PDRMA Online Training Program Getting Started Guide for Students

PDRMA Online Training Program Getting Started Guide for Students

Table of Contents Step 1: Verify that Your System Meets Minimum Specifications...2 Minimum Specifications...2 Recommended Specifications...2 Step 2: Disable Pop-up Blockers...2 Step 3: Log in to PDRMA Online Training...4 Step 4: Starting a Course...5 Step 5: Navigating through a Course...9 Step 6: Completing a Self Check... 11 Step 7: Taking the Comprehensive Test... 13 The Applications Page--Changing your Password, Applying for CEUs, and More... 14 User Profile... 15 1

Welcome to PDRMA s Online Training Program! Follow the steps below to get started. Step 1: Verify that Your System Meets Minimum Specifications Check with your agency s IT staff to verify that your system meets the following minimum or recommended specifications: Minimum Specifications: Intel Pentium II 450 MHz or faster processor (or equivalent), 128 MB of RAM, Windows 2000, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or Mozilla Firefox 1.x, Flash Player 8 or above. Recommended Specifications: Intel Pentium III processor 800 MHz (or equivalent) and later, 512 MB RAM, Windows XP, 1024 x 768, 16-bit display (32-bit recommended), Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.x, Flash 8 or above NOTE: PDRMA online training courses include audio, video and graphics. If you are using a wireless network, your connection may not be fast enough to view the material being presented. Step 2: Disable Pop-up Blockers A. Open Internet Explorer. B. Go to the Tools drop-down menu. In the Tools drop-down menu, select Pop-Up Blocker, then Popup Blocker Settings. 2

C. In Pop-up Blocker Settings, type pdrma.claritynet.com into the Address of website to allow field, then click Add. (NOTE: While in this window, look to see the two checkboxes at the bottom are checked. If you check them, you will be notified the next time Internet Explorer blocks a pop-up.) D. Once pdrma.claritynet.com has appeared in your Allowed sites, click the Close button at the bottom of the window. E. Please note that if you have another pop-up blocker (such as Google or Yahoo toolbars) on your computer, you will need to indicate that Pop-ups are OK for pdrma.claritynet.com. 3

Step 3: Log in to PDRMA Online Training Open your web browser. Type http://pdrma.claritynet.com in the browser address bar, then press Enter or click Go. The PDRMA Online Training log in screen opens. To login, follow the instructions on the screen below. To add this page to your Internet Explorer list of favorites, click this link. Type your User ID and password according to the instructions given on the screen, then click SUBMIT. Your User ID is your agency number, your first initial and your last name. The first time you log in, your password is PDRMA. After you log in the first time, you should change your password for better security. Your password and other personal information can be changed on the User Profile screen. Instructions for changing your password are included in the User Profile section this document. 4

Step 4: Starting a Course Once you log in, the Site page opens. Each training site includes different training courses. Open a site by clicking on it. Next to each site is a description of the types of courses available in that site. Once you click on a site, the Courses page opens. 5

The Time column indicates the amount of time you ve spent in the course. The Status column may read: Started, Not Started Completed or Mastered, depending on your status in the course. Locate the title of the course you want and click it. Once you click the title of a course, the Video Bit Rate screen opens. 6

Select the 100k rate if you are working on a dialup connection. Select the 320k rate if your connection is a T1 or T3 line or cable modem. Once you select a bit rate, click Enter the Course. The videos in the online training programs play best at 320k. Select that rate first, and if you have any trouble, go back and change to the 100k rate. When in doubt about which bitrate to select check with your IT staff if possible.) Once you have selected the appropriate video bitrate, and clicked Enter the Course, the Course Menu page opens. 7

Begin course by clicking here. Once you begin the course by selecting the first submodule, a course screen will appear. 8

Step 5: Navigating through a Course A typical course screen is shown below, along with a description of the navigation options. Returns you to the menu for this course Displays list of navigation icons and descriptions Exits course and returns you to the list of courses Narration text Exits course and returns you to the course listing page. Hides narration text Turns audio on/off Pauses or plays video Stops video Goes to previous screen Goes to next screen. To move through the module, click the Next arrow on the far right. 9

As you move through a module, you will encounter Embedded Questions. These are questions that reinforce the material presented in that module. They arre not scored, but you need to answer them correctly in order to move on. To answer embedded questions: Click the letter of the answer you think best answers the question, then click the Finish button. A green Checkmark indicates that you are correct and you are moved to the next storyboard. A indicates that you are incorrect. You will be asked to try again, or you will see a message telling you that you are being taken back to the storyboard that covered this topic in order to review the information, then answer the question again. Once you have completed a submodule and answered all embedded questions correctly, you will automatically return to the Course Menu, where you can select 10

the next submodule, or exit the course and return later. Whenever you choose to exit a course, whether from the menu or from within a submodule, your place will be automatically bookmarked so you can return to it later. If you have completed all the submodules in a module, you may choose to take the Self Check for that module. Step 6: Completing a Self Check Each module (except for the introduction) includes a Self-Check, which consists of a series of questions related to that module. Unlike answers to embedded questions, these answers are scored and saved. To answer Self- Check questions: Click the letter of the answer you think is best, then click the Finish button. To move to the next question, click the Next button (right arrow.) (Unlike embedded questions, you will not get feedback on Self-Check questions until you complete all the questions.) Self-Check Score: At the end of the test, you may choose to view your score or go back and review the text, changing your answers if necessary. 11

If you choose Score Test, you will see the following screen: 12

If your score is at least 80%, your status for the Self-Check will be Mastered, and you can move on to the next module. If your score is below 80%, your status for the Self-Check will be In Progress. You may go in and retake the Self-Check at any time. Until you get a score of at least 80% on the Self-Check, you will not be allowed to start the next module. Step 7: Taking the Comprehensive Test When you have completed all the modules in a course, you may take the Comprehensive Test. This test works basically the same way as the Self-Checks. When you have completed the Comprehensive test, you may view your score. If you have mastered the test, you may print your certificate. If you did not master the test, you may go back and take the test again until you achieve mastery.. You may also review modules you have already taken, as this may help you prepare to take the test again. 13

The Applications Page -- Changing your Password, Applying for CEUs, and More To get to the Applications page, click AppLinks in the upper right corner of the Sites or the Courses page. NOTE: If you are in a Course, you must exit it in order to open the Applications page. The Applications page allows you to: Access your User Profile, where you can change your password and other personal information (to do so, click the Edit Profile link, then see the following section called User Profile ) Access the online courses Print a Certificate of Mastery Apply for CEUs Email PDRMA for help Access the User Guide (this document) for the PDRMA Online Training Program Link to the PDRMA homepage 14

User Profile To access your user profile, click Edit Profile on the Applications page. The User Profile will appear: Note that you cannot change your User ID. However, you may change many of the other fields, including your password and email address. Once you have completed your changes, click Save. If you have problems logging in to the PDRMA Online Training or with any of the PDRMA online courses, please contact Clarity 24x7 Technical Support at 800-946-8584. They will ask you for a customer ID it is 237767. If your problem is not resolved by Technical Support, please contact the PDRMA Training Coordinator at 630-435-8934 or at training@pdrma.org. If it is after hours, your message will be returned during regular business hours. If you have feedback about PDRMA s Online Training Programs, please email us at training@pdrma.org. 15