FAQ

HerbergerOnline Frequently Asked Questions

This document contains a compilation of tips, procedures, and course policies that when followed, should make the technical part of the course much less stressful. Please read this document and refer to it should you experience any technical difficulties.

Where and how to take an Online Exam
Do I have to be concerned about pop-up blockers?
If you have audio clips on your Exams
If you have image links on your Exams
If you have video on your Topic or Online Writing Assignments
Other known problems
Additional Policies

Where and how to take an Online Exam:

Recommended on-campus computing sites:

If you are in the Phoenix metro area, it is strongly recommended that use any of the following on-campus computing site facilities to take online exams:

CPcom Atrium (Computing Commons)
COOR 150
BAC 16
ECG 150
GWC 185

Click here to view a map showing location and information on the types of workstations available

Students may also use the Electronic Classroom music lab which is located in the School of Music room W225 (new wing). This facility supplies headphones. Daytime hours for this facility are limited, however it is open for online testing most evenings (excluding Summer Sessions). The Electronic Classroom is not open during Winter Session.

Can I take my test from my home computer?

Yes, however please note that users who experience the most problems are those who take the exams from their home computers. The main reasons for these are as follows:

Using computer or software that does not meet the minimum course technical requirements.
Not deleting the browser's temp (cached) files before use.
Family or roommate distractions or having a call come in while online.

How to log on to tests:

Click on the exam link that will be provided on the course exams page on the day(s) of the exam.
Read the exam entrance page, Type your course account (user name and password) in the spaces provided and click the [access exam] button. If you do not know your course account, go http://herbergeronline.asu.edu/accounts/. Be sure not to type any spaces before or after your user id and password, the server recognizes the space as a valid character. The server is also case sensitive, make sure your caps lock key is not engaged.
When you have completed the exam, click the [submit test] button that appears at the bottom of the exam page. A page will appear that contains your test score along with a number confirming that your exam was received. Print or copy the score and confirmation number for your own records.

Which web browser is best to use for taking these tests?

The tests are designed to work on Firefox or Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. We STRONGLY SUGGEST, however, that you use the latest version of Firefox or Internet Explorer (currently 7.x). Internet Explorer 6 is a very old browser and support will be phased out soon. If you plan on using a browser other than these be sure to test it via the Practice Exam at http://herbergeronline.asu.edu/practice/.

What is the Practice test?

There is a link to the practice test provided on the course exams page. The practice test is designed to run just like an actual exam with one exception, you may take and log onto the Practice exam as often as you like. There is no course credit for taking the practice exam and its main purpose is to help you get used to online testing and to help you trouble shoot and resolve any technical problems before taking an actual exam. You should take the practice test just prior to taking each of the exams to verify your computer is configured correctly before entering the exam.

There are 10 questions on the Practice test that have nothing to do with the course, you may answer these questions in any way that you like, or not at all. What is important about the Practice test is that it contains 3 questions that have Flash 8 (.swf) audio samples as part of the question. If you are enrolled in a course that will have audio samples as part of the exams, you should be sure that the audio clip play bar is visible. You should test that the player is functional by playing it. This will assure you have the most recent Flash player installed. To check if you have the correct version installed test your flash player. Playing the audio files on the Practice exam will allow you to check the volume on your computer before you take an actual exam. If your course will not have audio files on the exams, you should still take the practice test before each exam, just to make sure everything is working properly on your computer.

Do I have to be concerned about pop-up blockers?

Yes. You will need to turn off all pop-up blockers or adjust the filter level of your pop-up blocker settings. More information on how to do this for Windows with Internet Explorer can be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx

It is also a very good idea to take the practice test prior to logging into the actual exam. The image files found on the practice exam are of the same format as the actual exam. This will allow you the opportunity to adjust your pop-up settings accordingly.

Any resets incurred as a result of disruption caused by pop-up blockers will be counted as one of your two (2) resets for the semester.

If you have audio clips on your exams:

How do the audio files work on the exam?

Exam questions that contain audio sample files display a small embedded Flash player at the end of the question. To hear the sample, click the play button that is on the left side of the player. You can use the same button on the player to pause and resume play. Be sure to stop the player before moving on to another question, as it is possible to play more than one audio file at a time. If you are taking the exam using a PC with Internet Exploer, you will need to click once on the player to make it active, and then a second time to make it play. Use the embedded sample below to test your browser before logging onto the exam.

What if I can not get the exam audio files to play.

If you are not able to get the clips to play on your computer, we recommend the following procedure:

Go to http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflash/ and download the installer
Restart your computer
Install the Flash Player from the installer file you downloaded accepting all defaults

Restarting is important because it ensures that no browsers are running at the time you attempt the installation. If this does not work for you contact the HerbergerOnline department via the link on your course web site. Be sure to state what error messages if any you are receiving as well as what operating system you are using (What version of Windows or Mac OS) and the exact steps you are taking in trying to listen to the audio.

Why do the lecture audio files sound fuzzy?

These files have been compressed as much as possible to accommodate users who are taking the course via 56k phone modems. The extreme compression makes for speedier download times via phone modems but causes the sound on the file to become somewhat distorted.

What if the MP3 lecture or exam files don't stream?

There are no streamed files used on either the lectures or on exams. This means that when you click on an audio link, the audio file is actually downloaded onto your computer. Some of the lecture MP3 files are rather long so these may take several minutes to download if you are using a 56K modem. All of the test audio files are no longer than 30 to 40 seconds so these files will download in seconds or within a minute if you have a slow connection. Any of the sound files will download considerably faster if you use a cable modem, DSL, or a T1 line. The minimum requirement for this course is a 56K-connection speed. You are NOT required to change your Internet Service Provider to cable modem or DSL, but doing so will greatly enhance your ability to receive downloadable course materials such as lectures and tests.

What if I still can't hear or play the audio files?

Check to make sure your computer comes equipped with a sound card. If it doesn't you will need to purchase one and have it installed. The computer tech department for this course will not install or trouble shoot any computer hardware related issues that may come up during the course. It is your responsibility to make sure you have and maintain the proper equipment to take the course. All of the course materials made available to the user via the Internet are delivered via methods that have widely proven to work if the user has taken the proper steps to insure that his or her system is maintained and meets the specified minimums.

What if I can not hear the audio files during an exam?

Go to the sound Control Panel on your PC and boost the volume, making sure that the volume for "wave" is adjusted as well. You should find the volume adjuster for "wave" in the audio tab of your sound or media control panel. If you still get no audio, DO NOT SUBMIT: you will need to close your browser to re-enter the exam and reset yourself. DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR EXAM IF YOU CAN NOT HEAR THE AUDIO, submitting an exam is final. No completed exams will be reset! In other words, if you click the submit button that appears at the bottom of the test, you will NOT be granted a reset exam should you request one. You can only reset yourself if the you have not submitted your exam. If you submit your exam, and request of us to reset your exam, we will respond in the negative. Please email us at herbergeronline@mainex1.asu.edu if you do not understand this COURSE POLICY.

The audio sounds pretty bad over my computer speakers.

The audio samples are compressed to accommodate slower modem speeds so therefore, they are not CD quality. They do however sound much better over a pair of stereo headphones.

If you have image links on your exam:

If an image page fails to popup or the image to be viewed to answer a question is not appearing DO NOT SUBMIT your exam but close the exam window, quit your browser, note the error message you receive so that you can relay it to technical support should you need some assistance troubleshooting the issue. Once your technical issue is resolved, be sure to restart your browser, and you will be prompted to reset yourself to and take a new exam. DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR EXAM IF YOU CAN NOT VIEW THE IMAGES, submitting an exam is final. No completed exams will be reset! In other words, if you click the submit button that appears at the bottom of the test, you will NOT be granted a reset exam should you request one. A reset exam can only occur if the user has not submitted their exam. If you submit your exam, you will be unable to reset yourself, and if a reset is requested of our department, we will respond in the negative. Please email us at herbergeronline@mainex1.asu.edu if you do not understand this POLICY.

Resets, and how to deal with a technical issue during an exam:

What is a reset?

Exam resets are allowed in this course as an acknowledgment that while the course delivery system via the Internet is very reliable, it is not perfect. Users may experience technical difficulties that they can not control while logged on to an exam. If this occurs, the user should refrain from clicking the [submit test] button that appears at the bottom of the test. The user should then return to the course main page and click on the computer help link to fill out a problem report if they wish to troubleshoot the problem. To reset your exam, you will need to close your browser and EXIT OR QUIT your BROWSER. Not just the window, but the browser application. Start the browser application again, and logon to the exam as you normally would. You will be prompted to reset the exam, accept the policies, and then be given a new version of the exam. Time on the exam will be stated - your exam begins over. So no time from the previous attempt will be added to your time, or previous answers available to you: it is a new exam, with new questions, and the same time limit as applied to all exams - as listed in your syllabus. To troubleshoot your technical issues, please try to describe the difficulty that you encountered and be sure to fill out the problem report form in its entirety. It is imperative that you use your full and correct email address when filling out a problem report as any and all communications regarding your report will be sent to you as a reply via the email address you supply on the form.

How many resets can I have?

You are allowed one reset per exam, but no more than two resets for the entire semester. In other words, 2, but they need to be for 2 different exams. Also, reset exams are NOT makeup exams. You can only reset yourself if you experienced technical difficulties while taking an exam, NOT if you missed one. If you miss an exam, or are not able to successfully submit a reset exam, you will need to consult your course syllabus or instructor to find out their policy in place regarding missed exams, or failed reset submissions. No resets will be allowed outside of the exam period.

If I request a test reset, will I get the same questions back on the test?

There is no guarantee that you will receive all of the same questions you had prior to the reset. In most cases, you may receive some of the same questions but then again; you may also receive an entirely different exam. This depends on how many questions your course Professor has written for that particular exam. The alternate test questions are used to keep the integrity of the tests intact, and to control test reset abuse.

How long does it take my exam to be reset? Is it immediate? or do I have to wait?

Exam resets are immediate. Once you reset yourself, and accept the course policies, you will immediately enter your timed exam. So be prepared to begin your exam.

What if the server crashes and it's not my fault that my test needs to be reset?

This can happen. All server outages and or crashes are logged. All users who are logged onto an exam during a crash will be granted a "free" on line reset back to their original test questions and their test clock will be set back to the beginning. Users who are not logged onto an exam during an outage or crash will not be able to log onto the exam so they will not be granted a "free reset".

What do you mean by "test clock"?

There is a time limit on all of the exams. When the user logs onto an exam, the test server stamps the time on the test and keeps track of how many minutes the user has been logged on the test. If the user goes over the prescribed time limit, the test server will begin to deduct points from the user's final score for each minute the user goes over the time limit. See your course syllabus for test time limits and going overtime penalties.

What if the server time is wrong?

The server clock is considered to be extremely accurate. It is important to note however that the server clock is kept a few minutes slightly ahead or behind the actual time of day. This is done for a reason. You should rest assured however that if you have 30 minutes to take an exam, the server will give you a complete 30 minutes penalty free from the time you log onto the exam. The following tips are very useful with regards to the test clock:

There is no ding or buzzer that goes off when you've reached your time limit and the test will not submit itself when you've reached your time limit.
You should take note of the time the server stamps on your test when you first log on and then sync your watch or clock to the time stamped on your test.
Setting the time back via the computer control panel before submitting your exam will accomplish nothing because the test clock keeps track of time on the test server and not on your computer.

What is an illegal submission?

The system that delivers the tests is designed to keep track of which test each test taker should be submitting, and whether any serial numbers, or other identifying information has been altered in any way prior to submission. Alterations of an exam may occur on the test taker's computer as a result of improper usage of various third party applications or appliances that are designed to interact with a browser. The system will flag an altered test when it comes in and will stamp it as being illegal. The system will then generate an error message and send it back to the test taker with the words "ILLEGAL SUBMISSION!" stamped on the page. Since the test taker will have already been issued an exam, they will not be able to log back into the exam.

If you receive an error message that states your exam was submitted illegally, you should first contact your professor and let them know that you received this type of error message when you submitted your exam. You should then ask your professor for an essay or paper make-up exam in place of the exam for which you received an illegal submission.

If you have video on your Topic or Online Writing Assignments:

Why can't I get my computer to play the Topic Assignment video clips?

The latest versions of Quicktime will play the Topic Assignment video clip format which is mp4. Quicktime is generally what we recommend if someone is having difficulty.
NOTE: Windows Media Player 7 will not play mp4 without modifications, so we suggest that you choose from the other players or download Quicktime. If you are not able to get the clips to play on your computer, we recommend the following procedure:

to go http:/www.apple.com/quicktime and download the installer
Restart your computer
Install quicktime from the installer file you downloaded accepting all defaults

Restarting is important because it accomplishes several tasks. For one, it ensures that no browsers are running at the time you attempt the installation. For another, it ensures that neither Windows Media Player nor Quicktime are currently running. If this does not work for you contact the HerbergerOnline department via the link on your course web site. Be sure to state what error messages if any you are receiving as well as what operating system you are using (What version of Windows or Mac OS) and the exact steps you are taking in trying to view the Topic Assignment video.

FAQ