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Technical Requirements | Browser Test | Student Support

Learning and Working during a live PennAdvance Internet Broadcast

This web page is here to assist you in evaluating and handling communication problems that may occur as you participate in a live PennAdvance Internet broadcast. We encourage you to print a copy of this page and keep it beside your computer for future reference.

 

What is a live Internet broadcast?

Most PennAdvance courses include live class sessions that meet once a week. During these sessions, your instructor and TA (Teaching Assistant) will be in a studio at Penn while all students in the class are at their home computers.

During a live Internet broadcast, your instructor gives a lecture that is delivered to you over the Internet, live and in real time, with streaming video technology. You are able to see and hear the instructor, though s/he cannot see or hear you. You communiate with the instructor in several possible ways, including email, telephone, and -- most often -- a chat room, in which you can type questions and comments in response to what the instructor is saying. (Often, a TA will be monitoring the chat room and providing immediate answers and feedback to students.)

This document will help with troubleshooting of potential problems with these methods of communication during a live Internet broadcast:

  1. Seeing and hearing a live video and audio signal using RealPlayer software - view example
  2. Communicating with your instructor, TA, and fellow students in the Online Classroom, a chat room - view example
  3. Using an online form for submitting quiz answers - view example
  4. Speaking directly with your instructor by telephone in a call that will be heard by the rest of the class
  5. Sending a message via email

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Who can I call or email for help?

Help is available both from eCollege, the company that hosts our course website, and directly from Penn, where the live class sessions originate. The nature of your problem will determine who you should contact, but people at both eCollege and Penn will always be happy to answer your questions and direct you to the correct resource.
The problem or question is... Your support resource

I don't know when the next live Internet Broadcast is scheduled to take place. Always visit your course homepage first, and check the Message Center and the current week in the Interactive Syllabus. Internet broadcast times generally will be posted at one of these locations. If no information is available on your course homepage, you can contact your professor or TA by clicking on "Email Class".

I'm having a problem getting my computer to work - viewing video clips, accessing the website, etc. Contact the eCollege helpdesk by phone or email 24 hours a day: email: helpdesk@advance.upenn.edu or phone: (303) 873-0008

The website and my computer work fine, but there doesn't seem to be a signal coming from Penn. Check the PennAdvance Internet Broadcast Status Page - be sure to click on the Refresh or Reload button in your browser! If Penn support staff detect a transmission problem during a broadcast, they will update this site within 15 minutes.

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How can I check to see if I have the right software to view live video?

You'll need to have the RealPlayer installed on your computer in order to view both live and prerecorded video and audio clips from your course. To check whether this software is already installed on your computer, visit our online Browser Test, where all of the elements you'll need for your course, including RealPlayer, will be tested.

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How can I check to see if my computer can handle a live broadcast, with video and chat at the same time?

Though your computer may be well-equipped to view video, during a live Internet broadcast you will simultaneously browse images and communicate via the Online Classroom and/or email. Please complete the following steps BEFORE your first live class session to ensure success:

Step 1: Complete a self-check. The process for checking your own computer's capability to view video while participating in chat and browsing web pages is very simple. If you are able to successfully conduct all three of the following activities at once on your computer, you should have no trouble participating in the live broadcasts. If not, there are possible "workaround" solutions.
 

  1. Click here to view a sample video clip; this is an archived lecture from our summer term. This clip will run for 20 minutes, giving you plenty of time to complete the rest of the self-check.
  2. Logon to your course homepage and click on the "Online Classroom" link to launch the chatroom. Leave the chatroom window open as you complete step C.
  3. While you have the chat room open in one window, try opening a second browser window and browsing through this website.

The test of your computer is a success if you now have three windows open and active: one showing the lecture, one showing the Online Classroom, and one showing the PennAdvance web site. Please note that you may have to re-size some of these windows and move them around on your screen, in order to see all three simultaneously and without obstruction!

 

Step 2: Complete our online tech survey. This survey will let us know whether or not you were successful with your self-check. It will also give us important information about your system so that we can better assist you if you run into trouble. Finally, it will give us your most up-to-date contact information, so that your professor may contact you for discussion during a live broadcast.

What should I do if the video and audio stop during a broadcast?

Video and audio pauses occur for several different reasons, including Internet congestion, server problems, or problems on your local computer. If you have successfully passed the Browser Test then any problems you experience are more likely to result from server error or Internet traffic.

During a live broadcast, many people will experience short (10 to 15 second) video freezes, while the audio feed continues normally. Other times both the video and audio signals will pause. These are both common occurrences that simply reflect a rebuffering pause in the RealPlayer software as the video feed is delivered over the Internet. Rebuffering pauses are noted in the lower right corner of the RealPlayer window. A certain amount of this type of delay is normal on the Internet, but if this happens frequently, and you want to reduce it, consider obtaining a faster modem and/or a faster processor.

If the video and audio stop together, check each of the following areas:

  1. check in the online classroom - ask your TA and fellow students if they are experiencing any problems
  2. check for incoming email. If Penn course support staff detect a transmission problem during a broadcast, they will send email to all students within fifteen minutes. If you do not receive an email from us within 15-20 minutes, it is most likely that the problem is on your end.
  3. use a web browser to visit our Internet Broadcast Status Page for information on possible problems at the Penn end. Be sure to click on the Reload or Refresh button in your browser! This site will be updated every fifteen minutes if there are problems during a live broadcast. If you do not see an "error" message here within 15-20 minutes after you experience a problem, it is most likely that the problem is on your end.

If you lose both video and audio and all other Internet connectivity, check to see if your modem connection is still active.

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What should I do if I am having problems using the online classroom (chatroom)?

If you experience problems accessing or using the eCollege.com Online Classroom:

  • check to see if your modem connection is no longer active
  • quit the online classroom and login again. Often a simple "retry" will be successful.
  • check email and/or visit our Internet Broadcast Status Page. If Penn course support staff become aware of a problem with the Online Classroom during a broadcast, they will send update the webpage and send email to all students within fifteen minutes.
  • report all problems with the Online Classroom to eCollege.com tech support at 303-873-0008 or via email: helpdesk@advance.upenn.edu.

Note that Microsoft Internet Explorer (MIE) seems to work better than Netscape with the eCollege course delivery system, particularly the Online Classroom. If you are working on a Macintosh, consider downloading a copy of Internet Explorer and try it to see if it works better for you.

If technical problems occur with the Online Classroom, you may be directed to go to an alternative chat room provided by Penn. The message to go to this system will be sent to you by Penn course support staff via email. An announcement and link will also be posted on the Internet Broadcast Status Page -- be sure to click on the Reload or Refresh button in your browser to see updates.

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What if I can't log on to the course website at all?

If technical problems occur with the Online Classroom, you may be directed to go to an alternative chat room provided by Penn. The message to go to this chat system will be sent to you by Penn course support staff via email. An announcement and link will also be posted on the Internet Broadcast Status Page -- be sure to click on the Reload or Refresh button in your browser to see updates.

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What can I do if technical problems cause me to miss some or all of a class broadcast?

Archived versions of the video and audio from each course broadcast will be made available within two business days of the class in either of two formats:

  1. Multimedia files will be available for download and playback on from your local hard drive by clicking on the "Document Collaboration" button on your screen and looking for the files which will be labeled by the date of the broadcast. This method will ensure that best quality, since you will not be viewing the file via the Internet. But note, however, that these will be large files and will take some time to download via a modem.
  2. Multimedia files available via streaming media on the Internet. Click on the link in the course website in the appropriate unit page to access the archived version of the class session.

Please note that archived versions of the video and audio from course broadcasts may be available for a limited time only. Check with your course instructor for his or her methods for dealing with archived materials.



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