workbook, Laboratory Manual, and Video Manual on-line with automatic scoring, plus it includes the complete Laboratory Audio Program.

The VISTAS Web-SAM also offers instructors in-depth, easy-to-use tracking of students' scores by individual student, by class, by activity, and by lesson. Instructors can also customize the Web-SAM by editing existing exercises to create their own version of the activities.

1. The Web-SAM performs best on PCs using the Microsoft Windows operating system, but the Apple Macintosh platform is also supported.
2. The Web-SAM can be viewed with any of the following browsers:
   • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher (This is recommended for best performance. If you don't have Internet Explorer on your computer, you can access Microsoft's Web site at www.microsoft.com/downloads and download it for free.)
   • Netscape version 4.7 (Netscape 6 is not currently supported.)
   • If you use America Online (AOL), you should connect to the Internet using AOL, and then use one of the supported browsers listed above.
3. Browser preferences must be set to enable Java and JavaScript and to accept cookies.
4. Your computer monitor resolution should be set to a minimum of 800 x 600 pixels. If your monitor is set to 640 x 480 pixels, you will need to use your browser's scroll bar to view the whole screen.
5. You must have a standard audio card in order to use the Web-SAM. If you don't have one, you will need to contact your school's tech support staff or customer service of the company whose computer you use (Dell, Compaq, Gateway, etc.).
6. If the audio track of any lab activity sounds choppy when first played, play the sound a second or more times and it will play smoothly. Any choppiness that may occur is the result of variations in the memory and settings of individual computers.
7. The VISTAS video modules are not part of the Web-SAM and cannot be accessed in the Web-SAM by PCs or Macs. This is due to bandwidth limitations currently inherent in the delivery of content online over the Internet. The easiest way to watch the video footage while doing video activities in the Web-SAM is to put the VISTAS Video CD-ROM in your computer's CD-ROM drive and switch back and forth between the Video CD-ROM and the Web-SAM.

It is not recommended that you go to VISTAS Interactive on the vistasonline.com web site to view the video modules in each lesson's Fotonovela section. The complete video modules (dramatic segment + Resumen for each lesson) are not available on the web site. In addition, the speed with which you can access and view the parts of the video modules that are on the web site will vary widely by connection times, memory capabilities, download times, etc.

Before your students can register for and use the VISTAS Web-SAM, you need to create your personal VISTAS Web-SAM course. To do this, you will need

• a Quia account
• a unique alpha-numeric student access key. This key is only used once to add the Web-SAM to your personal Quia account. After the Web-SAM is in your account, you simply log in to access it. You no longer need your access key.
• If you do not have a Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Instructors.
  3. Click Create a new account.
  4. Fill out and submit the form. Remember to write down your username and password.
  5. Click Enter a book key. Type your instructor access key in the Book Key field. Although you will not need to use your access key again, you may want to write it down and keep it with your username and password.

  	IMPORTANT: Your unique instructor access key is not provided here. It is printed on the copy of the VISTAS Web-SAM Instructor Information Sheet provided to you by Vista Higher Learning.

  6. You will be prompted to create a course. Fill out and submit the form. You will be able to edit the information you enter on this form later.
  7. Click Create classes now. Fill out and submit the form. You will be able to edit the information you enter on this form later. You can create as many classes as you would like. Click Done when finished.
  8. Keep a record of the course code for each class you create. Your students will need this code to register for your course. Click view in the column Registration Instructions. You can print these student instructions to hand out to your students. The instructions are different for each class because each class has a different course code.
• If you already have a Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Log in.
  3. Enter your username and password. Click Submit.
  4. Enter your instructor access key in the field labeled Enter book key. Although you will not need to use your access key again, you may want to write it down and keep it with your username and password.

  	IMPORTANT: Your unique instructor access key is not provided here. It is printed on the copy of the VISTAS Web-SAM Instructor Information Sheet provided to you by Vista Higher Learning.

  5. You will be prompted to create a course. Fill out and submit the form. You will be able to edit the information you enter on this form later.
  6. Click Create classes now. Fill out and submit the form. You will be able to edit the information you enter on this form later. You can create as many classes as you would like. Click Done when finished.
  7. Keep a record of the course code for each class you create. Your students will need this code to register for your course. Click view in the column Registration Instructions. You can print these student instructions to hand out to your students. The instructions are different for each class because each class has a different course code.

To begin using the Web-SAM, you will need...

• a Quia account
• a unique alpha-numeric student access key. This key is only used once to add the Web-SAM to your personal Quia account. After the Web-SAM is in your account, you simply log in to access it. You no longer need your access key.
• If you do not have a Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Students.
  3. Click Create a new account.
  4. Fill out and submit the form. Remember to write down your username and password.
  5. Select Enter a book key and enter your student access key in the Book Key field. You will be taken to the Student Workstation where the VISTAS Web-SAM will be added to your account. Although you will not need to use your access key again, you may want to write it down and keep it with your username and password.

  	IMPORTANT: Your unique student access key is not provided here. It is printed on the copy of the VISTAS Web-SAM Student Information Sheet provided with your student textbook.

  6. The Web-SAM requires an instructor's course code that you will be prompted to enter the first time you open the Web-SAM. You must get the course code from your instructor.
• If you already have a Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Students.
  3. Click Log in.
  4. Enter your username and password. Click Log in.
  5. Enter your student access key in the field labeled Enter book key. You will be taken to the Student Workstation where the VISTAS Web-SAM will be added to your account. Although you will not need to use your access key again, you may want to write it down and keep it with your username and password.

  	IMPORTANT: Your unique student access key is not provided here. It is printed on the copy of the VISTAS Web-SAM Student Information Sheet provided with your student textbook.

  6. The Web-SAM requires an instructor's course code that you will be prompted to enter the first time you open the Web-SAM. You must get the course code from your instructor.

• (Instructors) To access the Web-SAM after you have added it to your Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Log in.
  3. Enter your username and password. You will be taken to the Instructor Workstation.
• (Students) To access the Web-SAM after you have added it to your Quia account:
  1. Go to http://books.quia.com.
  2. Click Students.
  3. Click Log in.
  4. Enter your username and password. You will be taken to the Student Workstation. Select the VISTAS Web-SAM.
  5. Click Open.

Following are just some of the functionalities of the Instructors' section of the VISTAS Web-SAM.

1. In the Instructor Workstation, click on any Web-SAM course you created and you will be brought to the Classes tab of the instructor tools. This contains Roster, Results, Class Information and Help.
2. Roster: This contains the list of students in the class with name, alias, e-mail, transfer, and drop/add for each class. When you click on students' names, you can...
   • choose lessons from a pull-down menu.
   • see students' individual gradebooks (Performance Summary) with scores for each activity
   • clear selected scores
3. Results: This allows you to view class results by students or by activities.
   • You can choose lessons from a pull-down menu.
   • A section summary provides mean, low, and high scores for the class as a whole over an entire lesson.
   • In class by students, you can view a class list with students' names, points earned over an entire lesson, average scores over an entire lesson, and scores on each activity in a lesson.
   • In class by activity,, you can view students' scores over an entire lesson organized by activities.
   • You can click on an underlined percentage score to see how a particular student did on a particular exercise. All of the student's responses will be shown.
   • You can click on a student's name to get that student's individual grade report. Then click on any of the grade links to view that student's responses for the exercise.
   • You can click on adjust in the results boxes and change exercises' point values.
   • You can click on a student's name to get his/her e-mail address to send a message.
4. Within Roster and Results, there is a yellow box called Instructor Tools and Information. This allows you to...
   • do exercises as if you were a student to view them and test them out
   • create options for students' gradebooks (displaying aliases; calculating scores based on students' first attempt or most recent attempt).
5. Class Information: This lists the title of the class, class code, number of students, location where the class is held, and the days and times the class meets.
6. In the corner of the screen, the switch class option allows you to switch from class to class if you teach more than one section in which students use the VISTAS Web-SAM.
7. In the Instructor Workstation, three other tabs appear next to the Classes tab: Books, Announcements, and Options.
   • Books: Click on customize to see how each activity can be edited and changed by instructors. Click on help to see what customization options exist and explanations of how to use them.
   • Announcement: Instructors can type in announcements to their students.
   • Options: This provides information about and links to the following options: edit course, delete class, delete course, export results, add book, and re-adopt.

• If you encounter problems creating your VISTAS Web-SAM course(s), please send an e-mail to help@quia.com.
• For any other technical problems, you may send an e-mail to help@quia.com or to techsupport@vistahigherlearning.com.