How to Use Case Study Web Pages

These case studies assume that you have had sufficient computer education to be able to turn on the computer and find the applications that you need. This case study will use three of the most common computer applications in use today, a web browser (Netscape), a word processor and a spreadsheet. The case study provides a series of demonstrations which are really very small digital movie files about basic computing activities. Correlations with computer competencies are available.

At the moment, the demonstration movies show Macintosh computer display screens but thesame concepts apply in a Windows setting. The concepts are the same, but some details will differ depending on the platform.

To gain greater mastery of the computer skills demonstrated in this case study, you must open a second browser (e.g., Netscape or Internet Explorer) window, a practice window. Watch the tutorial videoclip demonstrations in one window and then carry them out in your other practice window. You can have both windows open and overlapping at the same time and click from one to the next quickly.

This case study does reveal a number of resources and options available within the CROP model and its web site that integrate local computer and Internet features. Further, though these case studies will include numerous examples, this work represents just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible through the CROP site to enhance teaching and learning with computer technologies.

Additional Detail: Procedures; Problems

Details of Procedures

In the paragraphs of the case studies, you will find the numbered phrases that are underlined and in color. Click on them to see and hear a demonstration of what was done to complete these various activities. Read the next installment of the story under the numbered item. After you have completed reviewing the demonstration and understood how the activity fits into the story, use a second web browser window to practice what you have seen. Your practice should lead to activity which fits this feature to your needs. Next, continue to scroll down to the next numbered item. Click this next link to load the next videoclip and continue to read and reflect on the text of the story. If a numbered phrase is in black boldface, it indicates that a demonstration is planned or under development but not yet available.

These demonstration files are very short movies a megabyte or two in size. This means that if you are using a high speed university connection, these demonstration files will play after a few seconds. As soon as the video begins to appear, you can click the Play triangle at the bottom of the video frame, if you have a current version of the Quicktime code for playing video.

If you have Netscape 3.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0 or later versions, and have a version of Quicktime which is 2.5 or later (system code which plays video), the movie can play almost immediately. With these applications installed, as soon as you seen the first frame of your video, you can click the play button, a small triangle shape in the movie controller bar at the bottom of the video image. It will play while the rest of the movie is downloading to your computer workstation.

If you are using a modem and have an actual transmission speed around 4000 bytes per second, it may take you around from four to eight minutes to transmit the complete demonstration videoclip. Once a portion of the video begins to appear, you can click the Play triangle at the bottom of the video frame, but it will quickly catch up with the download and stop. I suggest that you move to a second web browser window and practice what has been demonstrated to that point. By the time you have practiced on the other window and come back to the video window for more, additional video will have been downloaded and you can play another section and practice that amount. Continue with this process until the entire video has arrived and you can play it continuously for a review of what you have done.

If you find that transmission speeds are just too slow and it is taking too long, click the stop button in Netscape's menu bar and return to the case study narrative. Try the demonstration again later when transmissions speeds may have increased again. A CD ROM version of a set of such Case Studies is possible, but only likely when the pace of Internet tool development slows.

Movie Display Controllers

In our Instructional Technology Center, we have found that the display works best on computers with Multiple Scan Displays, which in WCU's Instructional Technology Center are found on the PowerMac series computers 7500 and 8500. Set these monitors to display at the size of 832-624.

The demonstration movies will display on monitors of any size, but on standard displays you may have to do more scrolling up and down and left and right to potentially see everything happening on the computers screens in the movie.

To reduce the amount of scrolling you may need to do, turn off the menu bars on the top of your browser's screen. The commands in Netscape to do this are found under the options command in the menu bar at the top of your screen. To turn them off, that is to remove the checkmark in front of them which indicates they are active, click to drag to each of them in turn until the checkmarks are gone: Show Toolbar, Show Location, and Show Directory Buttons. Turn these features on and off as you need them.

At the bottom of each movie display is a Control Bar with a slider. Use this slider to re-play this movie from any point by dragging the slider left or right and then clicking the triangle in the left of this control bar. To stop the movie, click once. To restart, double-click. Use the scroll bars on the right of screen to scroll down to the Control Bar to restart from any part which you need to see again and again.

Problems with Video or Audio?

No Video Displaying? If Necessary:
In order to use the demonstration movies, you may have to add special features to your browser called plug-ins. Try one of the Case Study 1 video demonstrations first, and if the demonstration movie plays once it is downloaded, you need do nothing further. Just continue viewing the case study narrative.

If however you do not see a video clip demonstration that follows the narrative in the case study, you must make some choices depending on the browser you use and its version number. Two browsers will be described here, Netscape and Internet Explorer. But no matter which browser you use on which OS, Mac or Windows, for the best playability, use the latest version of Apple's video player code called Quicktime. Check Apple's Quicktime site for the latest version for either platform.

Netscape Options

To download a file is to move a copy of it from a remote computer to your desktop computer. Many Internet users have either Netscape 2.x or 3.x or Internet Explorer 3.0. Different plug-ins must be downloaded for each version.

Netscape version 2.x
If you are using Netscape version 2.0 or some later 2.x version, you need to download the plug-in and place it in the plug-in folder found with the Netscape 2.0 folder. Again, do NOT do this unless you have a problem with the movie display in the first place.

Click Click on ViewMovie to download it, that is place a copy on the desktop of your computer.
Once the file has been downloaded to your computer and unstuffed, place it into the "Plug-ins" folder which is located inside your "Netscape" folder.
Next, Quit and Reopen the Netscape Application for the new plug-in to become operational.
Begin to read the case study the Demonstration links will operate as you click them.

Netscape 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 or Later
Using Apple's latest quicktime plug-in option with version 3.x or later gives you streaming video. That is, you can play the video even while the rest of the video file is being transmitted. If you are using Netscape version 3.0, Internet Explorer or some later version:

Install the latest version of Quicktime which will place the proper plug-ins into your web brower.
If you have any other plug-in that is capable of playing quicktime movies, remove it from your plug-in folder (e.g., ViewMovie) or go into helper applications and disable that aspect of the alternate plug-in otherwise you may end up with conflicts that could interfere with your video clip display.
Next, Quit and Reopen the Netscape Application for the new plug-in to become operational.

No Sound playing? If so:
If the movie runs, but you do not hear audio, click the link to a transcript of the videoclips and print it out. You can watch the movie and read what is happening. Further, whether you can hear sound or not, it is very useful to write any additional notes on your printout so that can perform the activity independent of the videoclip.

If you wish to hear audio, you may have a Windows based computer which did not ship with audio hardware capacity. You can purchase and add this technology to your computer, e.g., SoundBlaster hardware. If you have this or similar capacity and do not hear audio, then download the latest Quicktime version from Apple's Web site for your Windows system and replace your old Quicktime code.

If you have a Mac, audio hardware is standard equipment on all Macintosh computers and standard connections are available on Macs to hook it to speakers and stereo systems that you already may own if you need more volume. Mac users merely need to get the most current version of Quicktime installed.

If you still have audio problems, contact a computer lab assistant, read your computer manuals on how to activate your computer speakers or contact a knowledgeable friend or computer consultant. There is too much variance from one computer to the next to explain them all in this section.

Sound is too loud?

If you like to have strong volume but it might bother others in public computer labs, use a headphone set. If you do not have a headphone set, use the control panels on either Mac or Win computers to set the system volume levels for your computer.

Study Procedures

Pick the format you prefer :

Without Frames.: When you arrive at this web page and before you find and activate the first videoclip in the no-frame format, please first review the link labeled How to Use This Case Study Web Page. It will explain how to use this format.
With Frames: When you arrive at this web page and before you find and activate the first videoclip in the frame format, first read and scroll through the information in the bottom frame. It will explain how to use this format.

During or after these demonstrations, you should:

For Macs, your headphone plug goes in different places depending on the model of the computer. On some versions, the headphone outlet is on the left side of the monitor, on others it is on the right or front of the computer. For Windows, the headphone plug is in the back of the computer. In other labs, ask the lab assistant. Headphone plugs are not standard on Windows systems. Your home system may not have one. If you have speakers you should have one somewhere.
On the Mac, learn how to use the Speaker symbol on the Control Strip found on the side of the computer screen to control the volume level.
All of the videoclip screen will display without scrolling if you use higher resolution. Set the resolution of your computer workstation to something higher than 640x480. On a Mac use the checker-board monitor symbol on the Control Strip to 832-624, 75 Hz..
If your workstation does not deliver audio to your headphone set, report the problem to the lab assistant and move to a different computer.

Once you have seen a digital video tutorial, practice the skills of the tutorial. Continue this process throughout this study.

[Updated July 9, 2000.]

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